The strategic defeat in the East forced the masters of the West to look for a new "living space". The Western world, based on the use of foreign resources and energy, could not exist for a long time without the plundering of new lands and the inflow of resources. Lacking access to a new "living space", the West began to devour itself.
However, Russia and the Horde closed the way to the East for the West. Russian civilization not only withstood, but also gave such a rebuff to the beast that the masters of the West had to look for new places to "hunt". Moreover, the Russian lands began to unite under the rule of a new control center - Moscow (not all of Russia, but already the middle lands), put an end to strife and launched a counteroffensive. The enemy was driven out of their ancestral lands - Western and Southern Russia, Livonia (the Baltic States), from the Wild Field, went to the Crimea and the North Caucasus. Russia went beyond the Ural Mountains. The restoration of the Russian Empire was underway.
Realizing that there would be no easy prey in the Russian East and that there would be a long and dangerous confrontation, the Europeans began to build ships and "discover" new rich lands where they could plunder, kill and enrich themselves to their hearts content. So, Western predators rushed to "discover" America and India, although in reality they knew about them before. This is the main reason for the "Great Geographical Discoveries". The West could no longer plunder the Russian lands in full force, so they began to look for a way across the oceans to new victims. As we know, this turned out to be a global bloody tragedy, total plunder and violence for the peoples of America, Africa and Asia. Oceans of blood, tens of millions killed, starved to death and disease, turned into slaves. Western robbers took out mountains of gold, silver, jewelry, destroyed entire civilizations, ancient cultures, tribes and peoples. They drowned the planet in blood, littered it with the bones of conquered peoples. They established a cruel slave-owning order, sucking out all the juices and blood from tens and hundreds of peoples and tribes. Even such ancient and advanced civilizations as India and China could not resist. The prosperity of the present West was based on the world slave system and the seas of blood, and not the superiority of Europeans in the creation of material values and creativity.
How the Portuguese "predators" built their empire
Engraving, "The Brief Report on the Destruction of the Indies", 1552, by Bartolomé De La Casas. In the illustration, the conquistadors stage a massacre, hanging and burning adults, killing babies, cutting their heads against the walls of houses
It is worth noting that Europe in that era was completely different from what many people imagine. It was beautifully called the Renaissance era and is portrayed as a time of flourishing of European culture, brilliant artists, architects and thinkers, “great geographical discoveries”. But in fact it was the era of the most brutal and bloody wars, conspiracies and intrigues, insidious murders and coups. The West began to devour itself, having no new vast lands to plunder. Each of today's modern countries has been fragmented into many medium and small holdings. And most Europeans had no time to develop "high culture". They were busy with simple survival. France followed the path of centralization. Its kings fought with the major feudal lords of Burgundy, Brittany, Provence, etc. Moreover, the wars in Europe were very cruel. Whole areas turned into the desert. In England, supporters of Yorks and Plantagenets enthusiastically slaughtered each other in the War of the Scarlet and White Rose. It sounds beautiful, but almost all the ancient families of the English nobility died in this massacre. In Spain, several Christian states - Castile, Aragon, Valencia, Navarra - waged wars with the remnants of the Muslim Caliphate (Moors).
The epicenter of the so-called. Revival became Italy. It was also fragmented into city-states and fiefdoms. During the crusades in the Middle East and the plunder of Byzantium, as well as through intermediary, parasitic trade, the Italians (a conditional name, since there was no single Italian nation yet) huge wealth was captured and accumulated. Rather, a few dozen clan families of large feudal lords and trading and banking houses. The overwhelming majority of the population, like throughout Europe, lived in wild poverty. While crowds of common people, French, English, Germanic and Slavic knights perished in a foreign land, "liberated" the Holy Sepulcher, their booty quickly flowed to the Venetian, Genoese, Florentine trading houses. In addition, they sponsored and organized campaigns, leased their ships, provided maritime communications,supply. Enormous wealth was amassed on this. Also, the Italian trading city-states monopolized sailing in the Mediterranean. And along it, goods from the East went to Europe, primarily spices and silk. Spices were then appreciated for their weight in gold. Italian intermediary merchants received super profits. Another powerful source of profit was banking, in fact, usury, parasitizing on loan interest. It is not surprising that the Venetian "black aristocracy" has become another of the "command posts", the brain centers of the Western world. Italian intermediary merchants received super profits. Another powerful source of profit was banking, in fact, usury, parasitizing on loan interest. It is not surprising that the Venetian "black aristocracy" has become another of the "command posts", the brain centers of the Western world. Italian intermediary merchants received super profits. Another powerful source of profit was banking, in fact, usury, parasitizing on loan interest. It is not surprising that the Venetian "black aristocracy" has become another of the "command posts", the brain centers of the Western world.
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Superprofits led to the "Renaissance" - the "rebirth" of Great Rome. The richest families of merchants and bankers like the Medici, Barberini, Sacchetti and others wanted to use their wealth. They gave money to build magnificent palaces, to decorate them with statues and paintings. This allowed talented architects, engineers, sculptures, artists, etc. to show themselves. Hence the "revival". In the Middle Ages, it was customary to complain about the decline in comparison with the Roman Empire, but now flatterers said that Rome was being reborn, they compared their wealthy patrons with Roman emperors and patricians. In Italy, many remnants of Ancient Rome have survived - the ruins of temples, palaces, statues, mosaics, on the basis of them new art began to develop. Even icons began to be brought closer to "antique" standards. The customs of late Rome, the era of decay, were also copied. The asceticism of the Middle Ages was completely abandoned. Sensual pleasures, hedonism, flourished in Italy. The Catholic Church, which had to fight such phenomena, was itself mired in sin. Places of legates, canons, abbots of monasteries, bishops, archbishops and cardinals were sold and donated, and were considered primarily as a profitable place. It happened that the children of noble and wealthy parents became abbots and abbesses. Church feudal lords, as well as secular ones, fell into corruption, hedonism, and excessive luxury. Not surprisingly, Lorenzo Medici called Rome "a latrine that united all vices."bishops, archbishops and cardinals were sold and donated, were considered primarily as a profitable place. It happened that the children of noble and wealthy parents became abbots and abbesses. Church feudal lords, as well as secular ones, fell into corruption, hedonism, and excessive luxury. Not surprisingly, Lorenzo Medici called Rome "a latrine that united all vices."bishops, archbishops and cardinals were sold and donated, were considered primarily as a profitable place. It happened that the children of noble and wealthy parents became abbots and abbesses. Church feudal lords, as well as secular ones, fell into corruption, hedonism, and excessive luxury. Not surprisingly, Lorenzo Medici called Rome "a latrine that united all vices."
The Roman throne could not stop the corruption of the clergy. On the papal throne, personalities replaced each other, one brighter than the other, in terms of degeneration. Pope John XXIII (antipope) - the former Neapolitan pirate Balthazar Cossa, became famous for the fact that he was eventually deposed for the poisoning of the previous Pope Alexander, intimate crimes (for example, the rape of nuns), torture of innocent people, etc. Pope Sixtus IV was famous as a money-grubber who tirelessly cared about the interests of his own family, a sodomite and a murderer. Worldwide "fame" was given to Pope Alexander VI Borgia, who was nicknamed "the monster of debauchery" and "the pharmacist of Satan" - for poisoning political opponents and wealthy cardinals, whose property after their death was traditionally returned to the papal treasury, and their post could be sold again.
Thus, the Italian gentlemen quite prospered by controlling the largest trade route from the East to Western Europe. At the same time, the Italians reached the Crimea, where they contributed to the development of the shameful human trafficking. They became partners of the Crimean Khanate, which existed at the expense of predatory raids on the Caucasian, Russian and Slavic lands in order to seize prey and, most importantly, “live goods”. Many thousands of Circassians, Russians and Slavs were sold into slavery and became "two-legged weapons" of the Western nobility.
Therefore, the pioneers were the Spaniards and the Portuguese, who, in the wars with the Muslims, took over from the enemy the ability to build large naval ships-caravels, to handle navigational devices - a compass and an astrolabe. It is worth noting that the scientific and geographical discoveries of the Arabs, who previously had extensive possessions on the Iberian Peninsula, had a great influence on the development of Portugal and Spain. In all coastal cities, especially in Portuguese, talk about the African coast and overseas countries full of gold, various riches and wonders did not stop. Many stories have fueled curiosity, greed and ambition. The Portuguese, who lived in a poor country and did not have any opportunities to seize possessions in Europe, were attracted to new countries, supposedly generously strewn with gold.
The only way was across the sea, which fed the Portuguese. One of their main occupations was piracy. The Portuguese attacked the wealthy Muslim trading cities of North Africa. Quite often they received a strong rebuff. The Muslims themselves had strong fleets and attacked the Crusaders. Therefore, the Portuguese were looking for less protected places where they could rob and kill without much risk to life. Moving south along the coast of Africa, they discovered that other peoples lived behind the Arab states. There you can safely disembark, capture, establish predatory trade.
The main organizer of the Portuguese expansion was the Infante (Crown Prince) Enrique, known in history as Henry the Navigator. He was fond of mathematics and cartography, and founded a navigation school in the city of Sagres. The prince himself did not participate in sea expeditions, but was nicknamed the Navigator for his contribution to their organization and financing, attracting merchants, shipowners and other persons interested in opening new trade routes to them. In addition, Henry was the Grand Master of the knightly-monastic order of Christ, the legal successor of the Templars in Portugal. The aim of the order was to fight the "infidels" and spread Christianity. The residence of the Grand Master was Tomar Castle, hence the second name of the order - Tomarsky. The Tomar knights took an active part in the overseas voyages of Portuguese sailors. Vasco da Gama and other wandering Tomar knights sailed with the emblem of the order. Another knightly order that took an active part in the creation of the Portuguese colonial empire is the Order of St. Bennett of Aviz (Aviz Order). The order was also created to fight the "infidels". In 1385, Juan I, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz, became King of Portugal and founder of the Aviz dynasty (1385-1580). The kings of this dynasty led the Avis and Tomar knights on new "crusades" to Africa. With the growth of the colonial empire, the knights from warrior monks turned into colonial landowners.which took the most active part in the creation of the Portuguese colonial empire - this is the Order of St. Bennet of Aviz (Aviz Order). The order was also created to fight the "infidels". In 1385, Juan I, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz, became King of Portugal and founder of the Aviz dynasty (1385-1580). The kings of this dynasty led the Avis and Tomar knights on new "crusades" to Africa. With the growth of the colonial empire, the knights from warrior monks turned into colonial landowners.which took the most active part in the creation of the Portuguese colonial empire - this is the Order of St. Bennet of Aviz (Aviz Order). The order was also created to fight the "infidels". In 1385, Juan I, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz, became King of Portugal and founder of the Aviz dynasty (1385-1580). The kings of this dynasty led the Avis and Tomar knights on new "crusades" to Africa. With the growth of the colonial empire, the knights from warrior monks turned into colonial landowners. With the growth of the colonial empire, the knights from warrior monks turned into colonial landowners. With the growth of the colonial empire, the knights from warrior monks turned into colonial landowners.
Two-masted caravel latina. The most famous image of the caravel. These were the first "caravels of discoveries" - the ships on which the Portuguese began to explore the west coast of Africa in the early 15th century.
Cross of the Order of Christ.
Portuguese nobility and merchants wanted to get to fabulous India, a source of precious spices and other valuable oriental goods. For this it was necessary to find an eastern sea route to India around Africa. In addition, Heinrich was well aware of the profitability and prospects of the Trans-Saharan trade. For centuries, trade routes, along which slaves and gold were transported, connected West Africa with the Mediterranean through Western Sahara, Enrique wanted to know how far Muslim possessions extended to southern Africa, hoping to go around them and find lands where it would be possible to safely establish trade and military posts. Portugal could not independently colonize Africa. There were no people and resources for this. In Africa, besides the Muslim states, there were other countries (Mali, Songai, Bornu, Mosi, Luba, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, etc.). Besides,there was a mass of tribes located at various stages of development, down to the lowest, living a primitive life of hunters and gatherers. They lived their own lives, fought their wars, traded. The Portuguese were not going to climb into the depths of the continent. On the shores of the continent, they seized or "bought" small tracts of weaker tribes. They were introduced by force or cunning, they founded trading posts - strong points, they bought gold, ivory and slaves on the cheap. But greed pushed them further, to the "land of spices". They were introduced by force or cunning, they founded trading posts - strong points, they bought gold, ivory and slaves on the cheap. But greed pushed them further, to the "land of spices". They were introduced by force or cunning, they founded trading posts - strong points, they bought gold, ivory and slaves on the cheap. But greed pushed them further, to the "land of spices".
From 1419 until his death, Henry equipped one expedition after another. The Portuguese discovered a number of islands off the western coast of Africa: Madeira Island (1419), Azores (1427), Cape Verde (Diogo Gomes in 1456). The Portuguese rounded Cape Bohador (Zhil Eanes in 1434), Cape Blanco, explored the mouths of the Senegal and Gambia rivers (Dinish Dias in 1445). Moving further and further, they brought gold from the Guinean coast, created strongholds on open lands. Immediately after the first parties of black slaves appeared and the slave trade began, Henry introduced a state monopoly on the slave trade. As a result, human trafficking has become one of the foundations of Western prosperity. Prince Henry died in 1460, and by this time Portuguese explorers had reached the coast of what is now Sierra Leone and discovered the Cape Verde Islands. After that, the sea voyages stopped for some time, but soon they were resumed again. The king perfectly understood how important the discovery of new lands was for Portugal. Soon the islands of Sao Tome and Principe were reached, the equator was passed, and in 1482-1486. Diogo Kan discovered a large stretch of the African coast south of the equator.
The Portuguese understood that information about such a source of wealth would quickly spread around the world. They did not want to share with anyone and, with the help of Rome, asserted their monopoly. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued the corresponding bull. This bull confirmed the previously sanctioned right of the Christian powers to enslave non-Christian peoples and approved further colonization. But most importantly for Portugal, it forbade other Christian powers from encroaching on the rights of the Portuguese in northwest Africa.
Author: Samsonov Alexander
