1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 341 Treaty of Adria
At the northernmost tip of the Adriatic Sea, on the mainland northeast of the Bay of Venice, a cavalry team marched slowly. The mountains ended at their feet and the coastal plains unfolded in front of them. The knights raised their noses and sniffed the strong sea breeze.

This cavalry unit was small in number, only a few dozen people, but each cavalryman wore fine armor and a sharp sword at his waist. The pathfinder at the front held high the flag, on which the yellow double-headed black eagle and the red and white shield emblem showed the nobility of their master.

The Habsburg family, Archduke of Austria, King of Germany, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the highest-ranking secular nobles in the entire Catholic world.

In the middle of the cavalry, a young and handsome blond nobleman gently pulled the reins of his horse, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, an upright posture, and an imposing heroic air.

Maximilian von Habsburg, Crown Prince of the German Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire, heir to Vienna, eldest son of the current Emperor Frederick III, and the only son in the family who did not die young.

Now, Maximilian is 15 years old and has become mature. Most ordinary male nobles choose to marry and have children at this age, but Maximilian is still single and continues his study career.

Although Maximilian was nominally the heir to the Holy Roman Empire and enjoyed special honors, the division of the Holy Roman Empire had no chance of improving since the promulgation of the Golden Bull. The entire empire was divided into more than 400 territories of various sizes. These princes had their own thoughts and interests and were not willing to be truly loyal to the nominal emperor, especially the lazy and superstitious Frederick III.

Of course, Frederick III was not completely without achievements. At least he relied on his long life and great luck to outlive several of his brothers and merged several scattered lands within the Habsburg Empire. As of now, except for Tyrol, the whole of Austria is under the control of Frederick III.

In order to strengthen the imperial power, Frederick III also made efforts, but he obviously did not have the courage and ability to use force. He chose to continuously forge documents, including the famous "Great Privilege", and relied on these word games to establish the respected status of the Habsburg family. He successfully established the indivisibility of the Habsburg family's territory in inheritance, thus preventing his descendants from repeating his old path.

That is to say, if nothing unexpected happened, when Frederick III died, Maximilian would at least be able to retain all of Austria's territories.

As a passionate young man, Maximilian was rich in literary and artistic connotations and chivalrous spirit. He was very dissatisfied with his father's weakness and the current situation of the Habsburg family. In the East, the rise of the Kingdom of Hungary brought an increasingly deep crisis to Austria. In the West, the German princes were as unruly as ever and did not take the emperor seriously at all.

Ever since Matthias I of the Kingdom of Hungary seized half of Bohemia, a sharp sword has always been hanging over Austria. The Habsburg family in Austria does not have a strong army, abundant financial resources, and it is even more difficult to get any support from the princes of the empire. If Matthias is willing, Austria will not be able to stop his powerful black army at all.

Austria now has no standing army and still uses the medieval warfare strategy of conscripting vassals and mercenary warfare, which has lagged far behind other European powers.

When Matthias I took advantage of the Eastern Roman Empire being busy in the Mediterranean to invade Wallachia, Frederick III was very happy, thinking that this might lead to hostility between Hungary and the Eastern Roman Empire. It would be better to lead a powerful enemy to the East than to let them do nothing.

However, Maximilian questioned this idea, believing that Matthias could not easily take over Wallachia and Moldavia, and that the emperor of Constantinople would never make enemies with Hungary for these two small countries. No matter what the war situation was, when Matthias was free, the next victim would be Austria itself.

The change of events also proved Maximilian's inference. The Eastern Roman Empire did not waste any energy on Wallachia, and the Kingdom of Hungary did not defeat Vlad III's army in one fell swoop. After several minor conflicts, the two sides immediately chose to negotiate. Vlad III tried to use nominal submission in exchange for Hungary's protection and maintain Wallachia's independence.

In Maximilian's view, Austria was already in a very embarrassing situation and must do something to change the situation. It could not pin its hopes on the pity and hesitation of its enemies, but must find ways to strengthen its own strength and seek external allies.

At this time, the Eastern Roman Empire mobilized its entire navy to break through the gates of Venice in a very short time, and headed straight for northern Italy, turning the entire Bay of Venice into a hunting ground for Eastern Roman warships.

The fall of Venice brought a little bit of "Eastern Roman shock" to the entire Catholic world, and also made more monarchs see the powerful force that the Eastern Roman Empire erupted by relying on its naval hegemony. Maximilian approached his father and believed that it was necessary for the Habsburg family to contact the Eastern Empire and absolutely could not continue to maintain an indifferent attitude.

Not long ago, diplomats from the Eastern Roman Empire arrived in Vienna to meet with Frederick III, trying to use the land of the Holy Roman Empire stolen by the Republic of Venice to induce Austria to send troops and stand on the side of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Legally speaking, the Holy Roman Emperor also held the crown of the Kingdom of Italy, which only included northern Italy, not the Papal territory and Naples.

Although the princes of northern Italy had actual autonomy, they were all nominally loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor.

However, Venice is a special case. Over the past few hundred years, this country has relied on its superior national strength and financial resources to provoke the Pope and the Emperor. It not only invaded the Ravenna region of the Pope, but also occupied the large Lombardy region that originally belonged to the Holy Roman Emperor. Not only did they not submit to the Holy Roman Empire, they also did not kneel to the Pope, and they have always maintained their secular and religious independence.

Of course, this is not a rare thing. The Pope and the Emperor are no longer what they used to be. The Duke of Milan has not yet been crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor, and several republics led by Florence have also prevented the Pope from interfering with his power of investiture.

Maximilian thought this was a good opportunity. The core city of Venice, the heart of the Venetian Republic, had been completely destroyed by the Eastern Roman Empire. The country was in decline and its finances were exhausted. The people of Lombardy never considered themselves Venetians. They were also victims of the Venetian colonial system and did not have much centripetal force towards the Venetian Republic.

If Austria can take advantage of this opportunity to regain some provinces, it will not only enhance its national strength but also gain the necessary prestige.

So, when the diplomats arrived in Vienna, Maximilian used reason to convince his hesitant father to go south to Adria as an envoy to meet the Eastern Roman emperor.

Despite this, Maximilian still had concerns. The resurgence of the Eastern Roman Empire also brought them a crisis. Northern Italy would never allow outsiders to interfere. Whether they could reach an agreement would have to wait and see.

"Your Highness, we are almost there. The port of Trieste is just ahead."

An old minister beside Maximilian whispered a reminder.

"Recently, many Venetian refugees have fled to Trieste. You don't have to worry about them for now."

Maximilian nodded without saying anything, quietly watching the port city getting closer and closer.

Trieste is the hereditary territory of the Habsburg family and their only decent seaport. The Habsburg family maintained a small fleet here for show, but they mainly focused on business.

Trieste is located deep in the Adriatic hinterland, separated from Venice by only a bay. As long as they want, the overlord of the Adriatic Sea can block the Habsburg family's only outlet to the sea at any time, whether it is the former Venetian Republic or the current Eastern Roman Empire.

However, for a continental country, this is not very important.

As the city got closer, the defenders rushed out, waving sticks, driving away the refugees who had crowded in and clearing a path for the prince's arrival.

Entering the not-so-bustling small harbor, Maximilian looked around, then toward the sea, his eyes narrowed.

Through the morning mist, a giant warship was vaguely visible, with a golden and red double-headed eagle pattern painted on its high-raised sails.

Just by parking on the beach, this giant ship has brought an endless sense of oppression to the entire city.

"What a huge battleship."

Maximilian muttered to himself.

"Is this the Leviathan of the Eastern Empire?"

"The Glory of Cairo, the most powerful warship in the Mediterranean, the flagship of Emperor Isaac."

The old minister nodded.

"Not long ago, this warship relied on its powerful firepower to defeat the defense line that the Venetians had painstakingly built for hundreds of years."

"What a great war machine."

Maximilian exclaimed.

"I heard that the city of Mestre was also captured. Was it also done by this giant ship?"

"That's not the case. The Cairo Star is too heavy to enter the Venice Lagoon."

"It was another warship, the Black Mandala, that broke into the city of Mestre."

The old minister shook his head, a sarcastic arc appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"The Venetians are too confident in their sea defenses. Mestre and other northern Italian fortresses are all aimed at land enemies. The range of their coastal defense artillery is not even as good as the main guns of the Black Mandragora."

"The Eastern Empire has indeed spent too much time and money on the navy. As far as I know, the navy even accounted for half of Emperor Isaac's annual military expenditure at one point."

“They chose the ocean, and the ocean gave them back.”

Maximilian smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"It's a pity that Austria can't be like them and is destined to be a continental country."

"That's why they are not our biggest enemy."

The old minister looked at Maximilian.

"I have suggested to you before that the Habsburg family should focus on the land, in Germany, rather than in remote areas. The German-speaking population is two to three times the Greek-speaking population, which is our biggest advantage."

"That's not necessarily true. The Eastern Empire is carrying out cultural colonization in its overseas territories. I'm afraid that in a hundred years, half of the world will speak Greek."

Maximilian pouted.

"But you are right. We should focus on internal integration and build a strong standing army first."

"The precedents of the Ottoman Empire, the Eastern Empire and Hungary prove that the old war system is no longer suitable for the times, and we must keep pace with the times."

Maximilian's eyes flickered.

"If we succeed this time, I plan to ask my father to form a standing mercenary army, modeled after the Hungarians. What do you think?"

"Where does the money come from?"

The old minister sighed.

"Your father still owes a lot of money to merchants."

"money……"

Maximilian exhaled.

"Let's see if Venice can bring us some surprises."

When it comes to money, Maximilian felt annoyed and waved his hand.

"Forget it. There's no point in talking about this now. Since Emperor Isaac wants to see us, let's go see him."

The group said goodbye to the city lord, boarded a small boat, and headed for the Cairo Star on the sea.

The closer Maximilian got to the giant ship, the more he could feel the power of the Cairo Star. The ship floating on the water was like a giant sea beast, always ready to devour any enemy who dared to offend.

This can be considered a kind of collateral benefit of the Cairo Star. Although its combat effectiveness may not be as good as the galleon that is about to enter the historical stage, it can surpass all others in momentum.

With the help of the sailors, Maximilian went up to the deck. When he looked up, he saw a middle-aged man in a purple robe and a crown on his head looking at him with a smile.

"Welcome, Prince of Vienna, Your Excellency Maximilian."

Isaac nodded and smiled, then walked forward and gave him a simple hug as a greeting.

"I heard earlier that Emperor Frederick had an extremely handsome son. Seeing him today, he is indeed very handsome."

"Thank you for your compliments, Your Majesty Isaac, Emperor of Constantinople."

Maximilian smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Isaac's friendly attitude.

As the only two empires in the Christian world, the Eastern Roman Empire was originally a continuation of the Roman Empire, while the Holy Roman Empire was a self-proclaimed Catholic emperor appointed by the Pope. Naturally, there were conflicts between the two sides in their claims to Rome.

Throughout the long history, the two regimes have fought many verbal battles for this title. There have been wars, reconciliations, and even surrender. The last Eastern Roman Emperor named Isaac had fought a war with the last Holy Roman Emperor named Frederick for this title, and of course it ended with the surrender of the Eastern Roman Empire.

In the eyes of many people, whether or not one is the true successor of Rome is not important at all, everything depends on strength.

During the decades of Isaac's reign, he had a lot of correspondence with Frederick III, and both sides racked their brains over how to address each other.

When Frederick III called Isaac the King of Greece, Isaac also bluntly called him the Great German Chieftain, and when Frederick III changed the title to the Monarch of Constantinople, Isaac also called him the Archduke of Vienna.

The thoughtful Frederick III tried to challenge Isaac's bottom line every time, but as the strength of the Eastern Roman Empire grew, his attitude became more polite and his level of respect increased.

As for Isaac, he had no time to play word games, and every letter was written by the Queen.

Later, the two sides shook hands and made peace. Frederick III called Isaac "Dear Emperor of the East" and "Emperor of Constantinople", and Isaac also called him "Dear Emperor of the West" and "Emperor of Vienna".

Isaac's attitude towards the "pseudo-regime" of the Holy Roman Empire has always been clear. He maintained the approach of his ancestors many years ago, recognizing it as an empire and its monarch as an emperor, but not the emperor of Rome and the Romans, but the emperor of Germany and the Germans.

This kind of thing mainly depends on strength. When you only have one city, declaring yourself to be the monarch of the world will only cause ridicule. When you have a powerful army and fleet, someone will naturally put the most honorable crown on you.

"His Majesty?"

Maximilian saw that Isaac was silent and asked tentatively.

"You said in your letter before that you hope we can sit down and have a good talk..."

"Uh, yes, come with me."

Isaac came to his senses, nodded, and led everyone to the reception room.

"The letter doesn't explain it clearly, and the envoys aren't very formal. Some things need to be discussed in person."

The reception room was very spacious, and the table was filled with a wide variety of snacks. Maximilian sat in his seat, indifferent to the delicacies in front of him.

Isaac also sat in the main seat. Behind him, an exquisitely crafted map was carved on the wall. The territory of the Eastern Roman Empire spanned five continents and two oceans, all in royal purple.

Maximilian stared at the huge map in a trance, amazed.

What made him feel most mixed emotions was that on the map, Venice, north of the Adriatic Sea, had been marked in bright purple.

He ordered the servants to pour wine for the group. After a few pleasantries, Isaac waved his hand, and the servant beside him spread out a detailed map of the Adriatic Sea on the large wooden table. Each force was marked with a different color, and each town was painted with a black dot.

"Everyone's time is tight, let's get straight to the point."

Isaac smiled at Maximilian.

"We are located here, in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Venice, on the coast of Trieste."

Isaac stretched out his hand and pointed to a dot on the light yellow patch, on which the Latin words "von Habsburg" were clearly written.

"South of Trieste is the Istria Peninsula, a former territory of Venice."

Isaac moved his finger and pointed to a light blue patch of land.

"There is a series of islands to the southeast of the Istrian Peninsula. This coast was once Venice's overseas territory, Dalmatia."

"And now, this is no longer Venice."

Seeing Maximilian's confusion, Isaac handed him a letter.

"The Governor of Dalmatia, Colleoni, has officially announced his independence from Venice, established the Principality of Dalmatia, and pledged allegiance to me."

Isaac said calmly.

"I agreed to his request and will protect his legal rights."

Maximilian read the letter without changing his expression.

In fact, Dalmatia can be regarded as the most important overseas territory of Venice besides Crete. It took the Republic of Venice hundreds of years to solve the pirate forces entrenched here and take over this archipelago-dense coast. The Governor of Venice also served as the Duke of Dalmatia.

However, with the loss of sea power, the narrow and long Dalmatia was destined to be lost, and Maximilian was not surprised about this.

"Congratulations then."

Maximilian said calmly.

"After Dalmatia's separation, the Venetians really can't make any waves." "Haha, more than that, since Venice has been defeated, it must be punished more severely."

Isaac smiled.

"I think it's time for the Venetians to redeem themselves for the sins they once committed and give up the territories they annexed through dirty means."

"I hope that you can exert diplomatic pressure on Venice to force them to agree to our terms."

"What benefit can we get?"

Maximilian looked towards Isaac.

"You will get the Friuli region, a gateway to northern Italy."

Isaac points to Venice's most northeastern territory.

"After acquiring this place, trade between Vienna and Italy will be more convenient, which will be very beneficial to you."

"I think it's a good place."

Maximilian thought for a moment.

"And Venice?"

"The city of Venice will return to Constantinople, including all the land along the Venetian Lagoon that was once under the jurisdiction of the city of Venice, mainly Mestre and Chioggia."

Isaac said without hesitation.

"In addition to this, my navy will also launch an attack on the Istrian Peninsula, which will also be imperial territory."

"I will rebuild the Duchy of Venice and the Duchy of Istria, bring in immigrants, and station a doge."

Maximilian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a little surprised.

"You have quite a lot of ambition."

"I have the strength."

Isaac said calmly.

"This time, I must make sure the Venetians can't hold their heads up."

"Northern Italy should belong to us."

Maximilian looked directly at Isaac.

"If you are going to enter northern Italy, our negotiations will end and we will join the French side to strike back against you."

"Northern Italy does belong to you, and we will recognize this and fully respect it."

Isaac shook his head dismissively.

"But Venice is not, and never has been, a part of the Holy Empire, from its founding until now."

"My claim to northern Italy is limited to the Venetian Lagoon. Outside the Venetian Lagoon, it belongs to you forever."

Isaac gazed into Maximilian's eyes.

"I can swear to God that I will never lay my hands on any of the Holy Empire's territories. We can sign a territorial division treaty and announce it to everyone."

"But you have supported the so-called Free City of La Spezia."

Maximilian questioned.

“You have also interfered excessively in Parma’s internal affairs.”

"La Spezia has been occupied by the Duke of Milan, and Parma will probably surrender soon."

Isaac said.

"After we signed the agreement, this will never happen again."

In fact, the reason why Isaac spent so much effort on the Apennine Peninsula was not because he really wanted to extend his rule to his homeland in Italy, but entirely for the Apennine trade.

During this era, the Apennine Peninsula was the region with the strongest personal purchasing power in the entire Mediterranean, as well as the region with the highest average personal wealth. With a huge population of nearly 10 million, this was something that could not be ignored for the thriving Eastern Roman national capital.

There are many ways to open up the market, and Isaac has been planning for this for a long time, starting from both the east and west sides.

La Spezia on the west coast and Venice and Ragusa on the east coast were all good tentacles for Eastern Roman goods to enter Italy.

Especially the newly occupied Venice. Although the Venetian Arsenal and Workshop District suffered some damage, it can still be used. The geographical conditions here are too superior. It can not only communicate with northern Italy, but also extend to the vast German region. It is definitely the best choice.

If the entire Venetian lagoon defense circle could be inherited and improved, the defense of the city of Venice would not be a problem as long as naval hegemony could be maintained.

Of course, Venice also has inherent disadvantages. It cannot produce any food locally and is extremely dependent on external supplies. This is also the purpose of Isaac's intention to occupy the Istrian Peninsula.

In addition to the trading port, Isaac also developed a complete plan for the economic colonization of the Apennines, which required time and opportunity.

As for the northern Italian quagmire, anyone who wants to wade in it can do so. Isaac will never join in the fun.

"how?"

Isaac smiled.

"You can claim that the whole of Venice belongs to the Lombardy region. As long as you can occupy it, we will recognize it."

Maximilian was somewhat shaken. A great opportunity to expand territory was before him. Venice was at its weakest period. If he wanted to attack them after this point, it would cost a lot of money and manpower.

"What about His Holiness?"

Maximilian asked softly, staring at the map intently.

"I have already discussed with the Rovere family. They will put pressure on Venice from the south and demand the recovery of the Ravenna region."

Isaac said.

"The Rovere family? Not the Vatican?"

Maximilian discovered a blind spot in Isaac's language.

"Yes, the Rovere family, the bishops of the Ravenna region, and the secular nobles will all be appointed directly by the Rovere family."

Isaac said affirmatively.

In fact, the entire Vatican may not be very willing to let the Eastern Roman Empire defeat the Republic of Venice, nor is it willing to let the Eastern Roman Empire occupy the city of Venice.

After all, no matter how disobedient they are or how much they challenge the Pope, the Venetians are still part of the Catholic world.

However, the current Pope Sixtus IV has always been a selfish person, putting family interests at the highest position, always thinking about his own family, and directly treating religion as a business to be bought and sold.

Over the past few decades, the interests of the Rovere family and the Eastern Roman Empire have been tied together and cannot be easily separated.

Of course, Isaac's approach had its flaws, and when the Rovere family fell from grace, the friendly relations between Constantinople and the Vatican would soon become difficult to maintain.

"In addition, they also want to obtain the right to appoint the archbishops of Venice, which will have to wait until the follow-up negotiations."

Isaac continued.

"If you all agree, our three forces will launch a joint declaration against the remaining Republic of Venice, demanding that they accept all of our conditions, including trade privileges and war reparations."

"Aren't you afraid that this might backfire and cause the anger of the people of Venice?"

Maximilian couldn't help asking.

"Back then, they relied on unity to defeat countless powerful enemies, even the powerful Pepin the Short."

"That's why I captured Venice as soon as possible to eliminate this possibility."

Isaac said.

"If Venice was safe, the citizens here would definitely unite to resist foreign interference, but Venice has been taken by me, and the citizens of Venice no longer exist."

"You don't think the Lombards will be loyal to the Venetians?"

Isaac snorted.

"Over the years, after the Venetians lost their trade hegemony in the Eastern Mediterranean, the people of Lombardy have been suffering from heavy taxes. I estimate that uprisings and rebellions will begin soon."

In fact, although Italy was the first region where capitalism began to sprout, due to geographical and political divisions, Italian nationalism did not emerge at all. Each city-state had its own national sentiments and did not consider themselves "Italians" in the national sense.

The people of Padua would not consider themselves Venetians, and the people of Pisans would not consider themselves Florentines. They were only united for the sake of interests, or were forced to submit because of power. National unity has always been a joke.

"And what do you plan to do with the rest of the Republic of Venice?"

Maximilian asked again.

"The Venetian government was driven from Mestre by my artillery to Treviso, which I suppose they will make their new capital."

Isaac pointed to a city north of Mestre.

"As to whether they are still called the Venetian Republic, I don't know."

Isaac chuckled.

"I am going to ask Venice to pay war reparations to the three of us. If you are willing to join in the division, you can also get a share of the reparations. Constantinople will get half, and you two will each get a quarter."

"How much? How much?"

Maximilian's eyes lit up when he heard the word money.

"I haven't thought about it yet. This will have to wait for the follow-up negotiations."

Isaac looked at Maximilian's anxious eyes and laughed to himself.

Historically, the Habsburg family was often short of funds. Even after acquiring the wealth of Burgundy and Spain, they would still fall into the predicament of lack of money from time to time.

An emperor was barred from entering his own city because he could not pay his debts, and he could not get out no matter what he did. This was the scandal of the Habsburgs.

"What do you need us to do?"

Maximilian raised his eyes, with the flame of ambition flashing in them.

"Diplomatic pressure and military action. We don't need too many troops. We just need to make the Venetian government feel isolated and helpless."

Isaac said.

"My fleet will still attack the coastal cities of Venice, and the Rovere family will control Ravenna through religious means."

"Besides that, my intelligence service has made contact with some Lombards, and if the time is right, I will trigger a rebellion."

Seeing that Maximilian was beginning to waver, Isaac continued to increase his stakes.

"The Hungarians are expanding their power too quickly. If there is an opportunity, we may be able to cooperate."

"Okay, I'll write a letter to my father right now!"

Maximilian gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

……

In early May 1474, the naval fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire blasted open the walls of Mestre and Chioggia, clearing out the Venetian forces in the lagoon area. The armed sailors began to make a feint attack to the north, threatening Treviso.

On May 5, representatives of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire negotiated in Venice and signed the Treaty of Adria, which divided the Republic of Venice and demanded that the Venetian government accept it immediately.

The treaty stipulated that the Republic of Venice would cede the Istrian Peninsula and the Venetian Lagoon to the Eastern Roman Empire, cede the Friuli region to the Habsburg family, return the Diocese of Ravenna to the Holy See, accept the Vatican's right of religious appointment, and accept the independence of the Principality of Dalmatia.

In addition, the remaining Venetian government had to pay a war indemnity of 700,000 ducats to the three powers, which was approximately equal to the current population of Venice, secured by tariffs and salt taxes, and to be paid off in 20 years.

The treaty also granted the victorious party the right to free trade in the Lombardy region, the right to free navigation on the tributaries of the Po River and the financial privilege of establishing banks in major cities. The main beneficiary was the Eastern Roman Empire.

At the same time, Isaac also signed a series of treaties with the Holy Roman Emperor and the Vatican, promising never to encroach on any land of the Holy Roman Empire and the Papal States and to respect their existing territories and legitimate claims.

The condition was that the other party had to recognize the Eastern Roman Empire's reoccupation of Venice and its commercial interests in northern Italy.

The release of the Treaty of Adriatic plunged the entire Venetian government into panic and anger. They tried to resist, but did not know where to start. Having lost the city of Venice, they could not organize a national guard, and with an empty treasury, they could not even afford mercenaries. However, France and Aragon turned a deaf ear to this and did not care.

On May 5, seeing that Venice had not responded, the Eastern Roman Empire began to attack Venice's coastal outposts on the Istrian Peninsula.

On May 5, the Habsburg army marched towards the Friuli region. The people here had long been disappointed with Venice and extremely afraid of the Eastern Roman Empire. The army of the Holy Roman Emperor encountered little resistance, and people along the way lined the streets to welcome them with food and drink.

On May 5, under the manipulation of the Rovere family, the city of Ravenna expelled Venetian officials and agreed to return to the rule of the Holy See. Sixtus IV sent a nephew who had worked hard and made great contributions to Ravenna to serve as archbishop.

On May 5, under the fear brought about by the joint oppression of the three forces and the instigation of the Eastern Roman Empire, a major rebellion broke out in the Lombardy region. The people, who were suffering from war taxes, demanded an armistice and peace, and the bolder ones even directly announced their independence from Venice's control.

On May 5, faced with internal and external difficulties, the desperate Venetian oligarchs pushed all the war crimes onto Doge Pietro, blinded and imprisoned him, divided up Pietro's family property, formally announced their surrender, and sent envoys to Venice to request negotiations.

Since they had no bargaining chips to use, the Venetian envoys failed to obtain many concessions and only extended the payment period to fifty years.

On May 5, with the signing of the last letter, the dust settled in the Adriatic Sea and everything returned to peace. Venice lost a large area of ​​territory including its capital and almost became a landlocked country. The capital was also moved to Treviso in the inland.

In order to quell domestic disputes, several Venetian oligarchs began to cede interests to the Lombard forces. After losing the lagoon territory, Venetian citizens had become extremely scarce, so they no longer used the name of the Venetian Republic, but used their own alias, the Republic of St. Mark.

From then on, there was no force in the eastern Mediterranean that could threaten the maritime hegemony of the Eastern Roman Empire. In the early summer of 1474, the Republic of Venice officially perished.

The flying lion fell and the double eagles soared. After solving the troubles in the eastern Mediterranean, Isaac handed over the subsequent conquest, immigration and political construction to his ministers, and left a strong enough naval fleet. He took the rest of the fleet and marched south, pointing his sword to the west.

(End of this chapter)