Venice: The City That Got too Powerful
Fall of the Most Serene Republic of Venice
For centuries Venice stood at the center of commerce and trade between East and West. The Republic dominated the Eastern Mediterranean with their powerful navy, and their sack of the ancient city of Constantinople in 1204 ushered in a Golden Age of riches and gold. However, its neighbors grew jealous of Venice’s prosperity and conspired to destroy the republic, and the Kingdoms of Europe contested Venice’s dominance in Northern Italy. Furthermore, the trade from Asia became unstable in the sixteenth century, as Western Europe found more profitable trade routes in the West while the rising Ottoman Empire vied for naval supremacy from the Republic. Venice was unfortunate, as it was powerless to stop the decline of their nation, as external forces controlled the destiny of the city that grew to rich.
The Conspiracy against Venice
By the early 16th Century, Venice was facing increasing pressure from the aggressive Ottoman expansion, while it became increasingly isolated in Europe. As the Princes of Europe had designs to dominate Italy, Venice blocked all possibilities of expansions, as their hold over Northern Italy was uncontested. The autonomy and security of Northern Italy had protected the Italian city states for centuries, and this…
