The Eagle of Eastern Europe

"Haha, have you heard? Cyprus will soon come to Wallachia. With this place, we can go to Antioch to do business."

The merchants of Constanta were toasting in celebration. In the past few years, they have walked out of the Black Sea and come to the Mediterranean. They have battled wits with merchants from Venice and other countries, and finally gained a foothold. After taking Cyprus, they can go to Syria. The region is doing business.

"I've made a lot of money in the past few years. I remember there were two textile factories in Laresh."

"It's just a small asset, not worth mentioning."

Laresh's cotton business was on the right track. He alone controlled 40% of Constanta's cotton trade channels, and also opened a textile factory, making huge profits every time he entered and exited. Now he is also a famous taxpayer in Constanta.

"Now not only the Venetians want our goods, but also Poland, Moscow, and Denmark. Our goods have wiped out Vienna, Augsburg and other places, and wealth is coming to us continuously."

Constanta's trade with seaport cities such as Thessaloniki and Constantinople has become closer, and the goods produced are also transported to more markets. Sales have also expanded, and more countries are willing to use goods produced in Wallachia instead of their own, which is good news for Constanta.

Because Constanta developed early and facilitated trade, the merchants here are also very strong. They also supported various expansion activities, organized caravans to Anatolia and Lithuania many times, and also loaned Mircea 400,000 lei to help him tide over difficulties. This time when they recapture Cyprus, their fleet will also help transport supplies and personnel, and the trade here will not be missed.

Not only Constanta, but also merchants in Bukur Yesti, Iasi, Sofia, Thessaloniki and other cities supported the expansion of Wallachia, but in different directions. Some went to Hungary and Croatia, some went to Anatolia and Lithuania, and some went directly to Sicily. After Wallachia focused its attention on the east, merchants also determined their expansion goals. They provided loans to the Knights and Crusaders to support their eastward expansion.

People from the Rus' region filled the gap left by the pagans. They set out from Crimea, passed through Constantinople, and reached Anatolia where they quickly stabilized. Christians in the original place, regardless of their denominations, converted to Orthodox Christianity on a large scale. This is their lifesaver.

In addition to merchants and immigrants, farmers and soldiers also welcomed Wallachian policies. Because the land and wealth that are most important to them will also be awarded to them from above, the nobles will also be rewarded with estates and privileges belonging to them, provided that they can contribute to the country.

----Dividing line----

The Cossack envoys brought the news from Wallachia back to the north. The Dnieper Cossack leader thought it was feasible. Although the Zaporozhye Cossack leader felt something was wrong, he had no better way to face Lithuania and Poland, so he agreed. .

At this time, other tribes were still fighting to the death. The two tribes took the opportunity to seize large tracts of land. Apostol, the stronger leader of the Dnieper Cossacks, established himself as chief, and the emirate was established.

The two major Cossack tribes began to unite. They occupied the southern coastal areas and began to attack other tribes northward. At the same time, people were sent to Constantinople again to ask for Mircea's support.

Vytautas was almost depressed to death. The failure of this expedition prompted the Lithuanian nobles who had been suppressed before to directly attack him and demanded that he delegate power to the nobles. There was another Cossack invasion in the southern region and the Black Sea coast was lost. What should he do?

Not only in the south, although Moscow in the east is still under the rule of the Golden Horde, he has also begun to sharpen his sword. The target is probably Novgorod and Pskov, which are protected by Lithuania. The Teutons in the north are also preparing to attack further south, but now Lithuania has only Poland as its only support.

The 50-year-old Wladyslaw was facing the pain of losing his wife. His wife Jadwiga gave birth to a daughter named Elzbieta Bonifazia. But within a month, both Jadwiga and her daughter died from complications during childbirth. Jadwiga's death and the extinction of the Angevin dynasty gradually weakened Władysław's royal power. And Lithuania, where he grew up, suffered from foreign invasions, which made his appearance look more like an old man entering his twilight years.

If Lithuania is in trouble, he will naturally not let it go. He began to persuade the nobles in the country, promising large sums of wealth and land in exchange for the army, while granting privileges to the Catholic Church and depriving the Orthodox nobles of their power. And negotiated with the Teutonic Knights to stabilize the threat from the north. Now, only the south is left.

Wladyslaw found it a bit difficult to grow Wallachia into the behemoth it is now. Before that, there would be a chance if Hungary could be united. But Queen Mary's sudden conversion to Orthodoxy shocked Central and Eastern Europe, and Sigismund was forced to return to the HRE, which meant that Poland lost a good ally. Although he found Croatia, his weak strength could not stop Wallachia, and he had to appear on the stage himself.

In September, about a thousand Polish troops "accidentally" crossed the border and attacked Suceava. The defenders used bows and arrows and artillery to stop them. Mircea was furious and sent an envoy to Krakow, also ordering the provinces of Suceava and Uxhall to be on alert to avoid attack by Polish or Lithuanian troops.

When it comes to territorial disputes, Wallachia and Poland also have them. The Pokutia region in the northwest is between the Prut River and the Dniester River. Controlling this area can completely control these two rivers. But it is still controlled by Poland, and the two countries have a geopolitical dispute.

In addition, there is a second one, which is the Principality of Galicia that originally belonged to Kievan Rus. When negotiating with Moscow, this place was included in the scope of Wallachia, and the other party had no objection because it was too far away.

After the Mongol Western Expedition, this became the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia. The country's monarch had weak power but the power of the nobility was strong. The country had fallen into civil strife many times. It was eventually divided between the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Lithuania.

The area is located on the upper reaches of the Vistula River and is rich in agricultural and mineral resources. And as long as you win here, you will also have the opportunity to control the surrounding places, including Krakow, the capital of Poland.

Wladyslaw also understood the importance of Galicia, and he frequently traveled among the nobles in an attempt to obtain an army to prevent Wallachian raids. But before Wallachia, he had better think about how to deal with the Cossacks.