History of Crete

Timeline of Crete, a major power of the Mediterranean.

First Years of the Nation.

938- The Blitz Queen is born.

939?- The Broken King is born.

957- The King and Queen meet, they were "adventurers" in this period. Helping displaced war refugees, slaying powered people who took advantage of others, serving in the holdings of Doux and Counts of the Byzantines. This is where you begin to see the issues between the Monarchs and the Byzantines. The Queen was never above hearing about some work that needed to be done, then showing up to the place and doing whatever she wanted.

959- The first preparations for a Byzantine reconquest of Crete are taken, but the sudden death of Constantine VII means it falls to Romanos II, who can't kick it off until late 960 due to general instability.

960- The King and Queen hear of the upcoming invasion, and sign up to join it. Reasons are unclear to the world at large, but it's a good guess that it was the Queen who suggested it.

Late 960- The Byzantines land, but not a lot of progress at breaking into Chandax is made. This is where Pastilas dies, and where Phokas defeats the Arab relief army. A brutal show is made of the defeated Arabs, and that's where cracks begin to form between the BK/BQ and the Byzantines.

961- Chandax is sieged and broken into, after the King and Queen shatter one of its walls. The Emir's army collapses, the Emir himself gets cut down, and Chandax surrenders. Phokas doesn't care, the Emir didn't surrender before the storming happened, which means his troops get free rein for three days. He decides they get to go nuts on the Saracen populace, which is when the Queen puts her foot down. Touch the civilians and it's open war.

961 (One week later)- Open war it was. The King and Queen shatter most of the 80,000 strong Byzantine army in a day, and the rest of the week was spent trying to put out the fires in Chandax and checking on the populace of Crete so they can make sure that whatever stragglers remain aren't committing abuses. Phokas himself has escaped, and he's set sail for Constantinople with what few survivors he could scrape together.

961 (Two months later)- Envoys are sent from Romanos II's court to Crete. The "war" ends with a truce, Byzantine renounces its claims on the island and acknowledges the King and Queen as rulers of the newly independent Cretan Kingdom. This clear show of bending to outside forces from the Emperor is what allows Phokas to claim the throne, even after such a disastrous campaign result.

Beginning of 962- The Queen's proto-Obshchina system is put into place, and Crete can actually sustain its own economy.

964- With no show of retaliatory raids coming from the new Cretan leaders, the Fatimids, the Abbasids and the rest of the close-by Muslim world open up trade to the island again. With this, Crete begins to flourish.

966- The Aegean Cataclysm happens. The Aegean Islands, with the exception of Euboea, Rhodes, and Crete and its small islets, disappear. Historians nowadays can't find themselves agreeing as to what happened there.

983- At the requests of a large segment of the Muslim population in Crete, the Queen creates the Cretan House of Wisdom, a massive library set to contain rare books and poetry. Despite its original backers and its namesake, the Cretan House was just as open to Christian citizens of the kingdom, which led to a large cultural exchange between both groups. A large amount of Andalusian muslims, the same ones that had ruled Crete for over a century, actually migrated to the nation after the formation of said Cretan House, seeking to preserve what remained of Al-Hakam II's collections.

987- Certain rumours about the King begin to surface in the kingdom. Modern scholars are not sure what they concerned, as records are sparse and vague.

995- The Queen, now 56, is ailing. The King's expeditions begin. Plenty of independent captains, both Arab and Byzantine, start to make Crete their main residences.

999- The Queen dies. Her Tomb is built by the King's lone hand, who enters to lay her to rest and is then never seen again.

Post-departure of the King.

999- With the Queen's death and the King's disappearance, Crete is left headless. While Basil II is occupied with other matters, the worry of a possible invasion by Byzantium forces the leaders of Crete's army and navy, as well as the Steward of Chandax, to establish a regency council to run the island until the King's "soon" return.

1009- Matters come to a head. A decade has passed since the King's disappearance, and the overseers who administer most of the Cretan population are agitated, declaring that their loyalty was to their Monarchs, not to the autocrats that now dream to control Crete. The peasantry, too, is furious. Due to the loss of the King and Queen, the Council was keenly aware that Crete's defenses had become much less formidable, and thus they levied increasingly higher taxes from the populace to finance larger armed forces. The fact that the Right to Petition had been all but scrapped, too, did not help matters. Poorer than they had been a decade ago and denied of their right to seek answers, the Cretan citizenry no longer had any patience for the pretenders to a throne that would never be theirs. 

1009 (Three months later)- Seeing the untenable position, the Council agrees to give up their rulership, and calls upon the overseers and the nobility to decide what, and who, would lead Crete from now on. 

1010- On early January, the Pacific Republic of Crete is established and announced to the outside world. A maritime republic much like Venice, Genoa and Pisa, it was to be led by a Dógis, elected by the overseers and the nobility every 20 years. The nobility had a much larger say in the matters of state now than they did under the King and Queen.

1243- The Mongols invade the Latin Empire. After taking over Anatolia, they see the small Cretan nation and decide they want it. It's weak, its population smaller than even the mighty armies arrayed against them, so they sent a small contingent to the island. Doesn't work. The Mongol Navy is sunk, half of the detachment dies, and the other half is held in Crete for ransom.

1451- The Republic of Venice had been expanding itself significantly for the last half century. While money was flowing, a reversal was still possible. Crete held a significant portion of Mediterranean shipping at this time, and thus Venice's eyes were set on it. They too were foiled. A large contingent of the sent Venetian fleet burned, and what remained was put to flight by the Cretan navy.

1453- Constantinople falls. Shock reverberates throughout Europe, but Crete, the closest non-hostile power in the area, is the main target of the Greek exodus. Its already decent scholar base is further boosted by the arrival of many educated individuals.

1480- With the massive integration of Greek scholars into Crete, many requests are made to the governing bodies to expand the Cretan House of Wisdom, turning it from a library into a proper university. Such demands are listened to, and a Cretan university is established in the following years. It still stands today, recognized as one of the best mixes of Muslim and Christian literature in the West.

16th to 18th centuries

Early 1500s- Cracks appear. Now in their classical age, the Ottomans are a flourishing power. They hold most of the Mediterranean mainland, and their economy is growing thanks to being the main route of overland trade between Europe and Asia, but naval commerce is contested heavily. First by the Italians, and then by the Cretans. The Ottomans set their eyes on the latter.

1519- A small, officially "rogue" fleet of Ottoman ships tries to attack Crete. Now that the Ottoman conquests of Syria and Egypt were mostly complete, it was time to strike at the closest, and weaker of the two, rivals for Ottoman economical control. Once more, it blows up in the invaders' faces. Selim I claims it was rogue commanders, but the Venetians try to turn overall opinion against the invasion of a rival, despite having done the exact same thing less than a century before. To avoid having his focus split, Selim I makes several economic concessions to Crete, strengthening the island's position as a trading center.

June of 1571- The Holy League formed to aid the island of Cyprus that was under siege by the Ottomans. Despite its formation, issues exist. The Spanish refused to send most of its ships, more preoccupied with the Barbary states, while the Venetians and Genoese still had tensions. Unwilling to shoulder most of the costs alone, the Venetians send envoys to Crete, hoping to entice them with promises of new lands and economic hold over Cyprus in exchange for basing rights and monetary, if not material, contributions.

June of 1571- The Ottomans hear of the Venetian envoys, and send their own to Crete. The Cretan coffers run deep, after all, and support for one side or the other could make or break the soon to come battles. The Ottomans make mention of the previous concessions the Empire had made to Crete, and promise to partition Cyprus with Crete. Nicosia for the Cretans, Famagusta for the Ottomans.

Late June of 1571- The envoys of both sides are thrown out. Crete has no interest in the soon to come conflict. The only promise, if any, is to defend the Cretan waters should either side consider it the appropriate place for their battle.

Early 1700s- Instability begins to rock the island of Crete. With the increased urbanization of the island, the positions and numbers of the overseers shrunk, while the nobility did nothing but gain power. Thanks to this, control over the Dógis' Court was gained almost entirely by the nobility, who saw it fit to increase their powers and line their pockets at the expense of the populace. 

1734- Crete would no longer work for the sake of a few. Several protests throughout the country turn into riots, demanding the resignation of the Dógis and the blood of the nobility. The rest of Europe looks on with cautious interest and prepared arms, for depending on their actions, the citizenry of Crete may need to be put down, lest they start a reckoning that none seem interested in. In a singular act that stood opposite to the actions of the whole, the Earl of Chandax called upon the protestors' leadership. Whatever his positions, he does not desire to see his country in flames, and he agrees to discuss what the future of the island will be. 

1734 (Six months later)- The position of the Dógis will be abolished, and replaced with the position of Eklektós, who will not be chosen by the nobility and the few remaining overseers, but by the whole of the population. The nobility, too, will recuse itself from the Cretan Parliament. They will retain their properties and be given several concessions as well as commissions to lead the Cretan Armed Forces, but from now on, Crete's future is decided not by a chosen few, but by the whole of its people.

1798- A battle between British and French ships happens just off the western coast of Crete. Despite intending to only observe, the Cretan Navy is forced to intervene after being informed of several merchant ships trapped in the battle. A Cretan squadron captures the ships of both sides and sends a diplomatic envoy to the naval bases of both sides. In an attempt to build rapport with Crete in preparation for the Second Coalition, Britain offers to give Crete the ship they captured, which Crete accepts. This does not lead to Crete supporting either side in the coming wars.

19th Century.

1869- The Suez Canal was opened, and if Crete's coffers were deep before, they were bottomless now. Most shipping between Asia and Europe now passed through the Mediterranean, and Crete, not weighed down by colonial rule in other parts of the world like Britain, made a killing here.

20th and 21th Centuries, World Wars.

1912- The First Balkan War begins. With Greek irredentism on the rise, as well as the growth in Greek belief of the "Megali Idea", Crete releases a statement stating that while it does not favor any side in the continental conflict, it will defend itself from any attacks done on its sovereignty. Following this declaration, the Great Powers of the time (France, Great Britain, Russia, Germany) drive the Balkan League away from making more claims on Cretan territory.

1914- World War One begins, and Crete declares itself neutral. Sporadic Italian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman incursions are made into Cretan waters, which lead to a serious armament program by the Cretans. Ships were bought in bulk from the Americans, and a Cretan Air Force (its pending motto being ‘The Skies Are Still Ours') was created, with both in-country production and serious purchases done from American, French and British forces. A conscription policy is also established, though it is not taken seriously by any major power in the area. The Cretan population barely exceeds one million.

May 20, 1941- Operation Mercury was enacted by the Germans. With Greece now nearly entirely fallen to Italian and Nazi forces, the island's supposed neutrality has come to bite it in the ass. Its forces fight steadily against the invading Germans, but things look dire, for the losses suffered are far more dangerous to the smaller Crete than the Reich.

June 14, 1941- Crete stands alone no longer. The second Seeker of the century (the last disappearing before 1910) appears in the island, and helps the beleaguered Cretans destroy the German offensive. Emboldened by the appearance of one of the arguably most famous powered people in the world, the Allies take the chance and send aid to Crete. With the combined might of a Seeker, as well as the navies of the United Kingdom and Australian and New Zealander soldiery, the Germans are thrown out. Kurt Student himself, a powered being of the Germans, is killed by Seeker during the final retreat.

June 30, 1941- Casualty counts are finished. Much of Crete remains in good condition, and the population is incensed. For the first time in its nearly one thousand years of history, Crete chooses a side. Joining the Allies, Crete became a center of naval operations in the Mediterranean Theater.

1943- It distinguished itself utterly during the Allied Invasion of Italy, having agreed with Winston Churchill over Roosevelt and George Marshall. Its army, often derided for its size, had been one of the invasion's stars, its coordination with the Cretan navy for the amphibious landings of Sicily impressing both the Axis and the Allies, who had seen the island as nothing more than a walking money sign.

1945- World War Two ends, and Cretans march home, but they do so with filled coffers. The Italians were wrecked by internal instability, and the Turks had remained neutral for most of the war, which meant the United States and the United Kingdom were much warmer to the small island nation. Several trade agreements are drawn up, all of them favorable to Crete.

1945- The extent of damage to Ukraine is made clear to the whole world. Over 1/6th of its population has been killed, and almost all its infrastructure is damaged beyond repair. Crete, aware of how fertile a region it used to be, meets with the Soviet government and establishes a deal to offer materials for produce and machinery to restart the country's agriculture, in exchange for lowered prices and tariffs when exporting to Crete. Though the governing body may be different, the agreement still stands today.

Early September, 1947- Following the end of the war, Crete was being eyed as a possible member of the newly established North-Atlantic Treaty Organization. Internal tension had reached a decently high level in the nation, and United States pundits considered the socialist tendencies of Cretan groups to be funded and directed by the Soviet Union. Intent on not letting a source of trade and the strongest economy of the region fall into 'Communist' hands, along with the potential of a close-by dagger to point at the Soviet Union, certain proposals were made.

Early October, 1947- American offers were rejected. Disgusted by the blatant backing of the opposing sides in the Greek Civil War by the Americans and the Soviets, President Minas, who had led the nation throughout the war that encompassed the globe a scant few years earlier, charted a third path. He personally called upon the socialist groups for a peaceful dialogue. Hearing concerns and demands, he deftly navigated the conflict and offered several concessions, as well as the creation of the Cretan Health Service, successfully heading off most of the tension, and leading to Minas securing his party's survival into the modern age, cementing him as one of the most influential politicians of the country's history.

1962- A Cretan loan of $200,000 dollars is sent to Greece. Despite agreements suggesting that the money would be used to help with the modernization of Greek mining equipment, the money is instead used to pay the difference in the $500,000 dowry of Princess Sophia to Prince (now King Emeritus) Juan Carlos of Spain. This served to flare up tensions between Crete and Greece, a conflict Greece was likely to lose. This turned some elements of the Greek military to begin considering the eventual establishment of a Military Junta.

October 24th, 1964- Ex-president Minas, at this time Speaker of the Palace, dies. Three days of mourning are declared by the government, and a smattering of condolences world-wide are given. French President Charles de Gaulle and Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro both attend the state funeral. It is rumoured a letter of condolences from Seeker, a figure that disappeared following the atomic bombings of Japan, reaches the Cretan Parliament. Nowadays, a statue of Minas adorns the entry to the Cretan Parliament.

1967- After the Coup d'etat by the Greek military, King Constantine II attempted a counter-coup of his own. Suffering a massive failure, Constantine boards the Greek royal plane and tries to land in Crete. While allowed to land in order to resupply his plane, he's promptly kicked off the country, Crete was not interested in offering him asylum. He is eventually accepted in Rome.

1967- The Six-Day War starts, and Israel shatters the militaries of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, taking several territories from all countries. In response, the Egyptians blockade the Suez Canal, and vow to not allow any shipping to pass. Crete, unwilling to lose one of their main forms of revenue, called up its navy and ordered both sides to meet and discuss a peace treaty, lest they be forced to enter the war and take ownership of the canal themselves.

1967- (Two weeks later) Thanks to Cretan mediation, an accord is reached between the Arab League and the State of Israel. The occupied territories were to be given back to their countries, and Egypt would never again close the Straits of Tiran, on the threat of Cretan intervention. The Soviet Union was the first country to express support for the cessation of hostilities, and offered Crete many congratulations on their "quick and fair resolution". Leonid Brezhnev himself visited Crete, only to be countered a month later by Lyndon B. Johnson coming to confirm several trade treaties with Crete and offer thanks for getting stranded American ships out of the canal.

June 20, 1974- The Turkish invasion of Cyprus begins. Raising an alarm, Crete is one of the first nations to draw serious attention to the blatant power-grab by the Turks. Though international attention is given to the issue, not much is done to stop the event, the major powers of the era more concerned with the Cold War. This leads Crete to begin another armament program, the second of the century.

December 1st, 1974- The Aegean Defense Pact is announced to the world. Following Turkey's disregard for international law, and the world's inaction at the matter, an agreement is made between Crete, the newly-democratic Greece, and what remained of the Republic of Cyprus with the signing of a mutual defense pact, should Turkey attempt any more military maneuvers. Despite Cypriot requests to reclaim the northern part of the island, lack of political will in Crete (as well as the very start of Crete's rearmament program) and fear of all-out war so soon after the reestablishment of democracy in Greece mean their requests are unheard. A line is drawn: War will only be given should Turkey move.

Early 1997- The Cypriot S-300 Crisis kicks off. Following the announced purchase of two S-300 SAMs by Cyprus, Turkey decried the purchase, citing it as "destabilizing the region" and a "blatant threat on the southern Turkish coasts". These claims were further backed up by a build-up of Turkish military forces in the region, which were naturally responded to with the build-up of Cretan and Greek forces in accordance with the ADP. International attempts at defusion began almost immediately, but Cretan and Greek demands for Cyprus to keep the missiles it had purchased were clear. 

Late 1997- As the conflict continued to heat up, Turkey began to board and search vessels heading to Cyprus, were they Greek, Cretan, or Russian, which led to the Cretan ultimatum: Either Cyprus keeps the missiles, or Crete starts buying from Russia, and it's certainly gonna be more than two. With the threat of further collaboration between Crete and Russia, the United States and the EU covertly change tracks, and Turkey is encouraged to drop its demands. With international pressure mounting, Turkey retracts its statements, and the Crisis is resolved, though Turkish purchases of Israeli ATACMS were reported.

March, 2003- Crete condemns the invasion of Iraq committed by the Coalition forces. Citing the "destabilization of the Middle East", Crete disagreed with the invasion heavily, hinting that the conflict would not affect those who fought it, but those close-by to the area, who would have to deal with the displaced populace.

August, 2014- Crete starts the construction of a LHA amphibious assault ship, strikingly similar to the USN's America-class ships. Unlike the USS-America, however, the Cretan ship shall have a well-deck for amphibious operations. The move is derided by local critics as a waste of money.

May 20, 2020- The Cretan amphibious assault ship is commissioned into the Cretan Navy. The lone member of the Cretan Audax-class, it joins up with its predecessor, a Wasp-class ship bought from the United States in 1999. With the recent attacks in the US, the revived legend of the Broken King, and the now intensely drawn gaze of the world to the island, the ship's commissioning ceremony is welcomed and celebrated by the citizenry. Crete must look to its defenses.