1593- The gold rush in Nueva Italia begins. Gold, discovered in OTL Itaimas (Brazil) causes thousands to sail there, seeking their fortunes. Although only a few find it, many stay on and populate the south of Nueva Italia. The gold is, of course, welcome.

The strange drink called tea is imported from China by the Britannic Cathay Trading Company. The drink catches on in the France and the Commonweath, but the Venetians stick to their coffee. The first teahouse opens in London in 1594.

The new French solidifies its rule over Mexico. Its first move is to break up the old economienda system, as Henri states that "the lords of Mexico care only for themselves; but the middling sort have a vested interest in the well-being of the nation." The Estates approve, and pass the edicts which break the economiendas up.

1594- The Confederation of Al-Andalus launches a very small military expedition into northern Morocco. Surprisingly, it succeeds in taking Fez and Tangiers, an impressive feat for the cash-strapped nation. The Confederation also passes the "Law for the People of the Book", urging tolerance for Protestants, Jews, and, to a greater or lesser degree, Catholics. The new nation signs several trading agreements with the Commonwealth and France, and silk production takes off.

With the end of the production of weapons of war, the massive iron mines of Austria and Tyrol lead to the development of the first iron bridges. To ease the transportation of iron from Tyrol and the Steiermark (and to a lesser degree Switzerland), canals are constructed.

1595- Venetian soldiers arrive in India. The Venetian Indian Company rapidly gains territory in India.

Ibn-Rassur of Al-Andalus publishes "The History of Dar-Islam". In it, he condemns the leaders of the Islamic peoples for becoming backward, and says that the only hope of the people of the faith is to be as the Nasrani are. He also harkens back to the convinencia, when Moors, Jews, and Christians weren’t killing each other in Iberia on a daily basis. Ibn-Rassur is chosen to be a representative for the city of Malaga to the Confederation.

William Shakespeare writes Othello, the tale of love divided by religion. Othello, a Moor, is forbidden to marry Juliet, a Christian Spaniard. Taking place in the 1100’s, the two eventually commit suicide.

Benito Carmaignola explores the Amazon river, and discovers its source, high in the Andes.

1596- The Inquisition in the Levant continues. Those of the faith who haven’t fled to Al-Andalus implore the Shah of Persia to rescue them from oppression.

1597- Al-Andalus begins specializing in the protection of clocks, as the Moors already have a long tradition of mechanical knowledge. Scorned by the berbers for being as much Christian as Muslim, the Andalusis rebuild from the war rapidly, and the Confederation begins tolerating Christians.

Brandy is distilled in Smyrna for the first time. The drink is named ypeirnos: literally, super wine.

1598- Josef of Brandenburg becomes the new Holy Roman Emperor, and king of Hungary. Josef creates a permanent capital for the Holy Roman Empire by moving the court to Worms.

The Britannic parliament passes the enclosure acts, which force many people to move to the cities or the English colonies.

1599- Ladislas III comes to the throne of Poland. Ladislas begins reorganizing the nation, and attempts to break the sejm, and return power to the King.

Also that year, Albert of Mecklenburg dies. However, his son, Adolf, enters the Imperial election. Electorates are divided, but massive bribes (the Peruvian gold is an imperial fief) has an effect. The northern Electorates rally to his cause. Albert begins to wonder to what purpose he can turn the gold.

1600- An Austrian merchant, watching his coffeepot boil, begins to get an idea. The coal mines are beginning to reach the water level, after all.

Henri IV dies, and is succeeded by son, Charles. Many speculate that the rash of royal deaths has been an omen from God, as those were the kings who instigated the twenty years war. Charles is responsible for encouraging the settlement (often by force) of lands in the Duchy of Nueva Aragon (Mexico).

The Italian, Amadee Pascal, publishes his famous article, "Kings and Countries: The History of Europe." Pascal cites the HREGN as a land which will either become the European superpower, or fragment. "The nobles chafe under Imperial rule, and gold buys his guns. I fear for the peace in Europe."

1601- Muslims raise a last, daring revolt against the Byzantines. It is, not surprisingly, crushed. They flee into Persia, and Byzantine troops follow. The Shah warns the Byzantine General that "Your cannon are formidable; but what match are they for the steel of my immortals? Retreat, lest you wake the wrath of the Caliph of Dar-Islam."

1602- Emperor Justinian ponders, in Constantinople, just how to prepare for the war against Persia. A thought strikes him. If the Persians are the leaders of Dar-Islam, and he is the leader of the Orthodox Church, can he declare a Crusade?

The problem is that Crusades in the past, have meant for Byzantium rampaging Frankish and Italian armies. It is not until Easter Sunday that the Partriarch of Constantinople goes along with the others and agrees to the Crusade.

The Crusade servers as a rallying point for most of the Orthodox world. Armenians, Syrians, Bulgarians, and even a few Russians enlist in the holy armies. The new Russian Emperor, however, wants nothing to do with the war. His country just finished the Time of Troubles.

In November, a Byzantine expedition sets marches into the Hejas, and captures Mecca in November. The Byzantine general burns the city to the ground. He sends Kaaba back to Byzantium.

This is commonly regarded as a very big mistake. Mecca has the equivalent effect for Muslims of burning Rome to the ground, executing the pope, and sending his limbs to the four corners of Christendom. The Persian shah musters an army, and an Andalusian squadron attacks the Arsenal at Athens.

Venice doesn’t declare war, but unofficially aids the Muslims. Venetian raiders discover the route the kaaba will take, and land a detachment which takes the Kaaba, and gives it to the Andalusis. The Andalusis return it to Mecca, and rebuild the city, beginning in 1604.

1603- Alexi, Tzar of Russia, begins expelling the Scandinavians from the Baltic regions.

To remove water from the coal mines in England, Francis Bacon develops the first primitive steam engine. . His machine consisted of a closed vessel filled with water into which steam under pressure was introduced. This forced the water upwards and out of the mine shaft. Then a cold water sprinkler was used to condense the steam. This created a vacuum which sucked more water out of the mine shaft through a bottom valve.

A Crusading army under the Byzantine general Ypsilantis invades OTL Iraq. The Byzantines besiege Baghdad.

1604- Australia is discovered by the Venetian explorer Enrico Constazo.

The siege of Baghdad is lifted by the Persian immortals. The light Persian cavalry ruthlessly harass the crusading army’s supply lines as they cross the desert once more.

Adolf, Emperor of Germany, disputes French claims to Provence when the Duke of Provence dies. Adolf claims that as the Duke was a relative of Frederick of Brandenburg (cousins) Provence should fall to Frederick. Charles maintains that Provence is a part of French territory, and under fief to the king. When they were no male heirs to carry on the family, the land reverts to the kingdom.

Adolf decides that he might as well get some use out of his massive army, and therefore declares that he shall take Provence by force of arms.

The Venetians are worried by this, needless to say. Technically, the entire northern half of Italy was once Imperial. Adolf’s policy sets a bad precedent. The Venetians hint that they’ll join the HREGN, however, in exchange for the port of Marseilles and Udine. Adolf, believing the German nation does not need the help of Italians, rebuffs them. In an astonishingly rude gesture, he comments on the fact that while the Kingdom of Italy is, of course, sovereign, Savoy and Piemonte were once Imperial Duchies. The Reichsregiment issues an apology for that comment, but the war continues to widen the expanding rift between the two nations.

The British parliament makes some noises about how they wish for peace and goodwill in Europe, and how the Imperial claims are not valid. Surprisingly, they don’t go any further, preferring to wait and see what happens.

Another Byzantine invasion force sets off.

1605- Adolf declares war upon the Kingdom of France. Ferdinand makes some encouraging noises, but the Christian Empire is literally bankrupt.

An Imperial army is crushed by the superior organization of the French forces. Like the Republic and the Commonwealth, France has moved of late towards a professional army, as opposed to one based on nobility and mercenaries.

At the battle of Toul, the Imperial army is defeated by a slightly smaller French army. The French army, made up of many burghers and minor nobility, chases the Imperial army into Lorraine.

A southern army marches out of the Swiss Cantons, and does noticeably better. The Swiss, however, withdraw from the war when Adolf states, rather bluntly, that he will create additional cantons for Switzerland from Provencal land. The Canton delegate to the Diet of Worms states that the Swiss Cantons, under the treaty of Passowitz, are only liable to join wars that defend the Empire, and may join wars of conquest of their own free will. The case goes before the Imperialis Judicium, which rules that the Swiss are indeed right. Adolf is tempted to disband the judicium, but cooler heads in the Reichsregiment prevail.

1606- Off of the coast of Birtanny, the German fleet is defeated by the French Atlantic Squadron. The Germans will spend much of the war trying to get through the Channel, and their colonies in South America are becoming increasingly neglected, aside for the gold.

A French army attacks Strassburg, in Alasce, but is pushed back.

The Byzantines take Baghdad, but then run out of ammunition for cannon. Their supply lines, almost nonexistant across the desert, are broken. The Byzantine army is annihilated, although Baghdad is ruined and will take a generation to recover from the Crusade.

The Shah of Persia launches a counter invasion, towards the Levant.

1607- With many of the German lords distracted, Stanowitz, King of Poland-Lithuania, invades. The Polish army marches on Danzig.

The Diet agrees, reluctantly, to raising more troops. The Hungarians also get involved, although they carry out the war half-heartedly.

The new army in Poland, led by Augustus of Pommerania, defeats the Poles. The Hungarians also cross an army into Poland. The Hungarian army then spends the next four months on the other side of the border (literally). Adolf sends the Archduke of Austria to speed the army up.

Troops from Bavaria, through Switzerland, enter Provence. They take Tolouse from the French.

1608- The Bavarian troops are defeated by a force from Tours. Tolouse is retaken.

The Poles raise another army, which defeats the Pomeranians. (Thrilling stuff, war in this era is).

The French fleet captures a treasure convoy enroute to Lubeck from Peru. Adolf, incensed, orders that the principalities, for the first time in the history of the Empire, pay taxes.

Many of the princes pay, but several, including the Prince of Bayern, refuse to, pointing out that they’re already leading troops against the French. Adolf cannot, legally, do anything about them. But few are surprised when the Prince is ordered to lead a charge against French artillery.

1609- Persian troops besiege, and take, Antioch. With it taken, the Levant is cut off from the rest of Byzantium.

The Byzantine Emperor Pathanios personally leads a last army against the Persians.

In desperation, Charles begins selling public offices, a practice known as venality. The offices are rapidly bought up, and since they confer noble status upon those who possess them, brings many of the wealthy merchants into the nobility.

The Hungarian army, led by the Archduke of Austria, is cut to pieces by Polish cavalry.

1610- The Diet refuses to raise taxes to finance the war. This causes the Italian philosopher Antiono Grimani to comment: "Democracy will never work. The Germans have proven that no democracy will ever tax itself."

Adolf begins to have trouble raising armies to fight the French. Toulouse is taken once again, but the French are on the advance.

Another fleet is defeated in the channel. Astute observers note that some of the French warships have crews which speak English.

Andalusis begin melting chocolate into a drink, which becomes very popular in all of Spain and North Africa.

1611- The latest French army (raised almost exclusively from the funds that the French received from selling offices and titles of nobility) defeats the Imperial army.

Adolf bumps his head in his carriage. Although he appears fine, three hours later, he falls unconscious. The best doctors in the Empire can do nothing, and the Emperor is dead within a week.

The Diet convenes in the Reichstag in Worms. The electors vote narrowly for Karl of Brandenburg to be the new king. Karl is informed by the Reichsregiment that he can either tax the nobles, or he can sue for peace. Karl wants to continue the war (he could claim Provence) but the principalities have made it categorically clear that they will not pay more taxes. The peasants are being squeezed as hard as is possible. Karl raises several loans from the German banks.

Karl asks the Venetians if they will join the war, but the Senate has been thoroughly incensed by Adolf’s high handed attitude, and refuses.

Pathanios finally retakes Antioch. The eleven years of war have been for naught, as all that Byzantium gains is a few miles of desert.

A Russian military expedition reaches the Pacific. The Tzar begins sending prisoners and peasants to colonize the land.

1612- Djon is attacked in the last Imperial invasion. Short of funds, the Imperial army is forced to withdraw back into Lorraine. To put it bluntly: this is a war of attrition, but of gold, not men. France will win because it’s developed deeper pockets. Charles would later comment that he was merely reviving an old tradition of the previous French monarchs, but many scholars accuse Charles of copying a Venetian tradition, dating back to the 1340’s.

Lorraine is overrun, and Charles invades Alasce.

Venice finally gets involved. The Senate sends a message telling Charles to respect the territory of the Empire, for the sake of peace among Christians.

Charles replies that he might be considered to make peace, in exchange for Franche-Comte.

1613- A truce is declared. Negotiations are established in England, and the Treaty of York establishes French control over Franche-Comte, and that Provence is a territory of France.