History of Urcea (1575-1798): Difference between revisions

During this period, Urcea's attention turned back to the west and south in an effort to capitalize on the very profitable [[Odoneru Ocean]] trade. It established a string of colonies in southeastern [[Crona]] during the 1620s known as [[New Archduchy]] and the [[Julian Belt]]. Urcea successfully fought the War of Urlazio and gained a foothold on [[Urlazio]]. The war, which took place from 1625 through 1634 and started largely by King Aedanicus V, was aimed at curbing the influence of [[Caphiria]] and prevent possible expansion into [[Levantia]]. Though successful, the Urcean march on Urlazio lead to hundreds of years of animosity with Caphiria that weren't truly resolved until the return of its Urlazio territory at the [[Assumption Accords]]. In order to link its dominions together, Urcea completed the envelopment of [[Crotona]] in 1660 during the reign of King Riordan VI, creating the [[Kingdom of Crotona]]. In 1670, Riordan began the conquest of [[Tromarine]], but it would not be completed until the reign of his successor, King Patrick I, who put the finishing touches on conquering the island in 1676. Patrick completed the envelopment of the southern Odoneru by formally annexing the [[Philaridon Republic]] in 1680, though the Republic had largely been reduced to the position of a vassal a century earlier. A small portion of the Republic was ceded to the [[Grand Duchy of Carolina]], Urcea's ally; this border would largely remain unchanged through the present day, establishing the southern border between the provinces of [[Roscampus]] and [[Lower Carolina]] roughly along the [[Pralia Mountains]].

===Gassavelian integration and uprising===

In 1702, King Riordan VII was elected Emperor Riordan I, beginning a string of five consecutive Kings who would be elected Emperor and also an increasing focus on the affairs of the Empire, which would dominate the country's foreign policy in the 18th century. Riordan's son, King Aedanicus VII, was also elected Emperor and ruled both the Empire and Urcea from 1727 to 1741. During his reign, he induced the [[Collegial Electorate]] to designate his son, Prince of Halfway Leo, as King of the Levantines, heir apparent to the Empire. During the successive reigns of Riordan and Aedanicus, relative stability was introduced to the Empire, although Electors continually grumbled Urceopolis grew more powerful vis a vis the other Imperial princes with each succeeding decade. Riordan in particular focused on increasing the professionalization and training of the Royal Army, and his investment paid dividends as Urcean forces developed innovative drill and discipline techniques. Alongside the widespread adoption of the socket bayonet in the last years of Aedanicus's reign, the Royal Army of Urcea was considered highly professional even if small relative to the Kingdom's overall population.

With the death of Emperor-King Aedanicus VII, the Collegial Electorate abrogated its earlier selection and instead elected Louis, the Grand Duke of Verecundia. Newly-minted King Leo IV initially accepted the decision, but the newly-elected Emperor Louis IX began a policy of open antagonism with regards to Urcean ambition. In 1743, the last male-line [[Grand Duchy of Carolina|Grand Duke of Carolina]] died and left King Leo as his heir. Despite this, Emperor Louis IX exercised his Imperial prerogative and issued a Pragmatic Sanction, denying the Urcean inheritance. King Leo would not accept another breach of faith from the Empire, and on July 4th, 1745, the Royal Army of Urcea crossed through the Northgate and invaded Carolina. The Emperor declared King Leo an outlaw and called the Empire to arms against him, beginning the [[War of the Caroline Succession]], also known as the ''First Caroline War''.