Italic Union

The Italic Union was a central Mediterranean kingdom in Season 2 of Brazilian Mapping's Alternate History of Europe series. It was a continuation of the Kingdom of Naples, which had annexed most of the Venetian territory in the 1517 treaty of Venezia. The Neapolitan king, Ferrante I di Sancarlo, became the first king of this new "union", which flew a flag almost identical to that of the late Venetian Republic.
On the Tatsumaki score ranking, "Italic" is Level 13.
== Foundation and Rise ==
=== Formation: The Great Mediterranean War ===
The story of the Italic Union begins in the spring of 1517, during the Great Mediterranean War. The Mamluks inform Venice of a chest in Crete, containing details of a secret Malta Agreement between the Mamluks and the Neapolitans. The Venetian doge Cosimo Borgatizi went on to denounce Naples in a letter to the League of Varna, but Naples had already commissioned Romagna and Urbino to replace the Venetian letter with another. This other letter informed the League that Venice had betrayed Naples, but in reality the opposite was true. The League therefore kicked out and declared war on Venice on May 6th, 1517, sparking the Fourth Lombard War.
Neapolitan troops crossed the Po river and reached Venezia in only 6 days, only to find that the doge's palace had been set on fire by the enraged population. When the people learned of the death of Cosimo Borgatizi, they surrendered to the League's forces. The Treaty of Venezia was then signed; Venice would give away a few territories to League of Varna members, but most of it would united with Naples to form the Italic Union, and the Neapolitan king, Ferrante I di Sancarlo, would be the first king of this new "union". Ferrante then joined his forces in Libya for the final approach to Cairo, and the joint siege alongside Nerasid Persia. Ferrante then won a duel with the Mamluk caliph Qaitbay, on September 6th, 1517, ending both the Caliphate and the war.
The very next day, the other League of Varna leaders joined him in Cairo to discuss the terms of the famed Treaty of Cairo. Italia annexed most of its occupied territory in North Africa, and began sharing administration of a Cypriot Condominium with the Anatolian Empire.
=== Mistrust ===
When Italia and Anatolia intervened in the Second Bulgarian Uprising, Italia acted as a mediator, securing eastern Bulgaria for Anatolia. King Ferrante had begun to believe that any country that he had helped owed him back in some way. Therefore, when he asked Anatolia to give up their claims on Italic-controlled Aegean islands, Anatolia very reluctantly agreed, for the last time.
In 1519, the Duchy of Milan collapsed, as the Duke had died without an heir. A certain Angelo Marangon took advantage of this to lead an uprising in the city of Brescia, and proclaim a successor state to the Venetian Republic. Ferrante immediately put down the rebellion and annexed Brescia from the old Duchy's territory, creating a rift with the new Milanese government.
In the middle of June 1523, in the Adriatic Sea, an Italic galley collided with the boat of a Ragusan fisherman. The crew went back to their homeland to report the event, and when the news reached King Ferrante, he was furious, and immediately invaded and annexed Ragusa in just two days.
=== The First Italian War ===
Four years later, Italia discovered a meeting between central Italian states, where Romagna and Urbino were confessing their involvement in Venice's demise. Immediately these central states found themselves at war with Italia and Sardinia. This, the 5th of June 1527, was the beginning of the First Italian War.
"TRAITORS! Bid your last goodbyes, for the breakdown of peace has come!" - Italia, June 4th, 1527,
The war was a string of Italic victories. Not only had Sardinia joined their side, but also the Republic of Lucca. Despite being the smallest player in the war, the siege of the city of Lucca proved to be very costly for the other central Italians.
The most important event was on September 6th, 1527. Exactly 10 years after the Italic March on Cairo, was the Italic Sack of Roma. The news spread across Europe faster than wildfire, and soon a new Pope was elected, commissioned by Italia. Pompeo Colonna, styled as Pope Gennarus I, became the new head of Catholic Christianity, and agreed to cede Umbria to the Italic Union. The new pope had been elected as the previous Pope, Clement VII, had "gone missing", according to the Italics, but in reality, he had escaped the Sack of Roma and reached the city of Florence, where he resided in secret for the time being.
Once Sardinia invaded from Livorno to relieve Lucca, the central Italians were doomed. As Italia created vassal states in Arezzo and Grosseto, the remainder of Florence and Siena came under the rule of Lucca, which had reorganised into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Romagna and Urbino were directly incorporated into Italia, linking Napoli and Venezia directly by land.
"On May 6th, 1529, the Italic troops stormed Urbino, bringing an end to the First Italian War." 
- Giovanni Morosini, the famed Milanese writer.
== Instability ==
=== The Aegean Crisis ===
Italia's expansion had decreased its stability, so they faced difficulty when trying to contend with rebels that had risen up in the Aegean islands. To King Ferrante it was clear as day that Anatolia was supplying these rebels, so Italia soon declared war on Anatolia. 
"July 24th, 1529 was perhaps one of the most shocking days of modern times. The confrontation between the titans was inevitable, but not a single soul expected it to be this soon or sudden."
- Giovanni Morosini
What was also clear as day was the Anatolian victory, as the Italic Union was in no state to fight a war after having ended another only two months prior. Another uprising took place in the Marche, during which rebels stormed the palace in Urbino. A final Anatolian attack in Albania forced Ferrante's hand, so he reluctantly signed away all Aegean islands except Crete and Rhodes, and also kept Crimea. Italia had experienced its first defeat.
Ferrante then learned that a letter had been transported by the Marche rebels to Giano Loredan, the recently-elected Captain & Defender of Milan. The truth, about the Malta Agreement, had now been spread among the governing body of Milan and the Italic declaration of war to Milan marked the beginning of the new year.
=== The Second Italian War ===
The next two years granted Italia some military success. Their ally Sardinia rushed Genoa within only a few months, allowing the Italic and Tuscan armies to focus on southern and western Milanese territories. France briefly entered the war to steal away Savoy and half of Provence, but most Savoyard territories came under the control of the Italic vassal of Turin. 
Milan now stood alone against the Italic First Army approaching from Turin. It was at this moment that Milan decided to use their ace, military veteran Bruno Morosini, to prevent an Italic hegemony over Padania. Bruno's army met the Italic army in Novara, on March 15th, 1532, and scored a decisive victory by concealing his cavalry until they were needed.
"You are so naïve, you know that? Focusing on obliterating the centre, while failing to notice the cavalry on your flanks. The same mistake the Romans made at Cannae... how petty." 
- Bruno Morosini to the Italic First Army, at the Battle of Novara.
For the Italic Union, Novara was not only a tragedy, but the first of many. Next on the list was the Milanese invasion of Turin, and the unification of the two states into the Lombard Republic. A second offensive on Milan by the Italic Second Army was halted, once again by Bruno Morosini. The Lombards then invaded the Italic vassals of Aosta, Montferrat and Pavia. When Pavia declared their wishes to surrender, Italia declared war on them for their disloyalty, and the vassal states of Parma and Liguria (Sardinian vassal) immediately joined Pavia's side. As 1533 began, the three states quickly signed truces with the Lombard Republic before voluntarily joining them, a month before Angelo Marangon, the leader of the First Brescian Uprising, now staged a second one. When he revealed himself, he revealed to Italy that Pope Clement VII had also survived the Sack of Roma, bringing Europe that much closer to a religious war. Giano Loredan also revealed his true identity of Lorenzo Furlan, the Ragusan fisherman who had been the first to discover the all-important box which revealed the truth. 
Lombardy and Brescia linked their forces and marched east, for a confrontation with Italia at Lago di Garda. Just as the Italics were about to win, they were routed by the Austrians, and King Ferrante began to panic. As Brescia secured the surrounding territories, an Austro-Lombard army marched on, capturing the territories surrounding the city of Venezia. 
"We have done it. This is truly a sight to behold. Venice itself threatened, so low has Italia fallen!" 
- Lorenzo Furlan, Captain & Defender of Milan, July 28th, 1533. 
Soon Venezia was completely surrounded by the Lombard army and the Austrian navy. King Ferrante's panic developed into a hallucination, in which he saw Venice. The Most Serene Republic of Venice which had come before the Italic Union. Then Ferrante saw flashes of all the other Italic enemies, but it was primarily Venice who haunted him, with the same massiveness as Banquo haunting Macbeth. Ferrante's hallucination had become a heart attack, and once the news reached Milan and Napoli, the entire Italian peninsula braced itself for a war of succession... 
== The Succession War ==
=== Background and Beginning ===
There were two claimants to the Italic throne after Ferrante's death: his illegitimate son Giuseppe di Sancarlo, and his nephew Danilo von Habsburg. As Italic armies on both sides prepared for what could have been called the "Italic Civil War", Lombardy decided that they had done what they needed to. They met with a Sancarlist delegation in Venezia to sign a treaty on October 7th, 1533, securing the independence of Brescia, Prato, Pisa, Modena, Florence and Siena. These states then demobilised their armies.
The Second Italian War was over, and the Third Italian War had begun.
On one side, Sardinia continued to support the Sancarlists, and on the other side, Austria supported the Habsburgs, who had established their capital in Bari for the time being. As the Sancarlists scored victories in Romagna and Sicily, the main theatre in mainland southern Italy was dominated by Habsburg victories from late 1533 onwards. On Christmas Day, the Habsburgs celebrated their victory in Treviso, before continuing their advancements into 1534 and capturing Benevento, the last city before Napoli itself.
=== Giuseppe's Hallucinations ===
May 1534 saw a brief intervention by the Anatolians to claim Rhodes and Crimea, which distracted the Sancarlists and allowed the Habsburgs to besiege Napoli. Now it was Giuseppe's turn to experience haunting hallucinations, just like his father's. Italia saw a Mamluk-dominated world, then a Venetian one, and then a third world dominated by Italia and Sardinia. At this moment, Giuseppe broke out of the hallucination, as Sardinian troops had arrived to break the siege of Napoli, a much-needed Christmas gift to mark the end of 1534. On top of that, the Second Habsburg Italic Army surrendered in Ravenna two months later, which meant one less front for the Sancarlists.
=== Provence's Departure ===
A new front opened when Provence declared full independence from Italia on July 18th, 1535. Just as Provence had allied themself with France, both were pulled into the war when the Sancarlists invaded Provence. The Sardinian siege of the city was broken by French reinforcements, and the French navy managed to land on the island of Corsica. This time Spain delivered their Christmas present - by opening a new frontline in the Pyrenees mountains, the French were distracted, allowing the Sardinians to relieve Corsica and consolidate their holdings on the Provençal coast. 
The Western Mediterranean War was a brief conflict, which took place during the first few months of 1536, where Spain simply distracted French forces from the Provençal front. Spain took the opportunity to invade and annex Barcelona and Andorra at the same time, which prompted France to accept a white peace. Spain and France both left the war, and now that Provence was alone, they had no choice but to use their ace against the Sancarlists - pages of information regarding the role of Naples in the demise of Venice. 
"Take one step towards Provence, and I will reveal everything." - Provence, April 25th, 1536.
With that, the Sancarlists had no choice but to let Provence go. The invasion force that Sardinia had prepared was hence diverted to Sicily to force the Habsburgs off the island. It was the last success that the Sancarlists could celebrate before the front ended in a stalemate, just as another tragedy began to reveal itself...
=== The Italian Schism ===
The Lombards, Brescians and Sancarlists all knew, since 1533, that Pope Clement VII had survived the Sack of Roma, but it was not until August 1536 that the news was announced to the rest of Italy, and Europe. The Lombards and Brescians expressed their cause, to reinstate Clement and remove the antipope (Gennarus I), thus garnering the support of the Tuscans and the Habsburgs (both Italic and Austrian). Lombardy then waited until early 1538 before officially declaring war on the Gennarus' Papal State, and Brescia, Prato and Pisa did the same. When the Sancarlists stood by Gennarus' side, the Duchies of Florence and Siena were replaced with the republics of old, and after capturing Arezzo and Grosseto, the Tuscan Federation was founded by Prato, Pisa, Florence and Siena. The Sancarlist aid sent to Gennarus did very little to change the course of the war, as all Papal troops swore allegiance to Clement, hence the journey down to Roma was easy for the invading armies. After a brief confrontation in the west of the city, during which Gennarus was killed, the Papacy surrendered. The following Treaty of Roma reinstated Clement and legitimised Gennarus' status as an antipope, ending the Italian Schism.
=== Ending of the Succession War ===
After a series of disagreements among other European powers, Austria was forced to withdraw their support for the Italic Habsburgs, allowing the Sancarlists to break the stalemate and claim victory after victory. In late 1542, the southern Italic Habsburg force had been split into two, and at the same time, the Sancarlists captured Udine, putting an end to the Habsburg influence in the north.
"This deadly war is finally coming to an end. All resistance in Veneto, this cursed land, has been wiped out. Keep going, Italia. You are close to the end." 
- Sancarlist Italia, December 19th, 1542.
The spring of 1544 began with the surrender of the Habsburg forces in Calabria, but the main Italic Habsburg army held the line in Apulia, and the Sancarlists did not reach Bari until early 1547. Upon the surrender of the Habsburgs, the now uncontested King Giuseppe di Sancarlo experienced one last hallucination, where Provence had revealed the truth to the world, and not even the Sardinians had stayed by his side, as all of Europe came to contain Italia. The hallucination was brief, and once Giuseppe broke out from it, God allowed him two decades of well-deserved rest.
== The Austro-Italic War ==
After those two decades came an opportunity, during the War of the Leagues. Austria, now officially the Habsburg Monarchy, had devoted most of their forces towards the consolidation of Royal Hungary. On November 4th, 1567, the Balkan League caught the overextended Habsburgs completely by surprise, and the next day Italia did the same, with unwavering Sardinian support. The Italics began invasions into Croatia and southern Austria, before a new front opened in the west. Just as Italia had seen an opportunity to kill Austria, Lombardy had seen an opportunity to kill Italia. Lombardy, Brescia and Tuscany all began invading the Italic Union, beginning the Fourth Italian War.
"I... I'm surprised it took you this long, Milan. Bring it on." - Italic Union, February 29th, 1568
To avoid being killed by Italia, Croatia seceded from the Habsburg Monarchy on March the 4th, and gave Italia half of their land. Then Croatia began fighting alongside the Balkan League, joining them in their invasion of Bosnia. Meanwhile, Lombardy, Brescia and Tuscany successfully captured all of Romagna, splitting the Italic Union once more. But a Lombard-Brescian defeat at Padua (further north) would change everything, for the leading general, Bruno Morosini was wounded. 
"But... it can't be. How could this happen to him? Isn't he... the brightest general of our time?"
- King Giuseppe I di Sancarlo of the Italic Union, after the Battle of Padua (July 26th, 1568).
Bruno's last wish was a quick death, which was granted by Giuseppe. The latter then led the Italic troops to reconquer all occupied territory and even seize Mantua from Brescia. This was the only border change as a result of the Fourth Italian War, and Giuseppe then returned to the campaign in southern Austria. This front had been a stalemate for a year, ever since May 1568. 
After the Polish victory in Pest in April 1569, the Habsburg lines briefly collapsed everywhere, allowing Italia a little more of Tyrol, as well as being able to advance into Carniola and southern Carinthia. In June, the Poles reached Pressburg, forcing the government of Royal Hungary to retreat to Sopron. To celebrate the victories achieved since the Battle of Pest, Poland, Lithuania and Hungary united into a Commonwealth on July 1st. This frightened the Croats, who hastily requested peace. The Hungarian contingent of the Commonwealth government met the Croats, Nišlijas and Italics in Zagreb in September, which granted the Italic Union all of Herzegovina. After the treaty, Italia took the liberty of annexing south Tyrol and Carniola, while creating a vassal out of Carinthia, all in late October.
Austria had rebuilt their lines in the south, and were holding well throughout 1570, allowing the Italics only a few minimal advancements into Styria and northern Carinthia. But after the Peace of Prague, Austria was abandoned by their allies, and Italia and Sardinia joined Bohemia and the Commonwealth for the final approach to Vienna.
"This bastard brought great pain to my brother. He will pay for it. He will pay for every single blow his puppet dealt us. There will be no mercy." 
- Sardinia, April 9th, 1571
While the Commonwealth captured Sopron and dealt the final blow to Royal Hungary, the Italics seized Graz. Bohemian forces advanced on Vienna and took the city, ending both the War of the Leagues, and Austria's independence. In the following Vienna Conference, Styria gained independence, and the central territory of Austria was integrated into the Bohemian realm.
{More to be uploaded when "Eclipse" is released.}
Category:Varna Countries