1614- The Poles finally make peace with the Germans and Hungarians, gaining a small strip of land from Hungary.

The Population of Italy reaches 15 million. France has a population of 11 million, the Commonwealth 10 million, and the HREGN and Hungary have a population of 21 million.

Pathanios begins the Reform of the Roses (named after the popular English flower). Pathanios begins modernizing the navy, hiring English admirals. The reforms anger the Priests, of course.

Italian composer Otto Orseolo begins composing. His first hit, "Siempro Libera", is released in Venice in 1615.

1615- The French finally cement their grip on Mexico. Gold production continues apace, but the French Mexicans diversify into other cash crops, notably indigo.

Marco Barbango, an Italian capitalist, modifies Spinning Jessicas to produce cloth thread.

1616- The Senate of Italy passes the Enclosure acts, which end common grazing. Southern Italians, unable to pay to put fences around their property, have no choice but to move to Nuevo Italia or the cities.

1617- A revolt in Portugal as they try to leave the Christian Empire. It is ruthlessly suppressed by Emperor Juan.

Dirck van Babure, a philosopher in the Low Countries, publishes the Wealth of Nation. He predicts that the 17th and 18th centuries will bed dominated by those who seek colonies abroad. But he also predicts that colonies will be more valuable if treated, as the Venetians treat them, like their home country.

1618- Amadee, Archduke of Austria, dies. His son returns from the university of Padua and becomes the new Archduke. He brings with him potatoes, which increase crop yields in the Archuchy.

The English establish the city of Nova Edinburgh on the banks of the Mississippi. Despite the poor climate, it rapidly grows.

1619- Early in February, three people are thrown from the windows of the castle guarding Sibiu. Landing in a garbage dump, the three escape with their lives, and return to Worms.

Ordinarily, three people tossed from a castle wouldn’t be considered that unusual (this is Hungary, after all) but the three were regents of Karl in Hungary.

The men were tossed out as a culmination of disputes between the nobility of Hungary (especially the Orthodox nobility in Carpathia and the rest of the Eastern lands) and the Emperor. The largely Catholic/Orthodox nobility felt that Karl’s new policy of milking Hungary to pay for Germany’s army is a violation of his duty’s as king. When they petition his regents for an end, the regents refuse. The nobility of Hungary raise an army for support, and call upon Phanarios for assistance.

1620- Emperor Phanarios remains hesitant. The Crusade was a long, drawn out war, with little benefit. He wants to ensure that his son gets the throne without a civil war, and rebuild the navy to beat the Italians.

On the other hand, the offer to be King of Hungary is pretty tempting. Phanarios accepts, and marches with several themes into the kingdom. Emperor Karl declares the assembly to be forfeit, and orders the Electors and Princes to raise their levies. As in the last war, the efforts are halfhearted at best.

Karl warns the Republic that the "Greed of Phanarios knows no bounds; he sees himself as a Justinian, and would as readily conquer you as Hungary." The Senate agrees to support Karl

1621- Phanarios sits in Budapest, and promises to lower taxation. He also promises to respect the rights of the nobility. He then surrounds Budapest with his troops, and demands that the nobles swear oaths of fealty to him, and swear that their land is theirs by his will alone.

Hungarians begin to regret requesting that the Vicar of Christ become their king.

Venetian warships defeat the Byzantines off of Corinth. Venetian frigates come up with a new tactic, "Crossing the T". They Cross the T several times, smashing the Byzantine fleet. The Italian army, under Vitalie Falier, marches on Baja in southern Hungary. They succeed in taking the city, scattering the nobility to the four winds, but a massive Byzantine army forces them to leave the city and withdraw to Trieste.

1622- The Commonwealth ponders supporting the Byzantines. The British are getting more and more aggressive in the Indian Ocean, and some men in Parliament (including Oliver Cromwell, a prosperous conservative landowner from Yorkshire) talk of taking the canal. Resolutions for war fail to pass Parliament.

An Imperial Army under Marquis Hozelleran of Brandenburg clashes with the Byzantine army outside of Bratislava. It is also defeated. The Byzantine navy may be pathetic, but centuries of war in Anatolia and the Balkans have made the Byzantine armies among the best in the world. (It helps that the army offers the most social mobility of all Byzantine society, letting any young ambitious man earn his way to the top through it). German armies, in contrast, are disorganized rabble, led by nobles who don’t really support the war. It’s not as if they own land in Hungary, after all.

Karl pleads with the nobles to pay taxes, instead of raising armies. They refuse, and proceed to lead thousands of untrained peasants into Hungary.

1623- Phanarios enters Budapest. Another army under the Marquis marches towards the city. Before the battle begins, the Marquis roars, "Let the cannon advance!"

From the start of the battle the day goes badly for the Germans. Charges are broken by enemy musketry. The Marquis flees the battle, leaving the Byzantine army to discover in his baggage train, among other things, a large supply of tea and vodka. The latter catches on rapidly amongst the Byzantines.

Amadee, in disgust, rushes to salvage the situation. He dispatches an army under Otto Konisberg. Konisberg pushes the Byzantines out of Rezi, a small town in western Hungary, and marches on Budapest. He has a stunning victory at Marcali, capturing a supposed piece of the Black Rood, which was supposedly rediscovered in Jerusalem. (As you can see, the Orthodox Church relies on a lot of suppositions).

Amadee begins hinting that, as a loyal subject of his Emperor, and more importantly as the only loyal subject who’s won, he deserves compensation in land.

Konisberg’s army is financed by the Italians, who subsidize Austria’s war effort.

The Italian fleet under Falier sack Athens. Much of the Acropolis is carried off by the Italians, who use it to beautify Venice.

News of Austrian and Italian victories is enough to convince the Commonwealth not to join the war. (A strong peace party was already in control, as war with Venice would jeopardize the profitable Cathay trade).

1624- Nitra is taken by Konisberg, but then retaken by the Byzantines. The Emperor raises an army that is reported to be forty thousand strong.

French settlement along the Texan coast begins. Cotton proves to be an ideal crop in the region, along with sugar cane.

1625- The Italians send a force of about 15,000 to join Konisberg, and raise taxes, especially those on Coffee and sugar.

In June, the Italian , German, and Byzantine armies clash at the battle of Gyor. After a day of battle, the Byzantine army is routed. Konisberg prepares to pursue, but a message reaches them. Karl has died. Legally, there is no way to contest the throne, and the Diet doesn’t want peace. It is time to choose a new emperor.

1626- The Diet convenes in Worms. Amadee declares himself as a possibility for an emperor. (Note; he’s not a Hapsburg. If anyone’s interested, I’ll explain who Amadee’s royal line is.)

Amadee promises to create a national army, restore the Empire to its once proud glory, and makes the promise "Today Germany is a laughingstock. Tomorrow the world shall know why the Romans could never best our ancestors."

The Marquis Eberhard of Brandenburg is his chief rival. Eberhard believes that things are fine as they are, and that any problems are because the Germans are fighting foreign wars. As such, there is no need for taxes. He also points out that Amadee’s promises are all well and good, but even Peruvian silver won’t help him pay for what he wants.

Like many previous elections, the election comes down to who has deeper pockets. The English and Italians bribe for Amadee, while the French and Danes (most Scandinavians are considered Danish) bribe for Eberhard. Neither of them want a strong Germany on their doorstep.

Amadee wins the election, and is coronated on Christmas day. Also this year, the Persians cement their control over most of Arabia, giving them great symbolic status.

1627- Amadee changes his name to Amadeus, in an attempt to sound less Italian. He begins appointed barristers and judges across the land. Amadeus ends up in massive fights with the Diet, over the course of the year. Over the next several years, Amadee tries dozens of methods to tax the nobles.

He simply tries to levy taxes. The nobles refuse (historically, this was the case. They could refuse to pay taxes, if they voted against it).

Amadee, frustrated, begins allying with the cities. According to Imperial law, cities may vote on matters which concern them or the directly surrounding lands.

Amadee also ends persecution of the remaining Catholics and the Jews in Germany. Both know that they are dependent on Imperial goodwill, and are very eager to please their Emperor.

Both events anger the electorates, who have the power to print money, collect taxes, develop their resources, judicial independence, and were basically autonomous. The electorates

The Marquis of Brandenburg suggests to the Danish King Gustavus that he might be willing to change his allegiance, if his sovereign should break his vows.

BTW, for an overview of the Reichstag, by 1627 it consisted of

· 6 lay Electors

· 33 ecclesiastical votes (owned by 23 bishops)

· 39 secular votes owned by altfürstenliche families,

· 9 votes of secularized territories,

· 13 neufürstenliche families

· 4 votes shared by the Reichsgrafen

1628- Amadee’s policies are watched with interest throughout Europe. Stalwart conservative Oliver Cromwell of England criticizes the nobles for disobeying their lawful sovereign. King Louis of France says that the nobles and Emperor are in, more or less, a legal contract. If the Emperor breaks it, then he has broken Imperial law.

Amadee is able to bring the cities under his control, at least. The free cities become the basis of Imperial power, and Amadee spends much of his reign increasing their power at the expense of the nobles.

Vienna, the German seat of the thriving German-Italian trade, becomes the center for a new German school of thought. The Physiocrats urge economic reform. They believe that Germany’s future lies in colonies, manufacture, and trade. "Germany’s land is poor. She will never grow rich off of land, or wine," writes Wilemn Groetz. "But she has metals that the Italians need and the French want."

Amadee also begins packing the Imperial courts with those who are loyal to him. If worst comes to worse, they will remain loyal.

1629- Amadee comes upon an ingenious solution. If he cannot tax land, he will tax something else the nobles need. Amadee sets out to ruin the nobles. He passes taxes on French wine (hurting the French and the nobles who drink it; the burghers prefer Italian), taxes on wills which pass land between father and son, taxes on roads, and taxes on salt. The last two hurt the peasantry, to a degree; but the nobles are faced with a very tough problem. The taxes are based so that nobles, and their retainers, pay a far greater amount than would anyone else. The Reichstag will not allow these taxes to be put into place, of course.

Amadee doesn’t realize this at first, but his total disrespect for the nobles who have elected him leads to the meeting of the Electors. In secret, Herwig of Bohemia, Frederick of Brandenburg, and the margrave Conrad of Saxony meet in Berlin to discuss what to do about their empeor. Amadee expands the Austrian army across the German nation. Many of the sons of burghers enlist, and become officers. Nobles get few, if any positions, but keep their feudal levies.

The gold rush in Nuova Italia peters out, but the effects have been profound. The South of the land relies on trade, mining, and exports grain, becoming, along with Patagonia, the breadbasket for southern Europe. The north remains primarily agricultural, with a plantation-based economy.

The Italian doctor Guillame notices that dairy workers in Naples do not get smallpox, but instead cow pox. When he travels to Palermo, he notices the same thing. Duke Kluck of Bavaria dies from smallpox. He, unlike the Neapolitan dairy workers, never had cow pox. But I digress. Kluck was only 24. Amadee, by virtue of being a cousin of poor Kluck, becomes the Duke of Bavaria.

Amadee, at 44, feels rather confident with Bavaria and Austria in his possession. Bavaria, one of the most prosperous territories in Germany, becomes another Austria. However, the nobles are disgruntled. In the past, the emperor has always divided new land, and land he has inherited (such as in the taking of Church estates after the Reformation: most of that land went to the nobles, although the Emperor couldn’t resist making himself king of Bohemia as well; but that was a family, not Imperial, title).

1630- The Gunpowder Plot is discovered in Germany. Led by the Margraves of Saxony and Brandenburg, it is a plan to blow up the Emperor’s palace and restore power to the electors, as hopefully one of them would be elected king. Things go smoothly, at first. Using connections amongst the palace, the Margrave of Saxony is able to rent a room underneath the royal chambers. "Servants" are able to carry forty barrels of gunpowder into the basement, disguising them as wine. The conspirators set the gunpowder to go off on the fifth of March.

Unfortunately for the conspirators (but fortunately for the Emperor) the gunpowder is discovered on the fourth of March, by a servant sent to fetch wine. Considering how the gunpowder was to be set off the next day, the nobles felt very confident in the Emperor’s death. They had no idea that the Emperor would suddenly demand wine from Greece, and hence that the barrels would be discovered. On the sixth, the King of Bohemia expresses lament in public for the Emperor’s death, which he says he received by courier. (A courier would have taken more than one day to reach him). The Emperor is furious, and this leads to a famous German nursery rhyme:

The Emperor and his family are hastily escorted to an estate in the countryside while the gunpowder is removed. The servant who let the gunpowder into the palace confesses, after torturing. The trail points to the Margrave of Saxony; and by implication, the other electors.

1631- The Emperor swears that he will always remember the treason of the Electors. He demands that the Reichstag cast out all electors, and give him the right to tax nobles. Surprisingly, there’s a bit of wavering, for the same old reasons. First of all, what the Emperor wants is pretty drastic; there’s no proof that the Elector of the Palatinate was involved. (He knew of the plot, but wasn’t actively involved).

Moreover, the Emperor won’t name the new electors; and if those electors are removed, then that leaves the Emperor with the ability to pack the Electorates. (As the Archduke of Austria and Duke of Bohemia, he already owns two seats. It’s a safe bet that he’ll become King of Bohemia as well).

The Imperial Cities vote to pay more in taxes, and show their solidarity with the Emperor. This isn’t just a political move; many of the burghers feel an affinity with the Emperor, who has extensive business interests, and has sent his sons to the finest colleges in Germany and Italy. His grudge against the nobles helps him to win over the peasantry without realizing it; his attempts to end serfdom help rather more.

The Emperor raises taxes in his lands as well, and an army invades the Kingdom of Bohemia. The King’s army is annihilated at Pisek, as an Austrian cavalry attack captures his cannons. The King fled the battle in the first hour.

In the north, however, things are a different story. The Imperial cities remain largely loyal to the Empire; particularly Lubeck, site of the Imperial fleet. But Conrad and Frederick convince, by "Pen and powder", many of the northern princes to join them.

1632- Prague is overrun by the Emperor’s forces. The King of Bohemia is killed in a battle outside the city. Coincedentally, one of his officers receives several choice estates in the recovered kingdom.

An interesting problem arises in the North. Oldenburg is, as it turns out, an Imperial fief ruled by Christian V of Scandinavia. When news reaches Conrad and Ferdinand of Herwig’s accident, they send envoys to meet with Christian regarding the possibility of becoming Danish vassals. Christian, intrigued, sends a letter to King Francois of France. Would he like to become overlord of all the territory to the Rhine?

The Italian espionage service is active as usual. The day the letter reaches Henri, he receives a letter from the Senate warning him not to intervene in a "purely Imperial affair".

The Commonwealth also wants peace, worried about French or Danish hegemony.

1633- King Michal Korybut, of Poland-Lithuania, takes a different view. There is land that was once rightfully Polish under the German heel, and he would like Danzig back (it’s Poland’s only real port; or was). Michal manages to convince the Sejm to declare war on the Emperor, and moves into the Empire. His motive isn’t so much acquiring vassals as kicking the Empire while its down.

The Emperor finds himself unable to deal with the Reichsregiment and Diet. He creates the Reichshofrath. It has two functions:

1. as Council of State, to which certain matters of state had to be referred (the Emperor was free, however, to surround himself with other advisors in ad-hoc councils, such as a war council or a secret council);
2. as a high court whose jurisdiction overlapped with that of the Court.

Surprisingly, it was not a requirement to be of noble status. It is essentially the Emperor’s cabinet, in place of the Noble Reichsregiment. The nobles dislike it, but since most of them are now traitors (especially the northerners) there’s not much they can do.

Christian personally leads an army into Germany. Lubeck falls, and other Imperial cities, including Hamburg, follow suit. He is quickly frustrated by the lack of money his army receives from the German nobles.

The Italians begin subsidizing Imperial armies. For once, the money comes with few strings attached; there’s a deep, longstanding hatred towards the Poles, and the Italians hope to capitalize on trade in Germany after the war.

1634- Breslau, in Silesia, is besieged by the Poles. King Michal offers them generous terms for surrender, and rewards to the burghers of the city, but Amadeus’s garrison holds firm. The complete lack of substantial siege artillery on the part of the Poles helps.

An Imperial army sent ahead to scout the terrain is defeated by a Danish army outside of Frankfurt. Ominously, some of the officers speak French.

The British look on the war in the Empire hesitantly. The Danes have a large commercial fleet. Italian privateers have been harrying it, but maybe it’s time for the English to join the fray? Some letters of marquee are issued in the Carribean.

The famous Danish pirate Red beard attacks British Jamaica. Amadeus dispatches an army thirty thousand strong into Saxony. Conrad leads his army into battle, and manages to pull off a strategic draw when Danish reinforcements arrive.

1635- Breslau is relieved, and the Poles are chased back across the border.

Tensions between the British and Danes reach a boiling point, with Blair’s ear. Blair, a Scottish merchantment, is stopped by Danish warships in the Carribean. Accused of being a pirate, he denies the charges. The Danes cut off his ear as a warning. He delivers the ear to Parliament, and in a stirring speech, demands of the Lord Protector vengeance.

War follows. Almost immediately, the British fleet begins harassing Danish ships in the Baltic.

The elector of the Palatinate, and the count of Lorraine swear fealty to King Francois. Several other lesser nobles follow suit, realizing which way the wind is blowing. The British are terrified of this; because it gives the French a border with two sides of the Low Countries.

The Commonwealth declares war on France. Italy, having warned the French not to interfere, has no choice but to do so as well.

The French army rears its head. The finances of France are better than they were in OTL, and the army is well equipped. Mexican gold and other resources pours into the coffers of France, and subsidizes the Danes. Italy, on the other hand, rules the Mediterranean, and with the British, has the upper hand in the naval war.

1636- The French navy attacks Italian Puerto Rico. Domenico Orseolo, the Italian governor of the island, surrenders the city after walls are destroyed when a shell hits a gunpowder magazine.

The Christian Empire is drawn in. They are defeated at the battle of Bordeaux, and chased across the Pyrenees. The French fleet in the Mediterranean does not fare so well, however. Off of Sardinia, the Italian fleet, under Leonardo Machiavelli (descended from the former Doge of Egypt) outguns the French, and smashes the fleet.

The English fortress of Calais, held for three hundred years, falls to the French army under the command of the famous general Richelieu

The French colonials launch an expeditionary force to attack Charlesburg, the British city. Marching several hundred miles across the country, it lsoses half its men by the time it reaches

The French defeat an Imperial army in the Palatinate. They swiftly march east, and menace Bavaria. The Elector of the Palatinate, however, withdraws hiw forces when an army from the Low Countries menaces it. The French army, on its own, presses ahead. It is defeated outside at Blenhem, in July. The Italian city of Mónaco is captured by the French, but outside of Torin, Pietro Sforza traps the French army by cutting off its rear. The defeat marks the end of French attempts to invade Italy.

1637- Amadeus forces the French out of the war as his army invades Poland. Ravaging the countryside, they reduce Krarkow and force the Poles to withdraw from the war. The army from Poland is sent north.

The British are defeated in the Channel by a French fleet. This causes shockwaves in Parliament, and the French follow up with the first invasion of England for almost 600 years. Richelieu is defeated outside of Cornwall, although some commentators feel that they are lucky the French didn’t invade Ireland instead.

The French attack British Jamaica, but the fortifications repulse them.

Amadeus defeats Conrad outside of Erfurt. To pay for the war, he confiscates the land of the revolting nobles, along with their interests.

The Italian senator, Renio Zen, comes up with a proposal. The Ministary of War, Sea, and Peace (the actual name for the Venetian ministries of war, btw) charge for military commissions already. Why not charge for the right to vote as well?

The French navy is defeated in the Channel. This time, the English have recalled sips from the Baltic, and the German fleet (such as remains) assists as well. The threat saves England from invasion.

The port of Antwerp is devastated by the French, who capture the city in July. This marks the beginning of Amsterdam as the dominant port for the Low Countries. Amsterdam, "the Venice of the North", also is threatened. Regiments arriving from Scotland reinforce General Marlborough’s army.

1638- Zen’s proposal passes. For the low price of 300 ducats every five years, anyone who can pay it, and is a citizen of the Republic, has the right to vote for their local Senator. You’d be surprised how many people couldn’t pay the taxes but could find 300 ducats when social advancement is offered.

The Italians invade Provence, but are defeated outside of Marseilles. Ten thousand men die in the invasion.

Christian, seeing 90 thousand men invading Brandenburg, and wishing to keep Holstein, offers peace with the Emperor. The Emperor, upon receiving the letter, is reported to have smiled and said, "Now things shall be ordered as we please."

Berlin falls in July. Many of the German notables flee to France, whose general Richelieu takes Stuggart. King Francis of France, however, realizes which way the wind is blowing. He agrees to a peace conference, to peacefully resolve the differences.

1639- The Treaty of Amsterdam. France gains Puerto Rico from Italy, as well as bits of Savoy. They also gain Lausanne, one of the French cantons. From the HREGN France gains Lorraine, and they receive Calais from the commonwealth. They receives the last French territory of the Christian Empire, and France once again reaches the Pyrenees.

Amadeus begins the reforms of the Empire of Germany. His first move is to move the cpaital from worms to the much more pleasant city of Ausburg.

1640- Although it appears that France won what the Germans call the Imperial War, the true winner is Germany. Amadeus would, over the next 13 years, institute numerous reforms. First and foremost, he was able to bring the electors to heel. From this point on, they would share their power with the cities, who would begin to gain more and more power. In addition, the electors had to approve of the Emperor’s candidate for the throne, not vote among candidates.

Francisco Caravello, the new Doge of Italy, invites Amadeus to Venice, to sign several trade agreements, including ones regarding the development of the mines in Bohemia and Austria. The Emperor is greeted with, in December, a marvelous festival, including the gift of a necklace made from Nuova Italian diamonds for his wife. The Russians begin desiring a port on the Black Sea. This leads the Czar Nikolai with only one option, a war against Byzantium.

1641- A British expedition under Nelson Churchill follows up on Drake’s voyages in California. They land in the San Francisco bay, and establish trading posts there. Of course, being half a world away from Britain and the Low countries, there isn’t that any serious colonization. Or much at all, actually.

Nikolai, on pretext of harassment of merchants by the Byzantine city of Kerch, invades the Byzantine Crimea. This marks the beginning of the Crimean Wars.

The Russians attack Azov, located at the mouth of the Don River on the Sea of Azov..

Emperor Michael of Byzantium, more at home in his Turkish harem than on the battlefield, wearily raises troops. To coincide, the Hungarians are revolting. Using the whip and the carrot, the Emperor subdues the rebellion. This results in greater taxes, of course.

1642- Odessa is taken by the Russians. Well, technically it is called Khadzei-Bei, the name given to it by the Golden Horde, but the Russians referred to it as Odessa. The Emperor of Byzantium has the patriarch of Constantinople excommunicate Nikolai. Nikolai ignores it, as the patriarch has ever had the power that the Pope had. The Patriarch of Kiev vouches for his piety.

The Byzantines land troops in Kerch, and head north. The army is defeated on the bluffs near Azov by the massive Russian army.

The Tatars are overwhelmed, and have no choice but to flee north. In the Cacausus, the Russians drive the Greeks from Georgia. The invasion is repulsed outside of Aradahan by an Armenian contingent of troops, who have observed that the Russians keep their subjects on a much shorter leash than do the Byzantines.

Michael listens to suggestions from his ministers about damming the sea of Azov, so the Black remains, in the words of one minister, "as pure and immaculate as the Virgin".

1643- In Mexico City, the Dubayet trials take place. Dubayet was charged with slander by printing information in his newspaper about the governor’s corruption. The case establishes freedom of the press in Mexico.

A few missionaries establish themselves in the "Great Desert", the French name for Arizona. They view the land as inhospitable and barren, as surely all land north of it is.

The Greek governor of the Crimea, is captured. The Khan of the Tatars flee, but his sons are promised independence under Russian protection, and swear an oath of allegiance to the Tsar.

King Christian offers his services to mediate the dispute between the two nations. Italy encourages the Russians, hoping to weaken the Byzantines.

1644- Emperor Michael cedes Crimea to the Tsar.

The Mughal Empire in India is invaded by Shah Ismael of Persia. The Italians help, in exchange for trading rights.

1645- The shipyards of Lubeck are expanded, and the Emperor hires several Italian shipbuilders. With easy access to lumber, the navy is rapidly rebuilt (much of it was destroyed during the Imperial War, when the cities were captured by the rebels and Christian).

1646- The economy of Germany begins to grow, as Amadeus introduces concepts such as standard weights, canal building, and Imperial control of tolls. A voyage on the Rhine, in 1620, required paying 38 tolls to go between Basel and Rotterdam. Now it only requires four.

1647- Byzantium is undergoing major turmoil. The lost of Crimea, long an integral part of the realm, has devastated the court. The Tsar Nikolai speaks of the unification for the Orthodox world, and goes so far as to commission coins bearing his sigil and the phrase "the new Caesar."

Louis Joseph de Montcalm, in France, publishes the History of the Roman Empire. It causes candals throughout Europe because it views the Byzantines as not a Roman, nor a Greek Empire, but a Turkish one. Moncalm truly causes chaos when he explains that the strength of Byzantium lay in its subject peoples, not the Greeks.

Michael, obviously, bans the book, which spreads throughout Anatolia, Armenia, and the Balkans.

A slave revolt occurs near Nuova Italia. It is ruthlessly suppressed by colonial militia. At the same time, several Italian ministers, notably Roberto Priuli, condemn slavery from their pulpits. They cite the history of condemnations of the slave trade, going back to the 8th century, when the Doge outlawed it.

1648- The French Estates-General pass a tax on soap, on the grounds that is a frivolous aristocratic luxury.

Amadeus dies, content in the knowledge that his kingdom will pass onto his son, Wolfgang. Wolfgang is the first Emperor in 30 years to be his father’s predecessor.

Plague breaks out in Italy. The doctor Antonio Vivaldi, in Florence, records that cutting off the buboes (lumps) leads to an increase in survivor rate. This knowledge is widely disseminated throughout Europe.

1649- Emperor Wolfgang was impatient with his father’s reforms. He agreed that the Empire must become a strong state, with a civil service based on merit and loyalty rather than birth, but wanted to speed the process up.

The Diet in Ausburg issues the Patent of Tolerance. The Patent guarantees extensive, although not complete, religious freedom.

French missionaries establish themselves in Nevada. Egyptian cotton is stolen and imported to Texas.

1650- The English establish themselves in Bengal. This leads to a proxy war with the Italians, who are terrified by the thought of the British breaking into their rule of Southern India.

Coffee is planted in Brazil, to meet the insatiable demand of Italian, Andalusi, and German coffee houses.

Emperor Wolfgang of the Empire abolishes serfdom and feudal dues within the Empire. He also enables tenants to buy their lands from the nobles at moderate prices, let peasants move where they please, and marry who they want.

1651- Juan, Emperor of the Christian Empire, dies. Years of inbreeding have taken their toll on the Spanish Habsburgs, and there are no direct successors.

An already touch situation is complicated by the fact that the bughers of several cities, Murcia and Faro among them, offer themselves to the Confederation. Years of mismanagement, corruption, and high taxes have made the average Spaniard say "better a Sultan than a King."

1652- The crisis in Spain expands. The cortes, the system of nobles unseen for several hundred years, assembles in Madrid. They discuss who is to be the new king.

Meanwhile, seperatist tendencies are emerging. The Basques, as always, chafe under the heel of the Christian Empire. The Catalan nobility are also hesitantly urging separation.

As usual, the nobility begin bickering over the candidate. But there is another option, one that is put forward by, of all candidates, the Vizier of the Confederation. He issues the following proclamation, on behalf of the Senate.

The Vizier, Diego Lopez, is a Catholic from Seville. He plays on the desire to make Spain strong again, which exists on both sides of the border. He issues the following speech, in February, from the capital in Corboda.

The Republic of Italy expresses support in the event of hostilities, and the Emperor Wolfgang cautiously agrees.

King Louis of France, however, takes a different view. If the Empire falls, there is a possibility of a major power emerging in the Iberian peninsula. And there are certainly enough Republics in the world.

1653- The Cortes chooses Duke Pedro of Leon as their Emperor. This helps to decrease the separatist movements in those regions. The Catalans, however, declare their independence, and form a republic. Much like the British Commonwealth at the beginning, it is an oligarchy, and power rests in the hands of the nobles. But through its efforts to appease the burghers, it declares its existence.

Steam engines are introduced, from England, into coal mines in Bavaria and Austria.

The Venetians, Empire, and the British begins subsidizing the armies of Catalonia and the Confederation. France begins pouring money into the Christian Empire, and the Holy Inquisition roots out a plot to launch a rebellion in Portugal.

The first battle takes place outside of Murcia, where the forces of the Confederation defeat the Imperial forces. The citizens of Lisbon, Bajadoz, and Valencia rise up on the same day.

1654- Emperor Pedro appeals to King Henri and Wolfgang for support. Wolfgang turns a deaf ear, busy implementing his reforms. Woflgang’s reply suggests that "If you had not turned your people into playthings for princes, you would not be losing to the Moors you once conquered."

Taking advantage of the confusion, Tzar Nikolai invades the Scandinavian Baltics. This marks the beginning of the Northern War.

Henri commits himself to supporting the Emperor, in exchange for commercial concessions and control of the Kingdom of Navarre.

Franco-Christian forces defeat the Confederate army outside of Toledo, but the army under Juan Al-Mutabin captures eleven thousand soldiers near Valencia, relieving the city.

The entry of France into the Spanish Civil war triggers the system of alliances. Wolfgang, the Commonwealth, and Italy declare war early in June, for the "unprovoked aggression against the confederation."

Pope Julius, surprisingly, comes out of the Vatican and condemns the Christian Inquisition. He explains that the Inquisition was to convert heretics, and not a political tool.

A few hundred Italian troops who were in the Vatican Square then leave.

1655- The Italians and the Empire prepare to face the French on the border. Wolfgang desires to try out his new professional army, and sends fifty thousand troops towards Paris. At the battle of Troy, the men defeat the French. Forces are rapidly recalled from the French colonies and the Spanish Empire.

The British decide to focus on defending the Netherlands, and attack the French at sea. Off the Bay of Biscay, the British fleet wipes out the French armada, to the cry of "No More Cornwalls." Cornwall was the site of the French invasion of Britain.

British forces of the Amsterdam East India Company conquer Bengal. The conquest comes as a shock to the rajas of India, who viewed the strange foreigners with their pale skin as very effeminate and weak.

Outside of Kingsville, in Texas, the British expeditionary force is repulsed. New Albion continues to muddle along quietly.

1656- Quicksilver is discovered in New Albion.

Barcelona is besieged, but the withdrawal of French forces gives the Confederation and Republic breathing space.

King Louis receives a plea from delegates from the Mexican colonies. They propose to unite in a system to defend Mexico by raising an army and common taxation. Louis agrees, and the Jalepo Act of Union enters effect.

Christian of Denmark dies. He is replaced with his sister, Ulrika Eleanora.

The tsar sees his chance to take the Baltics, and gain a warm water port. Nikolai of Russia, claiming to have received poor treatment from the citizens of Estonia, a Scandinavian land, declares war for this insult. This marks the beginning of the Northern War.

Italian warships take control of the Baleares. For the duration of the war, of course.

1657- The Scandinavians acquit themselves rather well in the campaign. They are quite able to handle themselves in the cold, especially the Finn cavalry.

Nikolai dispatches an army of forty thousand, which besieges Estonia. The Danes lead a fighting retreat, and pull back into Finland.

Toledo falls to the Confederation. Only the Northern parts of the country remain loyal to the Emperor. Vizier Lopez enters into Seville as part of a triumphal parade, crying a quote from the Qu’ran.

Some dislike its source, but most like its contents.

A squadron of French ships leaves La Cruz to deal with the pirates operating from Camelot, in New Albion.

1658- Anno Della Vittoria (The Year of Victories). Italian warships, operating from the Baleares, blockade the French coastline. The Italian Doge, Francesco Venier, urges the Senate to crush France once and for all, dismembering its maritime empire.

The French isles in the Carribean fall to the British, while the Germans take the isthmus of Panama. Although it appears worthless, several Venetians wonder about the possibilities.

The army of the Mexican Union proceeds to drive the Germans out, although being outnumbered. The French have fewer men, and are equipped to the climate. Thus, they do not lose as many men as the Germans to malaria.

British soldiers retake Calais, and assist in a Portuguese uprising.

The Catalonians advance inward, and meet up with the Confederation. But the people of Leon and Castille remain behind their king, as does Porto in Portugal.

After an eight month long siege, Paris falls to German forces. Meanwhile, the day after Paris surrenders, the French attack Camelot, and capture it. Soldiers from the French fleet will discover cinnabar in the region, making it rather more lucrative to the British.

The Danes keep Estonia supplied by sea .The Russian army will lose forty thousand men over the next year, but Tsar Nikolai continues the siege.

1659- Pedro agrees to treat for peace. A series of separate peace agreements, collectively known as the Treaty of Lisbon, end the war. The terms are:

1. France cedes its Caribbean islands to Britain, as well as Calais.
2. The Republic of Catalonia is recognized as independent. It runs along the coast from Valencia, inland to Zargaroza, and then northeast, settling its border along the Basque Kingdom.
3. Italy gains the Baleares Isles, control of the island of Bourbon and the Mediterranean french coast from the French. The Republic of Catalonia is also acknowledged as an unofficial Italian protectorate.
4. The Confederation of Al-Andalus is massively enlarged. Its borders now run from Valencia to Madrid to the border with the Kingdom of Portugal. This makes it potentially the most powerful kingdom in Al-Andalus.
5. The Kingdom of Portugal shall have, after much debate, a king selected from among the Polish nobility. Its border is set at the city of Coimbra.
6. The Christian Empire ceases to exist. Pedro must acknowledge that he is the King of Leon-Castille.
7. The largest winner, of course, is the HREGN. Wolfgang is cautioned by the Italian ambassador to be harsh yet just, and takes Lorraine from the French, returning it to its rightful rulers. He also takes Burgundy, as it was once, he argues, an Imperial fief.

The Northern war continues. Scandinavian troops flee in disarray into Finland, again, after Nikolai’s troops crush them. The Queen of Scandinavia is hoping for a palace coup to remove Nikolai.

Wolfgang finally announces his cornerstone of his dream for the Empire. He issues the Constitution of the Empire. Among the developments in the constitution is the change to the "Empire of Germany".