Chapter 197: Changes in the Domestic Population

In Manuel's view, changing the people's mindset is more terrifying than conquering cities and plundering land. To this end, he had to stop Wallachia's actions. He negotiated peace with the Ottomans and ended his vassal relationship with them; contacted the Papal States and Venice, proposing more privileges and the unification of the Eastern and Western Churches to request the two countries to send troops; and interacted with Croatia and Hungary, asking them to send troops to contain Wallachia.

But the Eastern Roman Empire was already weak and had no influence. In addition to being able to command the people in the city, he could not even command the brothers of Morea. He could only pray that Mircea had no intention of seeking power, but unfortunately, the Grand Duke just had this intention.

Mircea still had tens of thousands of troops around him, which was a direct pressure from Constantinople. He was afraid that the other party would take up his sword and go to Rome, but Mircea continued to lie dormant. He wanted to wait until Peter gained more land in Anatolia before taking the next step.

After Wallachia entered Anatolia, the rulers of the small principalities who were still considering whether to sell their land to the Grand Duke stopped considering it and sold it to Wallachia at a friendly price. After all, it was more cost-effective to take money than to rob directly.

After solving the countries on land, Wallachia began to focus on the island countries. Mainly the Principality of the Aegean Islands, the Knights Hospitaller and the Principality of Candia. The three of them, together with Venice, occupied more than 80% of the Aegean Islands, which had a significant impact on Wallachia's strategy in the Mediterranean, so they had to be captured.

To capture the islands, it was necessary to build a navy. Peter established naval bases in Varna and Thessaloniki and began to form a Mediterranean fleet.

The fleet was still mainly composed of carracks with higher hulls, equipped with artillery, rockets, and flamethrowers. As for the sailors, they were recruited from fishermen and intensified training. In order to obtain wood for shipbuilding, Wallachia had to obtain suitable wood from Russia or Venice. The cost was naturally high.

The Venetian navy has 3,300 warships and is the leading Mediterranean overlord. It is a bit difficult for Wallachia to defeat it. Even if Mircea is willing, the navy cannot come out overnight, and this needs to be considered in the long run.

In addition, if he becomes emperor, what will happen to the privileges that Rome gave to Italian countries before? If they are all cancelled, then just wait to be beaten. But if they are not cancelled, the hematopoietic ability will be half weaker. Galata must also be taken back, which will test his diplomatic ability.

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If you want to say who is happiest about the news of Wallachia's victory, it must be the people of Wallachia. They defeated the pagans again and successfully defended their beliefs.

The church bells kept ringing, and the entire capital was jubilant. They believed more and more that the Grand Duke's family was the chosen son of God and the guardian selected by God from the world. They also resolutely abided by the policies issued by the Grand Duke.

In Wallachia, most people already speak Wallachian, Bulgarian and Serbian are less used, and there are a small number of Italian, German, and Armenian mixed in.

Wallachia should have opened up cultural diversity, with more immigrants than anywhere else. Coupled with improved medical conditions, population growth ranks among the top in Europe. Fortunately, the assimilation policy was also opened at the same time, otherwise it would be an Austria-Hungary five hundred years ago.

In addition to the assimilated Vlachs, there are a small number of ethnic groups that are not easy to assimilate, such as Jews, Armenians, and Gypsies. They speak different languages ​​and believe in different religions, and it is not so easy to assimilate.

Armenians are mainly concentrated in northern regions such as Suceava and Iasi. They believe in the Armenian Church and are active in trade with Poland and Lithuania. Since the Armenian Church is recognized by Wallachia, their lives here are much more relaxed than in other places, and they have also appeared in some military and civil servants.

There are more Jews in cities such as Constanta and Thessaloniki, mainly Ashkenazi Jews. They are no less discriminated against by society than the Turks. They are mainly engaged in trade, textiles and other industries. Some of them have passed university examinations to become officials or doctors. Being able to take the examination should be a kindness of Wallachia to them.

Compared with the first two, there are more gypsies. They mainly move in rural areas and other places. Some gypsies rely on their copper smelting skills to get rich, but most of them are still homeless. They make a living by fortune-telling and circus, and their living standards are low.

Although foreign immigrants have reduced social stability, they have brought the population that Wallachia urgently needs. Under the Grand Duke's diligent governance, not only is there no turmoil, but it has become stronger. Only a small part of them are not easy to assimilate, so there is no need to worry for the time being. Moreover, they have improved the level of Wallachia in art and literature, making it present a multicultural color.

As for the Turks, they are very special in Wallachia. They need to pay a head tax and endure discrimination, but there is nothing else. But the suppression of the Crescent and the temptation of policies gradually made them convert to Orthodoxy. Who made the Ottomans fail so miserably?

After signing a treaty with Wallachia, Suleiman began to target his brothers. He marched towards Musa's territory, and Musa led his troops to resist the enemy. The two sides fought to the death, because there could only be one Ottoman Sultan.

On the side, Wallachia continued to expand in Anatolia under the leadership of Peter. The target was the two Turkic countries in southwestern Anatolia. These two countries had just been restored, and it was a great opportunity to capture them while they were still unstable.

Anatolia controlled by Wallachia gradually stabilized. Following the Catholic and Crescent rulers, the Orthodox Church returned to this land. As local landlords and nobles died in many wars, Peter distributed land to soldiers and the lower classes to rebuild the small peasant economy.

For the local Turkish tribes, Peter forced them to settle down, confiscated their pastures, and used violent means to transform nomadic peoples into farming peoples. Such practices would naturally cause resistance from the Turks, but Peter had long thought of this situation, and the light cavalry they trained came in handy, as well as those mercenaries and Cossacks. Constantly harassing the Turkish tribes, so that they had no energy to resist the government.

There are those who resist and those who obey. Some Turkish tribes surrendered to Wallachia when they saw that the Ottomans could not regain the land. For those who surrendered, Peter rewarded them to win over the upper class. At the same time, part of the land of the rebellious tribes was distributed to the other side, and their children could also go to university or military training.

In exchange, the entire tribe had to convert to Orthodoxy, provide troops in battle, and could only graze in designated areas. Such conditions caused many tribes to migrate to the East, as they were used to freedom and could not stand the constraints.