Whither Spain? An EU2 story.

[lord of the mark]

Later over dinner.

King Phillip: So, Don Enrique, are all these good ideas your own?

DDLF: No sir, i take ideas from many sources.

KP: A wise man learns from all. Who may some of these be?

DDLF: Well the lord Constable, of course. Recently I have also received advice from a German expert on siege warfare.

KP: ah, they are all Germans, I think.

DDLF: Yes, but this one is not an artillerist. He is a civilian technician, from one of their universities.

KP: I see.

DDLF: I have also received advice from the Marquis de San Diego. He has much experience in war against the infidels. But perhaps he would not wish me to speak lightly of that.

KP:Then speak not. I shall have more need of your advice as time goes on.

[Micha]

Hehe, thanks

So you will take on the Netherlands? Alright then, but be sure to keep a thousand gold coins in reserve so you can reinforce the units that fight the dutch rebels!

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Micha
Hehe, thanks

So you will take on the Netherlands? Alright then, but be sure to keep a thousand gold coins in reserve so you can reinforce the units that fight the dutch rebels!

[OOC (out of character?)]

Not necessarily. The point of this exercise, is, in part, to show the conflict between gameplay strategy and Roleplaying, and to look for means to resolve that. Phillip does not deny the difficulty of taking on Gelre (IE acknowledging your point) but he points out the diplo difficulties in Italy (largely an RP issue, but not entirely) and reiterates the (RP) reasons to focus on Gelre.

Within our story, Phillip will go with DDLF's suggestions, but DDLF must make clear that they contribute to Phillip's long run goals. He also has to be successful, or Phillip will look to other advisors.

Bio on DDLF.

He was born in 1498, and so is actually 2 years older than Charles the First (and Fiftht) He started in royal service as a teenager, under Ferdinand. He attempts to follow the pragmatism, modernism, and Spanish nationalism of Ferdinand. He held numerous offices, both military and civil, and became regent of Spain in 1534. He is now 61, so going from regent to advisor fits his personal goals - he's too worn out to play chief executive officer now. He has a son, Don Pedro (which will account for the DDLF going on royal advisor indefinitely)

[lord of the mark]

1565, Seville, Spain. Present, Don Enrique, DDLF. Don Pedro, his son.

DDLF: My son, welcome home. You are now a mature man - I am glad, for I am feeling my age.
DP: My father, i shall do all i can to help you.
DDLF: that is good my son. I shall need it, before i retire from the kings service. You have excelled, as soldier, as governor, as Viceroy in Mexico. Now you are to be on the Council of State.
DP: I bring many ideas on American affairs, but I know less of Europe, and the council will have to address that seriously now.
DDLF: I will let you know some things, but there is much still to be decided.

[lord of the mark]

DP: The rebellion was easily defeated in Mexico, but I cannot say the same for the other rebellions - in Tennessee and the two mountain provinces in South America. Who thought the Cherokee rebels would be so tough? Crushing that will take longer, and a larger army - which means it will take longer to send troops south to Peru. However I agreed with the decision to bypass the South American rebels and send force from Mexico straight on to Peru. The new assault technique worked in Potosi, but at the cost of 800 soldiers killed - if we are to do more of that, we will need more infantry. I hope to see the main Inca army destroyed - the battles we have fought against it have reduced it to 20,000 men, and it is cut off from the surviving Inca provinces. But I am here not to join the Council of the Americas father, but the Council of State. For that I need a better understanding of the Flemish rebellion, and the situation in Italy.

[lord of the mark]

DDLF: well, the first Flemish rebellion was two years ago - some say it was connected to the war in Peru - though that makes no sense to me, as we recruited NO flemish troops for South America, and had not increased taxes, and Im not sure what other reason there would be for Flemish burghers to care about the Incas. I think it had more to do with their general discontent with Spanish rule - I am old enough to remember when the kings father, Charles was crowned, how much discontent there was in Castille at the dominance of his Flemish advisors - with the rise of his Majesty Phillip, the Flemings must adjust to foreign rule. And I think the Calvinist heresy is also implicated - the Catholic provinces, like Brabant and Artois stayed loyal. Indeed they supplied most of the troops who crushed that rebellion.

The more recent one is the result of a rising of nobles and other interest in Flanders, attempting to avoid paying taxes for the common defense of the realm. While it might have been possible to defuse this with concessions and bribes, we simply could not afford this in wartime, with our treasure almost bare, nor could we afford the demonstration effect on other provinces. The viceroy, with my support, refused concessions. Indeed we confiscated much of the wealth of the rebel leaders, which we have used to fund the missions in Tallahassee province, which I know you are intimately familiar with. As you may know our standing army outside Antwerp was defeated and withdrew to Brabant, and the city is now under siege. We have built up an army of loyal forces in Brabant, including the defeated troops, and we are sending over 9,000 men from Spain under the Duke of Alba. We MUST crush that rebellion before we consider any further moves in Europe. I myself am reluctant to annex any more heretic provinces at this time, but the king presses for it.

As for Italy, the situation there is evolving. We have improved our relations with Pope. Venice made peace with his holiness, fought a war with his majesty's Austrian cousins, and now is at work with the Turks in alliance with Genoa. The Turkish war, and the Genoese alliance, make it very difficult to move against Venice, though she holds some tempting provinces in central Italy. I am leaning toward a guarantee of the Papal States, and a military access agreement. Beyond that I dont know what we can do.

[lord of the mark]

November 1570. Escorial Palace, Madrid.

Present: Don Pedro, Don de la Frontera, (son of Don Enrique)
Phillip II, King of Spain (1)


DDLF: Your majesty, you asked to see me?
KP: Yes, Don Pedro. Although i usually prefer written communication, today it is not your recommendation as secretary of the Council of Finance that I seek, but your general advice on the realm. I know that you have extensive experience of the Americas, and like your father, much wisdom on political affairs generally. By the way, my condolences on your fathers death - he was a good friend, and a great Spaniard.
DDLF: thank you, your majesty.
KP: What do you think of our position now, Don Pedro? We are at peace these last 5 years. I understand much has been done for the kingdom, but I wonder if we are adequately using our might.
DDLF: I understand that your majesty is unhappy that we have not addressed the problem of Gelre, who control provinces that belonged to your Burgundian ancestors, and who shelter heresy. But we should think carefully before getting involved there. All Europe is at peace now - all build to prepare, perhaps, for future conflict. For us to engage in war now could be quite dangerous. The Duke of Alba has his hands full in the Flemish provinces we already hold - hardly a season goes by that we do not hear from the north of a rebellion in Flanders, or Artois, or Luxembourg.
KP: what do you make of Cardinal Granevilles suggesting to send more troops from Milan to Flanders, and to send Parma to the new world.
DDLF: I heartily agree with it, your majesty. Milan and Mantua are quiet, and additional troops could easily be raised there in an emergency. Meanwhile there is no threat there. Unless France should look in that direction.
As for Parma to America, i like that very much, i have some thoughts on that.
KP: What do you say to those who say that we should ally with France against the heretics?
DDLF: I would certainly talk to the French, and explore common ground. But I would not expect much to come of that, I do not think the French will put their faith above their fear of your majestys family. Also, they continue to poke around America, and I think at SOME point we will need to deal with that - but not now, for now we should remain at peace.
KP: you spoke before of America - you suggest Parma lead a new war against Peru?
DDLF: no, your majesty - though my father was associated with the Peruvian wars, I do not suggest that. The large number of pagan provinces contributes to the difficulty of ruling this realm, drawing off as it does so many soldiers and administrators in an effort to control people who, though "conquered" barely acknowledge our rule. No, I suggest that we launch a massive effort to convert the many pagan provinces to Catholicism. This would ease our administration, integrate our empire, expand our resources...
KP: And honour almighty God, whose support we will need in any war!!!!
DDLF: Certainly, your majesty. But this will require strong forces, as serious missonary efforts will often trigger native revolts - that is why I want Parma there. We should also gradually increase the number of troops there, both by sending some from Europe (as some went with Parma) and by raising troops in America. We must also be prepared for frustration - these efforts dont always succeed.
KP: You will find me a man strong in persistence and perserverance.






(1) actually king of Aragon, Castille, Leon, The Netherlands, Naples, Sicily, and Milan. Which would be confusing, especially as he owns only the southern half of the Netherlands, and in other ways his current ownership doesnt map precisely to his titles.

[lord of the mark]

November 1570

Letter from the King to Don Pedro, DDLF, Secretary of the Council of Finance.

Don Pedro,

Could you please review for me the principle expenditures, other than raising and supporting armies and fleets, over the last several years - not a detailed breakdown with numbers (my head splits at those, and thats not what i need now) but more a general sense of where our resources have been going.

King Phillip



Letter from Don Pedro, DDLF, Sec of the Council of Finance, to King Phillip.

Your Majesty

The montly revenues have been going primarily to the project to develop a new administrative system, based on provincial governors. We have discussed this effort with you in more detail in the past. The effort is expected to improve provincial administration and economic productivity generally, in conjunction with expenditures on physical "infrastructure" . We are also spending on improved support for trade, which will enable us to gain more complete control over the trade centers in Seville, Antwerp, and Zacatecas. We are also spending on military and naval improvements, though my understanding is that the Council of State wants to reduce expenditures on army reforms and focus instead on naval reforms, as we lag far behind the English in particular. We are also spending on subsidies of various sorts to local groups and leaders, to maintain the peace of the realm, though again my understanding is the Council of State wishes to end that expenditure.

The annual census revenues are being used principally to expand the new judicial system. We now have it in about two thirds of the provinces in Spain, in all the major provinces in Flanders and Italy. We are currently expanding it in Luxembourg and in Navarre. We have recently paid for an expedition of additional colonists to the existing colony at Mobile.
As you know the conversion attempt at Tallahassee failed, and there is a large scale mission underway at Savannah. We will be attempting to scale down invesment in the judicial system in order to save money for another mission, to be sent whereever the Council for the Americas determines.

Don Pedro.