Middle Snu
25-03-2006, 01:39
Background
It was the Year of Our Lord 1759, and the self-styled tyrant King Stephano the Great ruled Lombardy with an iron hand. Stephano had dreams of unifying all Italy into a great nation, and ultimately restoring the glory of empire. Because Lombardy was an Austrian puppet state, Stephano recieved military help from his friends in Austria, particularly King Constantine. At this time, King Stephano went on a rampage. Through an ever-shifting set of alliances with some of the Northern Italian states, Stephano was able to keep from being outnumbered. His kingdom grew as he conquered many of the states of Northern Italy. When Stephano had conquered as far south as the Papal States he stopped and turned his eyes towards his most faithful ally: Piedmont. Mustering an army on the border of Piedmont, Stephano demanded that Piedmont surrender to Lombardy.
When the King of Piedmont refused to accept Lombardian demands, Stephano crossed the border and marched into Piedmont. The hastily-assembled Piedmontese army met with the crushing Lombardian armies at the town of Suno. There, Stephano won a decisive victory. Soon, Piedmont had been annexed into Lombardy. This left Stephano with only two routes of expansion: into the mighty military might of France, or to the weak Papal States. The choice was obvious.
Though Stephano's soldiers were catholic, the thought of the riches of Rome made them eager for this move. However, some of Stephano's top generals disagreed. A secret society calling itself The Arm of God had members in the Lombardian high command. Even as Stephano was plotting to take the Pope's domain for himself, they plotted to unseat him. In a secret meeting, three of Stephano's generals drew their "ceremonial" swords and attacked him. Both Stephano and his eldest son were killed, and the throne fell to his younger son, Marcos.
Marcos announced that Lombardy would no longer be an aggressor. He promoted trade, lowered taxes, and disbanded much of the army. When Venice decided to revolt against him, he put down the rebellion quickly. As a result, the Kingdom of Lombardy has been peaceful and prosperous for many years.
Army deployment: the army is split into 4 groups, each consisting of 20 artillery, 2250 cavalry, and 3125 infantry. One group holds the French border, and another the Austrian border. The other two are deployed in central Lombardy. The army is currently very small, as King Marcos I has devoted most of public funds to the development of a powerful navy.
Navy deployment: The Lombardian Navy is the largest in the world, but it focuses on defense. The Western Fleet is stationed in Genoa and consists of 14 Ships of the Line, 17 Frigates, and 17 Sloops. The Eastern Fleet is stationed in Venice and consists of 9 Ships of the Line, 17 Frigates, and 17 Sloops.
State of the Treasury (circa 1770)
The Lombardian Treasury currently holds 60 million franks. Due to recent reforms, the Lombardian economy is booming, and the treasury nets 65 million franks a year after expenses.
It was the Year of Our Lord 1759, and the self-styled tyrant King Stephano the Great ruled Lombardy with an iron hand. Stephano had dreams of unifying all Italy into a great nation, and ultimately restoring the glory of empire. Because Lombardy was an Austrian puppet state, Stephano recieved military help from his friends in Austria, particularly King Constantine. At this time, King Stephano went on a rampage. Through an ever-shifting set of alliances with some of the Northern Italian states, Stephano was able to keep from being outnumbered. His kingdom grew as he conquered many of the states of Northern Italy. When Stephano had conquered as far south as the Papal States he stopped and turned his eyes towards his most faithful ally: Piedmont. Mustering an army on the border of Piedmont, Stephano demanded that Piedmont surrender to Lombardy.
When the King of Piedmont refused to accept Lombardian demands, Stephano crossed the border and marched into Piedmont. The hastily-assembled Piedmontese army met with the crushing Lombardian armies at the town of Suno. There, Stephano won a decisive victory. Soon, Piedmont had been annexed into Lombardy. This left Stephano with only two routes of expansion: into the mighty military might of France, or to the weak Papal States. The choice was obvious.
Though Stephano's soldiers were catholic, the thought of the riches of Rome made them eager for this move. However, some of Stephano's top generals disagreed. A secret society calling itself The Arm of God had members in the Lombardian high command. Even as Stephano was plotting to take the Pope's domain for himself, they plotted to unseat him. In a secret meeting, three of Stephano's generals drew their "ceremonial" swords and attacked him. Both Stephano and his eldest son were killed, and the throne fell to his younger son, Marcos.
Marcos announced that Lombardy would no longer be an aggressor. He promoted trade, lowered taxes, and disbanded much of the army. When Venice decided to revolt against him, he put down the rebellion quickly. As a result, the Kingdom of Lombardy has been peaceful and prosperous for many years.
Army deployment: the army is split into 4 groups, each consisting of 20 artillery, 2250 cavalry, and 3125 infantry. One group holds the French border, and another the Austrian border. The other two are deployed in central Lombardy. The army is currently very small, as King Marcos I has devoted most of public funds to the development of a powerful navy.
Navy deployment: The Lombardian Navy is the largest in the world, but it focuses on defense. The Western Fleet is stationed in Genoa and consists of 14 Ships of the Line, 17 Frigates, and 17 Sloops. The Eastern Fleet is stationed in Venice and consists of 9 Ships of the Line, 17 Frigates, and 17 Sloops.
State of the Treasury (circa 1770)
The Lombardian Treasury currently holds 60 million franks. Due to recent reforms, the Lombardian economy is booming, and the treasury nets 65 million franks a year after expenses.