Chapter 168 Economics and Diplomacy

Chapter 168 Economics and Diplomacy

After Transylvania became independent, Hungarian merchants were replaced by some Wallachian merchants who supplied the region with grain and other raw materials. The road between Busolaf and Bukul Yesti is also under construction, albeit with some difficulty.

Everything seemed to be settled, but the courtiers in Transylvania began to worry about another thing, and that was Mary's marriage.

Mary had divorced Sigismund, so she should choose another person to marry and give birth to an heir.

But Mary no longer wants to get married, what if another Sigismund comes. The only person she trusts at this time is Peter, at least he won't harm her.

Speaking of marriage, Peter's brother-in-law Laszlo has been going smoothly recently. Not only has he expanded his scope of control, he has also received the support of many local nobles, suppressing Louis tightly around Naples.

In these battles Peter gave his artillery considerable effect. The Italians had never seen such artillery, and many castles fell into disgrace.

Laszlo brought some gifts to Mircea and gave some jewelry to his future wife. This shows how much he values ​​this marriage and gets more benefits from it than other optional marriage partners.

After solving the problem of Louis, the next thing Laszlo has to deal with is the Pope of Rome. He was once poisoned by the Pope. Although he did not die, he left the sequelae of stuttering. He will avenge this sooner or later.

In addition to politics and military affairs, Wallachia is also very prosperous in terms of economy and trade. Textiles, wine, oriental spices, etc. were exported to all parts of Europe, and they did not pass through Venetian hands. The prices were lower than those in Venice, so the sales volume was very large, which made Venetian merchants jealous.

The Venetian Parliament began to propose bills to restrict Wallachian merchants, and Wallachia had long begun to maintain relations with the Hanseatic League. Since you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust. The Hanseatic League was much better behaved than Venice. Although it was not as powerful as Venice, it could open up the northern trade routes to Burgundy, the HRE and France. The transportation cost is even less than the fee charged by Venice, but it takes longer. When will Wallachia officially leave the Mediterranean?

In addition to attaching great importance to the army, Mircea also valued the navy. The establishment of a separate department for the navy shows the grand duke's ambition. There are currently 36 warships and other auxiliary ships. The lower reaches of the Danube River and half of the Black Sea are already the domain of Wallachia. However, due to the current demand for more land, the army has allocated more funds.

Wallachia's current strategy is to move from south to north, stabilize Poland and Lithuania in the north, and attack the Ottomans in the south with all their strength. In order to ensure that there would be no problems, Wallachia sent people to stabilize Poland and Lithuania on the one hand, and on the other hand built the Transnistria defense line to protect Moldova. Be prepared with both hands, double insurance.

In addition, Wallachia also had contacts with some potential enemies of Poland, including the Principality of Mazovia.

The Principality of Mazovia is located in the middle reaches of the Vistula River and is dominated by plains. It is a very fertile agricultural area in Poland. Moreover, the Vistula River is the most important inland waterway in Poland. Just blocking ships on the Vistula River and collecting taxes will bring huge profits.

The Principality of Mazovia is a powerful principality in Poland, with an area of ​​about 33,500 square kilometers, which is larger than the direct territory of the Jagiellonian royal family in Poland.

In terms of strength, the Principality of Mazovia is no weaker than the Jagiellonian royal family. Moreover, future generations will know that the capital of the Principality of Mazovia - Warsaw...

Such a powerful country split into two principalities in 1381. The Principality of Lava was allied with Poland, while the Principality of Warsaw continued to fight. In line with the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Wallachia will naturally help the Principality of Warsaw against Poland.

Since last year, Wallachia has been in contact with Semovite of the Principality of Warsaw. He was interested, and Wallachia offered to recognize his right to the entire Duchy of Mazovia.

Semowit was pleasantly surprised and did not expect Wallachia to help him, but he also knew that the other party did this to create a place to attract attention to Poland. He will do this role well, that's all.

In addition to guarding against Poland and Lithuania, the Transnistrian Defense Line also guarded against the erratic Tatars. They plundered Moldova every year, but they could not cross the Dniester River. Alexandru was ordered to guard the north. Under his leadership, the activities of the nomads decreased year by year. The northern trade routes are safer and trade volume is increasing.

----Dividing line----

Economic development promoted changes in Wallachian society, and the relationship between serfs and landowners began to shift to an employment relationship, because landowners found that farmers were most productive in such a situation. So they used the bait of letting them go free and asked the serfs to pay a ransom and their own labor force. In this way, he can not only get a sum of money, but also make farmers willing to work for him.

The gradual disintegration of serfdom was a manifestation of the economic changes in Wallachia. The employment market and handicraft industry gradually expanded, and workshops that could accommodate dozens of people were opened in large numbers. The business class is very active in the economy and has become the dominant local economic force in some areas.

Unlike Western European cities, Wallachian cities were developed under the premise of centralized power. The local business class is not big enough to launch a rebellion, most of the people support the government, and the church is not as corrupt as Catholicism. Therefore, it is difficult for a Venetian-Genoese urban republic to take root in the Eastern lands.

Larger towns such as Constanta, Bukur Yesti, Iasi, Tervono, Skopje, and Sofia are the main market gathering places and also have the character of political centers. The local chiefs were appointed and removed by the Grand Duke, and the people could also request for replacement through petitions and other methods. The Grand Duke acted as an arbiter to ensure that the city order could run well.

In addition, the mining of minerals has also increased year by year, especially the mining of rock salt. Although Wallachia does not have much coal and iron, it has the most non-metallic minerals such as rock salt and clay in the Balkans. Using these minerals, Wallachia's light industry has secured raw materials. Glass factories and pottery factories in Moldova rely on local raw materials to export large quantities of finished products, and gold and silver flow in like water.

Mircea also invited more than a dozen wine experts from Burgundy and France to Moldova to help Wallachia improve its wines and grapes. Blacksmiths, glassmakers, carpenters, stonemasons and other craftsmen from Italy settled in Sofia, Skopje and other places to help Wallachia improve its technical level. . .