News of the Crusade had spread throughout Europe, becoming the biggest hot topic in the entire Christian world these days, and even monarchs in the Islamic world as far as Central Asia had heard the news.
Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who constantly kept an eye on Austria, naturally wouldn't miss this significant news. Although he had anticipated the current situation when Austria attacked Venice, he still couldn't help but feel a little nervous when the time truly came.
Originally, given the tendency of European countries to trip each other up, the Pope was unlikely to launch a Crusade casually before achieving general peace in the Christian world and securing the unanimous support of the monarchs of several major countries.
Although the disastrous defeat of the Varna Crusade did not occur in this timeline, in the original history, a muddle-headed Eugene IV launched a call for a Crusade without the support of any of the three major powers—the Empire, France, and England—ultimately leading to King of Hungary Władysław III losing his head at Varna.
For insurance, if the Pope wished to launch a Crusade, he would first mediate between the various major countries, just as Paul II mediated the war between Austria and Venice.
If the countries could temporarily set aside their mutual grievances, the combined strength of European nations would be formidable.
However, the appearance of Laszlo directly changed all of this. He himself held the titles of monarch of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, in addition to numerous vassal states and the title of Emperor. He was fully capable of excluding other major countries and launching a Crusade independently.
As long as France, England, and other countries didn't stab him in the back, the Emperor's power was enough to make all infidels tremble.
However, the Kingdom of France, on which Mehmed II had placed high hopes, was now entangled in the Second League of Public Weal War, with even Paris under siege.
Louis XI didn't know when he would be able to deal with Duke of Burgundy, his major hidden danger, and Edward IV across the channel also seemed to be eyeing France covetously, perhaps looking for an opportunity to counterattack the continent.
The situation in the Kingdom of France was not much more optimistic compared to the Ottoman Empire.
Let alone interfering with the Emperor through some means, Louis XI was now constantly being interfered with by the Emperor.
The Ottoman Empire was in the same boat. Mehmed II was still commanding his troops against the Karaman in Konya.
Karaman Bey Bilal Ahmed, instigated by Emperor Laszlo, had begun to disregard the national foundation and drag the Ottomans into the depths of the quagmire. Compared to this pair of unfortunate brothers in the Unholy Alliance, the situation of their common ally, the Venetian, could only be described as desperate.
The Emperor simply refused to negotiate peace, merely instructing his army to continuously clear out Venetian strongholds on the continent, while also ordering his fleet to conduct privateering operations at sea.
Now, the Republic of Venice was on the verge of collapse due to the continuous bleeding.
Social order within Venice was chaotic and unstable, with increasingly frequent criminal incidents. Those who had the means were looking for opportunities to escape, hoping to start new lives in Austria.
The nobles, on the other hand, were the most constrained group. Any display of a desire to flee could lead to scrutiny or even trial, all thanks to the Barbo Family, whose defection had caused an extremely negative impact in Venice.
Venice's commercial development also remained in a slump due to Austria's highway robbery and price gouging. The number of ships available for trade and those that could be conscripted into the navy was dwindling.
Venice's naval power, after prolonged attrition, could not be replenished and was now increasingly weakened.
Just at this critical juncture, Austria, Genoa, and Naples began to assemble fleets on a large scale.
Among them, the Genoese were particularly active.
It should be noted that in the past, the Governor of Genoa's authority was not very extensive. Although nominally a head of state with lifelong tenure, he had little control over other territories beyond Genoa and Corsica.
Therefore, mobilizing enough ships to form a fleet to fight a decisive battle with the Venetian was not an easy task.
However, upon hearing that the target was the Venetian, a large number of Genoese merchant ships chose to join the Genoese Navy, forming a massive naval fleet of over a hundred large and small ships, including nearly twenty carracks, combined with the Republic's fleet.
This massive scale even surpassed the combined fleets of the four nations: Austria, Croatia, Ragusa, and Naples.
The core of the fleet was composed of the private fleets of several Genoese noble families who supported the Emperor, with the Doria Family and the Adorno Family being prominent examples.
Since the Genoese Navy's main force was completely annihilated by the Venetian in the Battle of Chioggia at the end of the last century, the Republic of Genoa had never organized a fleet of such a scale for decades.
According to the Genoese themselves in the past, their bones were permeated with the spirit of commercial tradition.
This Genoese spirit can be summarized in four points: a strong religious sense that strongly dislikes ecclesiastical interference in practical matters; irrepressible individualism; a strong family bond; and the habit of absorbing successful or promising newcomers.
Unlike the Venetian, who banded together for business and sailed in groups, the Genoese preferred to sail their large caravels around, and they did not bear heavy obligations like the citizens of Venice.
Such characteristics also had very significant effects.
On the good side, Genoa's business was widespread. Their merchants had strongholds and trade networks throughout the Mediterranean, with Genoese merchants found from Crimea in the north, Cyprus in the east, Portugal in the west, and the North African coast in the south.
This rare adventurous spirit often led to the emergence of bold adventurers in Genoa.
In the past, Genoese merchants attempted to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar to find a sea route to India, and they also opened a route around Iberia to England.
These bold adventures, from another perspective, promoted Genoa's commercial prosperity.
The downside was that Genoa could not concentrate enough resources to wage protracted wars like Venice.
This ultimately led to Genoa's defeat in the naval supremacy struggle with Venice, and it plunged into a decades-long dark period of decline.
Over the past two centuries, the four naval supremacy wars between Genoa and Venice had accumulated countless blood feuds between them, so much so that when Genoese and Venetian met outside, not trying to sabotage each other seemed almost too magnanimous.
It is therefore not difficult to understand why the Genoese were so enthusiastic about participating in the war against the Venetian.
The disastrous defeat of the Genoese Fleet at Chioggia left a painful memory for the Republic. This time, the Emperor delivered a series of blows that left Venice on its last legs, giving many Genoese hope for revenge and vindication, and they naturally wouldn't miss this excellent opportunity.
The assembled Genoese Fleet set sail from the port of Genoa, first stopping in Naples to rendezvous with Fernando I's fleet, and then proceeding together to the Republic of Ragusa to meet with the Habsburg combined fleet.
When news of the massive Genoese Fleet's departure reached Venice, envoys from the Ottoman Sultan and the King of France were visiting Venice.
Inside the Doge's Palace, the envoys from Ottoman and France met with Doge of Venice Christopher Moro.
The already elderly Governor Moro now looked much older than his actual age.
There was once light in his eyes, but now they seemed covered with a layer of gray, often staring blankly in one direction, even struggling to focus.
Now that he thought about it, the Great Council's decision to elect him as Governor seemed to be purely for the purpose of finding a scapegoat, in other words, someone who could be sent to the gallows at any time.
As the eleventh member of his family to be elected Governor, he felt disheartened by the series of changes he experienced after taking office.
Moro, known as "the Good" Philip, was most concerned with charity during his tenure. He sponsored several churches and actively promoted the development of various charitable organizations, hoping to bring about Venice's revival.
Additionally, he himself was a devout believer, having served as Venice's special envoy to the papal courts of Eugene IV and Nicholas V for over a decade, deeply entangled with the Holy See.
Therefore, he was actually quite averse to cooperating with the Ottomans.
If it were in the past, if an envoy from an Ottoman Sultan appeared in his Doge's Palace, Moro might have given him the cold shoulder.
But now, Moro had grown numb. He clearly understood that the only ones who could possibly save Venice now were the Ottomans.
If the Ottoman Empire could defeat the Crusade in the coming war, then Venice's fate would take a huge turn.
However, Moro suddenly realized that he and his Republic might not be able to wait until then.
"Your Excellency the Governor, have you heard the recent news about the Crusade Fleet assembling?"
The French envoy looked at Moro with sympathy.
It was clear to anyone that while this fleet would eventually head towards the Bosporus Strait, Venice would be the first to suffer before that.
"His Majesty the Sultan is very curious, will your Republic's fleet be able to withstand the pressure, defeat this powerful fleet, and defend Constantinople's maritime lifeline?"
The Ottoman envoy's tone was full of worry. Unlike France, which could still gloat, Ottoman and Venice were now truly in the same boat.
Once the Venetian failed to withstand the pressure and lost control of the Aegean Sea, then control of the strait would inevitably fall into the hands of the Crusaders.
At that time, Constantinople might once again face the same fate it did a decade ago, which was unacceptable to the Ottomans.
"We are doing our best to assemble a fleet, but currently, the Emperor's power is clearly much greater than ours. If your two monarchs cannot provide enough support to turn the tide of the war, I am afraid the final outcome will not be as we wish."
The two envoys' back-and-forth had already made Moro's face ashen. He could only give such a reply, hoping that the two great powers, France and Ottoman, could help Venice overcome the crisis.
In fact, the combined paper strength of Venice, France, and Ottoman should not be much weaker than the Emperor's. Unfortunately, the Emperor, through ingenious means, had imposed numerous restrictions on them, preventing them from concentrating all their forces to wholeheartedly resist the Habsburg Family.
By tying up two countries in the three-party alliance and then concentrating forces to first eliminate the remaining one, the alliance would crumble.
Last time, the Emperor used this method against Poland; this time, it was Venice's turn.
Facing the Doge of Venice's plea for help, both envoys fell silent.
France and Ottoman both had their own enemies to deal with. Louis XI was still looking for an opportunity to defeat the League of Public Weal and rescue Paris, while Mehmed II had to guard against Karaman's counterattack and also dedicate efforts to strengthening Constantinople's defenses. Where would he find additional forces to help Venice?
Finally, the French envoy broke the silence first.
"His Majesty our King is willing to dispatch the fleet from the Marseille naval base to reinforce Venice. Although there are only twelve warships, it should be able to provide some assistance."
The Ottoman envoy also spoke at this point: "His Majesty the Sultan has already assembled more than twenty warships in the Sea of Marmara; this is almost the entirety of our nation's naval power.
The Sultan is willing to send his fleet to assist the Venetian Fleet in battle, but he needs a guarantee of victory, because if we fail, Constantinople will inevitably fall under the enemy's sea and land blockade."
Upon hearing this, Moro's lips curled into a helpless smile: "A guarantee of victory? Please forgive me, I cannot give such a guarantee. You should also be well aware of the Emperor's power. Even with the support of your two nations, the disparity in strength will still be significant."
Although it was a disheartening thing to say, the fact was that Venice's maritime advantage was gone forever.
Even if the arsenal could produce a warship in a few weeks at full capacity, there were no longer people to operate the warships, so having warships alone was meaningless.
By occupying the Venetia region after the Italian Wars, the Emperor had, in effect, cut off the possibility of Venice rising again.
Having lost a large number of handicrafts, agriculture, and most importantly, its population, only a slow death awaited Venice.
Even this slow death, the Emperor seemed impatient for, now assembling a massive fleet to send Venice on its way.
"Then why not temporarily avoid battle and wait for the opportune moment to engage the Emperor's fleet in a decisive battle?"
The French envoy immediately suggested.
Moro merely smiled faintly at such an unrealistic suggestion, shaking his head and saying, "We are currently unclear about the Emperor's objective, but both Venice and the Greek territories must rely on sea transport for supplies.
If we avoid battle, it means we are handing over naval supremacy. For continental powers like your two nations or Austria, this might be irrelevant, but for Venice, the severance of sea routes is fatal."
"So, there's no choice but to go all in?"
The Sultan's envoy's expression was grim; it seemed they had no other options.
Moro nodded silently, and a strange silence suddenly fell over the room, as an atmosphere of despair began to spread.
The situation was finally developing in the direction they least wanted to see, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Adriatic Sea, Port of Ragusa. A massive fleet was slowly sailing out of the harbor, heading southeast along the coast.
This fleet was the assembled Crusader Fleet. They converged at the Port of Ragusa in mid-November, and then sailed deeper into the Mediterranean under the panicked gaze of the Venetians.
The salty sea breeze lashed against the endless sails, stirring up lead-gray waves.
Hundreds of warships, stern to bow, occupied a vast expanse of the sea. Various flags flapped in the sea breeze, and black double-headed eagles and red crosses almost obscured the sky.
At the core of the convoy, the fleet's flagship, genoa, was sailing steadily under the protection of several carracks.
The fleet's commander, Dujam, ascended the towering mast to observe the magnificent sight of a thousand sails competing on the sea, which greatly ignited his ambition.
Before becoming the first Admiral of the Austrian Navy, he could only command a few warships off the coast of Croatia to clear out unruly pirates, accumulating some experience in navigation and naval warfare through such work.
After becoming the Admiral of the Austrian Navy, Dujam endured a long period of waiting and torment until the Austrian Navy grew from nothing to a nascent force. Only then did he begin to lead the fleet out to sea for escort, privateering, and other missions.
Because the fledgling Austrian Navy immediately confronted Venice, the former maritime hegemon of the Mediterranean, all operations had to be conducted with absolute caution.
This required the Admiral to possess extensive experience in coastal warfare and to know how to avoid the Venetian Fleet's deadly blows, which was precisely Dujam's strength, having performed coastal operations for many years.
For him, keeping the fleet close to the coast, with friendly ports everywhere available for docking, was simply paradise.
He repeatedly saved the Austrian Fleet from annihilation through careful route planning and flexible escape strategies.
However, what naval Admiral would be willing to constantly hide from the enemy at sea like a rat?
Dujam had always longed for a decisive naval battle against the Venetians on equal terms.
Although he had cleverly defeated Venice's Adriatic Sea Fleet at the Port of Pula, the subsequent blockade of the main Austrian Navy in the Gulf of Venice for several months was a humiliation for him.
And now, the opportunity to wash away that shame had finally arrived.
The great Emperor had drawn armed merchant ships from all the ports under his rule, uniting with Austria's important allies and vassal states, to create such a massive fleet of over two hundred warships, intending to use this fleet to completely end the Venetian control over the seas.
Over two hundred warships. Dujam found that he couldn't even see the end of the fleet. He had never fought such a well-resourced war in his life.
According to intelligence provided by the Genoese, Venice's fleet in the Aegean Sea consisted of only about sixty warships, and they were divided into several parts performing different missions.
Even if the Venetians received some urgent reinforcements, it wouldn't significantly impact the balance of power. Before, he had always led an inferior fleet, chased around by the Venetians. Now, the situation had completely reversed. The thought of the Venetians fleeing in disarray under the combined fleet's attack filled Dujam with joy.
However, Dujam, lacking experience in commanding large fleets, could not independently lead this fleet. Therefore, the alliance appointed a naval general from the Doria family to assist him in commanding the operation.
The Doria, carrying that general, was sailing near his flagship.
The Doria family name was quite prominent. A member of the Doria family served as the commander of the Genoese Navy during the Fourth Genoese-Venetian War. In the Battle of Pula, the Genoese Navy almost completely annihilated the Venetian Fleet, but Doria, as the Admiral of Genoa, died in battle.
The person who succeeded him as Admiral was an incompetent individual who led the fleet into Chioggia, only to be trapped by the Venetians, who completely destroyed the main Genoese Navy. From then on, Genoa lost the qualification to contend with Venice.
Eighty years later, the Republic of Genoa finally returned to the same starting line as the severely weakened Republic of Venice. The Genoese, who had never forgotten their blood feud, had finally seized an opportunity to strike back at the Venetians. Dujam had no doubt about their performance on the battlefield.
While Dujam was still overwhelmed by the emotion of commanding such a large fleet, on one of the carracks serving as a flagship escort, several young sailors were gathered together, taking a break from work, curiously observing the Austrian Navy's flagship nearby.
"Is that ship the legendary 'genoa'?" one sailor muttered. "I heard this ship was originally called the Consul, and the Doge sold it to the Austrians. But why would the Austrians rename it genoa?"
"Perhaps because this ship came from genoa, so they gave it that name?" someone suggested.
"Maybe the Austrians want to put on a show of strength, to make people think their navy is as powerful as our Genoese Navy?"
This explanation immediately won the approval of everyone. Although individualism was prevalent in Genoa, people generally had a sense of national identity.
Despite Genoa's long decline, its four-hundred-year maritime power foundation still remained, incomparable to Austria, a country whose naval power had only begun less than a decade ago.
However, because the Austrian army had once liberated Genoa from the French, many Genoese developed a sense of awe for the Emperor and Austria.
Only in terms of naval power could they finally find some sense of superiority.
However, they were all mistaken. Laszlo was simply accustomed to naming Austrian warships after the states of the Holy Roman Empire. Part of the reason for this was the influence of his memories from his previous life, and another was to demonstrate his dominion over the Imperial states.
"Christopher, you're usually the most talkative. Why are you so quiet now?" a sailor asked, patting the seventeen-year-old next to him.
Despite his young age, this fellow had already been at sea for seven years.
Tired of working as an assistant in his father's small workshop, doing repetitive and boring tasks, he secretly slipped away and soon found an opportunity to become a sailor.
This time, the carrack he was serving on had just returned from near Chios Island in Asia Minor. During the voyage, they narrowly avoided an attack by a Venetian patrol fleet.
After safely returning to Genoa, the captain heard that the Republic's government was recruiting armed merchant ships to participate in the encirclement of the Venetian Navy, so he immediately joined the Republic's naval fleet with his ship.
Christopher, who had received a letter from home, had originally planned to return home after this trip, but realizing that the ship would soon join the war against the Venetians, he ultimately chose to stay and followed the ship all the way to the Adriatic Sea.
His distraction just now was also due to thinking about his family, but soon the desire for honor made him cast everything aside.
He carefully examined the unremarkable carrack his comrades were discussing. It looked even smaller than some of the escort ships and was somewhat old, but Christopher still keenly noticed some peculiar features.
"Look, that ship seems to have been modified. They've added something to the lower deck."
The sailors looked in the direction he pointed and saw a row of evenly spaced small openings on the lower deck of the Austrian flagship. Some dimly glowing crude metal tubes extended from them, which were undoubtedly cannons.
The sailors were no strangers to cannons. A crucial step in converting a merchant ship into a warship was to add a cannon to the bow or stern to enhance firepower.
However, they had never seen a ship like the Austrian flagship, with openings on its sides for cannons.
"They like to install cannons on the broadside. I remember the Portuguese were the first to do that.
Cannons mounted on the sides could often be seen on Portuguese caravels. Their firepower was very fierce, and ordinary pirates were no match for them.
It's not surprising that the Austrians, with such good relations with the Portuguese, would learn these techniques."
There were also some more knowledgeable people among the sailors, which was not surprising, as Genoese trading posts were established in Lisbon and other Portuguese coastal ports, and Genoese merchants had very close trade ties with the Portuguese.
The Portuguese did this because piracy was rampant in North Africa, and their ships would have difficulty dealing with pirate attacks without sufficient firepower.
However, merchant ships in the core Mediterranean region did not have this custom. To transport more cargo, they were reluctant to even carry weapons for self-preservation, let alone heavy cannons.
The Austrians had clearly been the first to discover the potential of carracks as warships. The dozen or so cannons installed on their flagship were enough to provide astonishing firepower.
This also explained why the Venetians had suffered defeat in the previous Battle of Pula, because the Emperor, obsessed with cannons, not only equipped the Imperial Army with a large number of cannons but even moved some medium-sized cannons onto ships.
This powerful firepower configuration made young Christopher's eyes light up.
If he had such a powerful warship, he might truly have the chance to achieve his dream of opening a new sea route to India.
Like many Genoese adventurers, Christopher also loved the legends of the East left by Marco Polo, but the old route from Genoa to Trebizond, through the Ottoman Empire to Tabriz, south to Hormuz, and then by ship to India, was no longer viable.
Even an Emperor as powerful as he could not break through the numerous obstacles of the Islamic world.
However, Christopher firmly believed that a sea route to India could be found, because he believed the Earth was round, one of the few pieces of knowledge he had learned from the school he briefly attended.
Just as Christopher was still fantasizing about becoming a great adventurer, making the whole world remember his surname, Columbus, the surrounding sounds suddenly grew noisy.
The sailors who had gathered together scattered, returning to their respective posts.
It turned out that after a short voyage, the fleet quickly arrived at Corfu.
This was the gateway to the Adriatic Sea. The Venetians occupied it, almost completely blocking the sea route from the Adriatic Sea to the outside world.
The first target Laszlo had locked onto was here. He wanted to, in turn, block the Venetians' access to and from the Adriatic Sea, to see how long those fickle merchants could hold out.
At this time, there was only a patrol fleet of nine warships in the Port of Corfu. Facing the massive fleet that suddenly appeared on the sea, the Venetian Fleet's commander initially intended to lead the fleet out to engage, but was ultimately dissuaded by others.
After all, if their few small ships sailed out, there would basically be only one outcome: to be crushed like a withered leaf by the rolling wheel.
After achieving a complete blockade of Corfu, Dujam quickly sent people to contact Despot of Epirus Leonardo III, who was already waiting on shore.
The two sides then began to prepare for a landing operation. Since almost all of Venice's troops were concentrated in Greece and the city of Venice for defense, Corfu's defenses were very weak, with virtually no resistance capability.
The defensive system originally designed to resist the Imperial Army, requiring a garrison of over ten thousand men, was now completely useless.
The Governor of Corfu, after witnessing the scale of the Crusader Fleet firsthand, quickly realized that even if the Aegean Sea Fleet arrived as reinforcements, it would probably be futile.
In this atmosphere of despair, he met the envoy sent by the Emperor, a member of the Barbo Family.
Because several members of the Barbo Family had served as governors of Corfu in the past, the family had considerable influence in the area.
Although the family's properties in Corfu were all confiscated by the Republic after they defected to Austria, people still remembered the Barbo Family vividly.
Under the persuasion of this envoy, the Governor of Corfu finally abandoned the idea of futile resistance and chose to offer this important island to the Emperor.
After a small-scale conflict, all nine Venetian warships in the harbor were captured. Some of the crew, led by their commander, died fighting to defend the port, while the rest all surrendered to the Crusaders.
According to the Emperor's instructions, Dujam kept his promise and released the Governor of Corfu, allowing him to return to Venice on a merchant ship.
Although he had anticipated his fate, to avoid implicating his family, the Governor still chose to return to Venice to face trial.
The towns on Corfu were then plundered by the Crusader sailors for several days. Hundreds of thousands of florins worth of wealth were looted, which greatly boosted the morale of the combined fleet.
After planting the Emperor's eagle banner atop Corfu's Venetian twin-spired castle, the fleet split into two. One part remained there to block Venice's maritime trade routes, while the other continued along the Greek coast, receiving supplies from Epirus, and heading towards the southern tip of Greece.
The Crusader Fleet sailed south along the coast of Greece and soon arrived at the twin ports of Modon and Koroni, which were already under siege by land.
The Bulgarian-Morean allied forces had been besieging these two ports for several months, but so far, there was no sign of them being able to capture the twin ports.
The reason was simple: the twin ports were simply too important.
They were known as the "Eyes of the Republic" because the Venetian Government stipulated that all ships returning from trade in the East had to stop at the twin ports, undergo inspection and inquiry, and report all potentially useful intelligence to the local government officials specifically responsible for intelligence work.
After being organized, filtered, and summarized, this diverse intelligence would be rapidly transmitted back to Venice by special fast ships, allowing the Doge and the Great Council to easily understand any developments in the entire Mediterranean and take appropriate measures in accordance with the interests of the Republic of Venice.
The most valuable information among these was the commercial intelligence from various parts of the Eastern Mediterranean, which was crucial for the Republic's merchants to gain profits through trade.
The twin ports thus became the most important node in the middle section of Venice's Munda shipping route, connecting three major routes.
After the fall of Corfu, the Venetian had to undertake long-distance voyages at great risk, which was undoubtedly a nightmare for the Venetian, who largely used oar-powered galleys.
And once the twin ports fell, Venice's Munda system and maritime trade would be completely destroyed; Venetian ships returning from Constantinople and Alexandria could at most reach Crete, and then they would not be able to continue westward, otherwise enemy privateers would suddenly appear and attack them at various points along the long voyage.
Moreover, many Venetian merchant ships actually lacked the ability for long-distance voyages, and now there were very few transit ports left between Crete and Venice.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Republic of Venice's maritime trade would fall into a state of near paralysis starting this quarter.
Things had come to this, and the Venetian could only prepare for the worst.
Inside the fortress of Modon, Marshal Colleoni, the commander of the Venetian mercenaries, was routinely inspecting the city defenses to ensure they were complete.
The Marshal and the supervisor and adjutants accompanying him all looked exhausted.
Several months had passed since the Bulgarian army entered Morea and the Republic had contracted its defenses, and the enemy had besieged the twin ports for the same duration.
Now, the Bulgarian army's siege camps could still be seen outside the city, and from a distance, one could feel the chilling aura within the camps.
To repay the Bulgarian army for their relief, the young Despot Andreas of Morea bore all the logistical expenses of the Bulgarian army and provided them with an additional allowance.
Cardinal Bessarion, who was responsible for the coordination, basically fulfilled Andreas's requests, which spared all of Morea from being plundered by friendly forces.
The Order of Saint George used this opportunity to establish strict discipline for the Bulgarian army, only allowing soldiers to relax occasionally; most of the time, they were on guard against counterattacks from the city's defenders.
As for attempts at siege, one had been made previously, but with little effect, and Grand Master Martin immediately decided to besiege first and then assess the situation.
This was originally a great thing for Colleoni, because, theoretically, the enemy could not take a strong fortress with sea-supplied provisions through siege.
However, recent news brought about a surprising reversal of the situation.
"Corfu has fallen. The Emperor's next target might be Lepanto, or the twin ports we are defending. Once sea communication is cut off, everything will be over."
Colleoni's face was grim as he gazed at the siege camps outside the city, his mind lost in thought.
The supervisor accompanying him, who was the representative sent by the Great Council, comforted the Marshal at this moment: "The Doge and the Council will surely find a way to deal with this crisis; we only need to hold the fortress..." "What other way could they have? Venice itself is probably in danger now."
Colleoni retorted angrily, cutting off the supervisor's next words.
For an ordinary Venetian general, such words were absolutely not to be spoken carelessly, otherwise, someone might label him as incompetent in battle or shaking military morale.
But now Colleoni had come to terms with it; he was the only one in all of Venice who still had an army. If the Great Council really wanted to do something to him, he would rather defect to the Emperor first.
Moreover, the supervisor sent by the Great Council was personally appointed by him and belonged to the same faction as him, so there was naturally nothing that couldn't be said.
"Ultimately, after losing Venetia, the Republic has already lost the qualification to contend with the Emperor. The Austrian can fail a thousand, ten thousand times, but what about us? Not even once. The situation is constantly sliding towards the most unfavorable circumstances, yet we can only watch, unable to do anything!"
The old Marshal punched the city wall in frustration. He had served the Republic of Venice for most of his life, witnessed Venice's golden age in the 1430s, dominating the sea and land without rivals, and also witnessed Venice's rapid decline in the 1460s, falling from the clouds to rock bottom in the blink of an eye.
The few people accompanying him also looked troubled; most of them were not worried about the fate of the nation, but about their own fate.
Perhaps before long, the rumored massive Crusader Fleet would arrive outside Modon, sealing off their last escape route.
At that time, what would become of them?
"Perhaps General Canale's fleet can defeat that so-called combined fleet and turn the tide."
1
At this moment, some people still held a glimmer of hope.
To this, Colleoni merely sneered and did not respond.
Canale's situation was well known to all the generals and governors commanding battles in Greece; he was simply a useless bookworm.
Perhaps he would have some standing as a lawyer for defense or as a diplomat moving between royal courts of various countries, but to have him command the navy was utterly foolish.
Unfortunately, the Great Council rarely realized how absurd their decisions were, or perhaps they were well aware of it, but the underlying interests prevented them from changing the current situation.
Just then, a soldier rushed over, and before he could catch his breath, he hastily said: "Marshal, at sea... a forest has appeared at sea!"
"What did you say?"
Colleoni sharply turned his head, frowning at the soldier whom he thought was talking nonsense.
The soldier then realized that he had spoken incorrectly due to nervousness and fear, and immediately explained: "It's a fleet, an extremely massive fleet. They are sailing towards the port, and the number of masts on the sea is so many, as dense as a forest."
Upon hearing this, the faces of several people, including Colleoni, changed dramatically, and everyone immediately rushed towards the port.
From the port's tower, Colleoni witnessed the scene described by the soldier; he had not lied. The scale of this fleet was simply appalling.
"Quick, send a fast ship out of the port to call for reinforcements from the Aegean Sea Fleet! The enemy is about to blockade the port!"
Colleoni immediately ordered. This command was quickly executed, and a merchant ship that was preparing to set sail accepted the mission, escaping the port at top speed and heading rapidly towards Crete, where the navy was stationed.
By the time the Governor of Modon arrived at the port's tower, all he could see was the port completely blockaded.
Like the city's defenders, after completing the naval blockade of the port, the commanders of the Crusader Fleet were also observing the situation in Modon.
According to later descriptions by war eyewitnesses, the bay surrounding Modon could accommodate the largest ships, and above the fortress, the flag of Saint Mark fluttered in the wind, and windmills slowly turned.
The fortress, formed by high towers and thick walls, could effectively block attacks from the Morean interior, and the port could provide armories, ship repair facilities, and storage services.
The most elite troops of the entire Republic of Venice were gathered here for defense; there was no doubt that the Venetian's past descriptions of the twin ports were not just empty words.
They claimed, "Modon and Koroni are so important that we should do everything in our power, at all costs, to maintain them."
It seemed the Venetian intended to shed their last drop of blood here.
Although Grand Master Martin, who commanded the land siege, and General Dujam, who commanded the naval blockade, both doubted whether the Venetian possessed such courage, they ultimately chose to proceed cautiously, forcing the Venetian to surrender through a long-term, complete encirclement and blockade.
Off the coast of Modon, the genoa was sailing steadily under the protection of several warships.
Dujam and his "adjutant" Doria stood side by side on the ship, gazing at the magnificent breakwater in the distance, which from afar looked like a pure white giant bending its arm to block the surging waves, creating an excellent harbor for Modon.
It was evident that the Venetian had invested heavily in building this port.
"Try this. The fleet patrolling the outer perimeter recently captured a merchant ship and found this peculiar drink on board. I hear it's a specialty of Modon."
Dujam handed one of the two cups of dark red liquid in his hand to Doria beside him. The latter hesitated for a moment, took the glass, and then sniffed it at his nose. He first smelled the fragrance of wine, followed by a strange odor that filled his nasal cavity.
"General Dujam, we are on the battlefield now; strictly speaking, we cannot drink alcohol. However, the Venetian's taste is truly peculiar; did they mix tar into it?"
Doria admonished with a serious expression. Although he also enjoyed drinking, keeping a clear head was most important at such a time.
However, he never minded belittling or slandering the Venetian at any time.
Dujam smiled slightly, then explained: "This wine has been specially treated with resin. Although it's strong, its aroma is quite strange, and it won't make you drunk. And we're only tasting a little; what could be the problem?"
Upon hearing this, Doria could only reluctantly take a small sip of the fine wine in the cup. The next second, his features contorted.
Regarding the taste of this wine, Doria could swear that even poison would not be this unpalatable.
Immediately after, he heard Dujam's gloating laughter, clearly, the Admiral must have been tricked once before.
"Damn it, I should have known! I'd rather drink horse piss than Venetian wine!"
Doria grumbled a few words. As Dujam had said, after drinking this wine, he felt nothing but nausea, let alone getting drunk.
"A brave attempt, General Doria," Dujam put away his smile and changed the subject to serious matters, "the merchant who brought us this 'fine wine' escaped from Modon. He was ordered to go to Crete to call for reinforcements. The main force of the Venetian Aegean Sea Fleet is all stationed there, about fifty warships, which can still pose a certain threat."
"So, how do you plan to deal with this fleet?"
Doria's eyes immediately sharpened; he became energized at the mention of beating up the Venetian.
"I plan to let that informant go and have him call for help from Crete, while we preemptively occupy the lightly defended islands of Cerigo and Cerigotto, which are the only two transit ports on the route from Modon to Crete.
After capturing the two islands, we will ambush the main force of our fleet nearby, and when the Venetian Fleet from Crete comes to reinforce, we will catch them off guard."
Dujam confidently presented his plan.
This was an open conspiracy: if the Venetian Fleet did not come, Modon would probably not last a month; if the Venetian Fleet came, then they would face a watery grave.
Doria quickly realized this and asked: "The plan is indeed good, but what if the Venetian Fleet doesn't come?"
"Then we take Modon and Koroni, and the Venetian are finished all the same."
"Let's do it!"
After the plan was decided, the Crusader Fleet immediately split into two forces. One part of the fleet, under Dujam's command, continued to maintain the naval blockade outside the twin ports of Modon and Koroni, which were less than twenty kilometers apart.
The other part of the fleet, led by Doria, swiftly raided the two target islands.
When news of the Crusader Fleet blockading the twin ports reached Crete, Admiral Canale of the Aegean Sea Fleet, who was already in a state of panic, quickly convened a large meeting with his captains.
Because the Venetian Government had previously sent word that three reinforcement fleets were arriving from the Adriatic Sea, France, and the Ottoman Empire respectively, the commanders quickly divided into two factions.
The radical faction, led by the Admiral's adjutant Mocenigo, and the conservative faction, led by Canale, engaged in a heated argument.
Canale's supporters believed that they were at a great disadvantage and should wait for reinforcements to arrive before seizing an opportunity to act.
Some of them didn't even want to fight the Crusader Fleet at all; they wanted to preserve their strength to ensure that Venice would have the power to fight another day if an opportunity arose in the future.
However, the radical commanders believed that although they were numerically inferior, they had a chance to turn the unfavorable situation around through brilliant naval tactics.
And continuing to stay in Crete was tantamount to a slow death; the longer they delayed, the more the conservative faction gradually gained the upper hand, and the indecisive Canale was unable to make up his mind for several days.
And the promised three reinforcement fleets also failed to arrive.
Thirteen warships departing from the Adriatic Sea were blocked at Corfu.
France's promised naval assistance was temporarily put on hold due to direct naval combat breaking out between the Duke of Anjou and King Juan II of Aragon.
The Ottomans fleet did arrive at Crete shortly after, but the combat effectiveness of this fleet was truly difficult to describe. Although it claimed to have over twenty warships, there were actually only a few main vessels that were truly useful, and the remaining small fry were completely ineffective.
Thus, the highly anticipated main Venetian Fleet remained stationed in Crete for over half a month, doing nothing.