1593 Spring

The West India Company established the first colony in America. This memorable colony was named New York, which was named after Yorktown in England. Yes, and luckily(?), it was near the original(?) New York in the original history.

Anyway, 100 private armies of the West India Company were positioned at this colony with pioneers little short of 1,000, just in case of conflict with hostile Native Americans.

Meanwhile, in my palace

“Who are you and where are you from, Mr…?”

“I’m Pedro from Valencia, your majesty!”

“Pedro of Valencia…so, what can you do for me and what do you want from me as your service and loyalty?”

“I’ve spent the last 20 years in the Spanish army as an officer and led the Tercio troops. If you trust me, I wish to dedicate myself to you and your kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Netherlands (Edward VII’s domain – England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Netherlands, etc. the United Kingdom for short from now on), your majesty.”

“…Pedro, you’re hired. You’ll be training the Army of the United Kingdom from now on. And if you prove to be useful, you’ll be sent to American colonies to protect the pioneers and colonize North America.”

“Thank you for your trust, your majesty! You won’t be disappointed!”

dozens of retired officers and low-rank aristocrats immigrated from Spain to the United Kingdom.

Since my old man – Felipe II – is becoming old and weak and slowly waiting for his death, some choose to take my side. Since I’m Felipe II’s eldest son and is powerful enough to steal the throne, they decided to join me although I’m not Duke of Asturias. (*The crown prince of Spain)

And besides, the soldiers, the NCOs, and the officers of Spain who didn’t get paid enough salary - thanks to the 4th default that Felipe II announced – all tried to transfer to the United Kingdom, which handsomely pays a salary. Their logic was that since I’m also the prince of Spain and Portugal – Felipe II also rules Portugal now – and the United Kingdom is Spain’s ally, they’re just changing their employer, not betraying their country.

Whatever their reason was, I made them either train the Army of the United Kingdom or join the West India Company to lead their private army in North America, conquering the lands of the heretic Native Americans. Since they were aware of both the precedents of the Conquistadors like Cortes and Pizarro who conquered the Aztec and the Inca and my ruling style which is benevolent to the autonomy of the provinces, they were bloodthirsty to be appointed as a viceroy of the colonies. They were slashing the Native Americans and dedicating their blood and tears so that the West India Company have no trouble colonizing the eastern coastlines of North America.

1593 Summer

My wife Anna, who is currently staying at her home in Ulster after last year’s fight, gave birth to a princess. I named my baby daughter ‘Jane’ but didn’t bring her and Anna to my palace.

1593 Fall

Unexpected happened in the East. Telli Hasan Pasha, the Ottoman Beylerbey (Grand Viceroy) of Bosnia who waged the looting war by invading the Holy Roman Empire(Germany) – Habsburg Kingdom of Croatia, to be exact – was dead in Sisak(A town in Croatia) and other viceroys of the Ottoman Empire was mostly dead or severely wounded, thereby withdrawing from the frontlines. The Ottoman Army was crushed, unprecedently defeated after the 1453’s loss in Vienna.

Infuriated at this news, the Junta of the Ottoman urged the now-figurehead-Sultan to officially declare war on the Holy Roman Empire. And in return, Rudolf II gathered the Crusade. Dukes of Wallachia, Moldova, and Transylvania who obeyed under the Ottomans till now, all joined the Crusade and rose against the Muslims, leading the clash of Christianity and the Muslims after almost 20 years since the Battle of Lepanto.

Rudolf II, Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire, asked for help to - the same Protector of Faith and the Habsburg King of Spain - Felipe II. It was not out of the ordinary since Felipe II’s Spain has been on the frontlines at the Battle of Lepanto, which was almost 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, my daughter and his granddaughter Elizabeth – not Elizabeth I in the original history, but my daughter who was born between me and Austrian Princess, late Maria, and who wed Henry IV – gave birth to a son and he was baptized.

“Hahaha! Finally, France returned to the right and just Catholic Faith! Of course, I’ll join the Crusade against the Ottomans!”

“Thank you, your majesty!”

And so, he led the Armada and reattacked Tunisia which Spain lost in 1574. But the problem was Money does not grow on trees. Spain’s debt was already over 1 hundred million (100,000,000) Ducat, and they already declared default 4 times, so they didn’t have enough money for war.

That’s where I came along. I sent Felipe II a letter, suggesting

“My dear father. I’ll lend you 10 million Ducat, without interest, right now. In return, as a prince of Portugal, I wish to inherit Malacca, Ceylon (* Nowadays Sri Lanka), Macau, and Goa more sooner.

In short, hand over the Far East trade points of Portugal to me. Well, it may seem like a big deal, but I’m asking a small one, compared to the plantations of South America and the slave trade of Africa, which are the 3 pillars that withhold Portugal.

As a prince of Spain, I’ve already inherited the Netherlands from my father, Felipe II. It was a carrot and stick to me to silence my claim as his eldest son and his legitimate successor since my crazy half-elder brother Carlos was dead by Felipe II. So, according to a promise which was made between him and my late mother, Mary I, I was given the Netherlands not to hand me over Spain and Naples.

I didn’t ask him the crown of Spain and the Naples, either. Since it would drive me crazy to both control Spain, which is at the far west of Europe, and Naples in the center of the Mediterranean Sea as a direct rule, not as a colony like North America. Direct control – although having granted a high degree of autonomy – of the Netherlands, which is just across the Strait of Dover, is enough for me.

But it’s a different matter as a prince of Portugal. It’s no excuse that when Felipe II made a deal with a late Mary I, he wasn’t a King of Portugal. I inherited the Netherlands and have presumably given up the right of Spain’s crown succession, but not the Crown of Portugal.

So, it was my threat to him.

‘Old man, you’re now 65. You’ll soon be dead. So, if you don’t want to lose the entire Portugal, just give me the Far East trade points of Portugal. And I’ll be silent to the rest and won’t care what Felipe III – my half-brother and your other son – does to his kingdom.’

The old king just replied

“So be it.”

3 words. At those 3 words, Portugal lost one of the 3 pillars of their kingdom, Spain gained power - money to be more exact – to fight the Muslims, and the United Kingdom gained the Far East trading posts without single blood.

“I. From now on, the East India Company will be in charge of Malacca, Ceylon, Macau, and Goa.

II. The rights and interests of the native Portuguese of those 4 regions will be documented as stocks of the East India Company and will be guaranteed by the East India Company and the United Kingdom’s Royal.

III. The decrees and the laws made by the viceroy and the native regions’ settlers will be preserved.

IV. The 4 regions are allowed to make their own, self-ruling parliament.”

“Yeah! Long live Prince Eduardo!”

I proclaimed a decree, which was made up of 4 articles, and silenced the rustles of the native Portuguese of the 4 regions. The decree was simple. Nothing changes. Be calm.

There were 2 changes. First was the rule of the East India company. However, since the Portuguese’s interests and rights were kept by issuing stocks and the viceroy was kept, they didn’t feel any difference, except they had to be loyal to me from now on, instead of Felipe II.

The second was the establishment of the self-ruling parliament. It was an increase of the autonomy and that made them pleased, which led to all native Portuguese cheering The Benevolent Prince Eduardo.

Of course, the United Kingdom’s Parliament in London wasn’t happy with my decision of keeping the interests and rights of the Portuguese, but they had no excuse to interfere. It was not a bill made by as a King of the United Kingdom, but a decree as a prince of Portugal to ease his subjects.

1594 Winter (January – February)

All procedures were completed and Malacca, Ceylon, Macau, and Goa officially became East India Company’s territory. Now, they can go wherever they want and trade with whoever they want in the Far East – such as India, several small kingdoms of South East Asia, China (Ming Dynasty at that time), Japan…and perhaps, Korea? (Joseon Dynasty at that time.)

So, English, Scottish, Portuguese, Dutch merchants in the East India Company quickly established trading posts all over the Far East in one hand and conquered Indonesia and the Malacca region with Privateers and private armies of the East India Company with the other hand. But first, they had to hand over a large number of bribes to Ming’s bureaucrats, who weren’t exactly happy with the Western Barbarians in their De Jure.

Why? Because it’s not late 19C and I can’t wage war against China as Palmerston did by selling Opium and sending Royal Navy to Beijing. No Western power can win against China at least till late 18C or early 19C. Their population is much bigger than France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Netherlands, the Holy Roman Empire and the Iberian Kingdom (Spain and Portugal) put together, and their territory is similar to the size of the entire Europe. (Forget Russia) Napoleon didn’t say Let China sleep, for when she wakes the world will tremble for nothing, you know.

1594 Summer

At the Mediterranean Sea, Christianity’s Holy League’s United Navy of Armada, Venice, Naples, Papal States, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, literally crushed the Muslim Navy of the Ottomans. The Holy League led by Spain, which took control of the sea, reattacked Tunisia which Spain lost almost 20 years ago. And it helped the Crusade led by the Holy Roman Empire in the land, by separating the Ottomans, which forced them to put some of their main troops in North Africa.

1594 Fall

West India Company’s New York Colony was attacked by the Native American’s alliance army. The nearby tribes of New York have had it with the attacks of the West India Company’s private armies, most of them who were immigrants from Spain. The alliance army was about 3,000, 3 times the size of the entire New York Colony’s population.

The battle of 3,000 Native American warriors VS about 150 West India Company’s private army and about 300 militia was the latter’s overwhelming victory. First, the former Tercio and current West India Company’s private army was from Spain, which was on a war for the last century, without a single year’s rest. The Native Americans have never gathered so much for once and were not united. The second reason was just like Jared Diamond said. The Native Americans had neither horses nor guns.

The colony army – West India’s private army and militia put together – massacred about 800 and captured 1,500 Native Americans at a single battle. The self-ruling parliament of the North America Colony made them serfs, instead of slaves, according to the Valladolid debate. And I granted the Pedro of Valencia, who led the battle, the title of Viceroy of New York and ordinated his fellow NCOs as knights.

Also, after the incident, I’ve sent 1,000 additional soldiers to the New York Colony and ordered them to conquer the entire Native American tribes nearby. The Viceroy Peter(=Pedro) led the troops, looting and burning all the tribes nearby and forced them to baptize and made them serfs for the settlers.

And, from this point, the number of settlers who emigrated to North America from the United Kingdom increased. Needless to say, most of them were the low-class who wanted to make their fortune with the Native American serfs and their land.

“According to the Valladolid debate, the Native Americans too should be treated as the civilized.”

I’ve called the bishop of the Society of Jesus of England branch and warned him.

(*I’m Catholic, following my mother late Mary I, and my father Felipe II. Although I respect the Protestants and Jews if they pay a religious tax, England is a Catholic nation in this history, thanks to my victory against my aunt Elizabeth – the-would-have-been-Elizabeth I in original history - in a civil war, which happened after Mary I’s death.)

“Yes, your majesty. We won’t let them repeat the tragedy of Central America.”

Bishop Thomas replied, kissing my back of the hand. One week later, monks of the Society of Jesus of England branch left to New York Colony. And North America’s self-ruling parliament was made to allocate at least 10% of the seats to the Catholic priests.

1595 Spring

I’ve called Anna and Jane to the palace.

“How were you doing at your home in Ulster?”

I asked her, hugging my youngest daughter Jane in my hands.

“It was quiet.”

With those 3 words, Anna returned to her bed, without a single glance at her daughter. From that day, I didn’t sleep with her.

Meanwhile, the Holy League led by Spain reclaimed Tunisia. Now, the Barbary pirates whose main area became threatened, all gathered and attacked the Holy Leagues’ Navy, but were blasted by the Armada. At the same time, in France, Elizabeth – my daughter and the wife of Henry IV – gave birth to a boy and a girl twin.

1595 Summer

With the Michael the Brave’s – the Prince of Wallachia – trooper assault, the Holy Roman Empire’s Crusade again crushed the Ottomans. Michael joined the Sigismund Bathory - the Prince of Transylvania – and with the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusade’s size became par with that of the Ottoman’s.