How did Venice face challenges between the 15th and 18th century

Foreign Threats
Involvement in the mainland
Mainland territories have been supplying Venice with impt resources like food &
water
- need to secure and maintain supply of resources for their growing
population
One way to do this is taking advantage of mainland rivalry, switching alliances
regularly
Eg. Venice created alliances with France and Spain when occasion suited interest
Meant that Venice had fragile relations with big states
- if negotiations failed, Venice would be attacked
No certainty in which alliance would benefit Venice
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire started expanding influence in 13th century
Ottoman Empire was greatest competitor for maritime control in 15th century
Venice knew they couldn’t face large Ottoman army on its own
- Gave Ottoman Empire less impt territories to reduce losses
Ottoman Empire acquired territories along the coast of Adriatic Sea
Ottomans launched attacks on Venice, disrupting use of galleys for trade purposes
- Wars with Ottomans drained Venice’s resources & disrupted trade
The League of Cambrai
1508, Military alliance against Venice formed
League aimed to divide Venice’s territories among big states
Many territories fell to members of League
 Maritime Competition
Discovery of new sea routes
15th century – Age of exploration and discovery
1497–Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Calicut, India, via Cape of Good
Hope
Portuguese were hence able to buy spices directly from India, competing with
Venice
- Venice lost position as middleman for spice trade
- Venice still remained a trade center in western Mediterranean
Venice main supplier of Mediterranean goods like wine, raisins & Persian silk
New trade rivals
Dutch bypassed Venetians to go to the East to get supplies
East India Company brought cotton & pepper from India, tea & porcelain from
China
Dutch and British had better designed ships
- though Venetians copied design, Venetian sailors lacked skills to operate
them
England and Holland more successful in negotiating for favourable trading rights
Venice imposed protectionist policy and higher duties on traders
Venice insisted maintaining monopolistic position
- lost some of its trading partners
 Political Challenges
Incapable leadership
Shrinking number of nobility due to low birth rate and plague
Noble families married each other to concentrate wealth
Rotation of duties introduced
- No family could dominate govt for > 1 term
- Competent leaders will not last for > 1 term too
Incompetent leaders were often selected
Office was regarded as personal glory than service to state
Nobles, previously scholars, competed to serve as naval commanders
- lack of military and naval expertise lead to heavy losses
Corruptible Government
Govt suspended salaries of civil servants for wars
Some nobles became poor due to lack of source of income (trade)
Poorer nobles sold their govt votes for high price
Sale of position in govt led to incompetent leaders in office
- decisions not made in interest of Venice
Over-dependence on mercenaries
Venetian army employed many mercenaries from Mediterranean
More mercenaries were employed due to the decreasing population in Venice
Some of these mercenaries did not remain loyal to Venice due to better pay
elsewhere
1619 – large number of French mercenaries plotted to seize Ducal Palace and kill
Senates
Though plot discovered by Council of Ten, it showed that Venice cannot trust
mercenaries
Social Challenges
Nobles became less involved in impt matters like admin and development of state
Gap between noble and poor widened
Venetians pursued entertainment and pleasures as they became richer
Wealthy nobles indulged in lavish parties and celebrations
- Carnevale, sometimes lasting for as long as six months
Gambling halls grew as some nobles got addicted to gambling, thus losing their fortunes
 The Fall of Venice
Failure to respond effectively to internal and external changes
Weakening Government
Loss of overseas territories like Constatinople
Discovery of new sea routes
Rise of bigger and more powerful European countries
Venetian fortress and army outdated
-When French invaded in 18th century, no noble capable to defend Venice
Venice rejected alliance against France by Italian states
Some Venetians even plotted to overthrow current Government
12 May 1797 – Doge Ludovico Manin surrendered Venice to Napoleon without a
fight]
Basis of Comparison

Political Challenges > Foreign Threats

If there was a capable government, foreign threats could be easily solved

Political Challenges > Maritime Challenges

If there was a capable government, maritime challenges could be easily solved

Political Challenges > Social Challenges

If there was a capable government, social challenges could be easily solved

Foreign Threats > Maritime Challenges

Foreign threats caused Venice to lose impt land, while maritime challenges made trading harder
for Venice

Foreign Threats > Social Challenges

Foreign threats caused Venice to lose impt land, while social challenges just made it harder for
Venice to recover

Maritime Challenges > Social Challenges

Maritime challenges caused Venice to gradually lose its steady flow of income, while
social challenges caused Venetians to spend money that can be earned back later

Ottoman Empire > Involvement in Mainland

Involvement in mainland just made Venice an untrustable ally, but the Ottoman Empire caused
Venice to lose part of its source of income

Ottoman Empire > League of Cambrai

Some parts of Venice’s territory was taken back by Venice from the League of Cambrai, but
none of Venice’s former territory in the Ottoman Empire was returned

League of Cambrai > Involvement in Mainland

League of Cambrai made Venice lose part of its flow of income, while involvement in mainland
just made Venice an untrustable ally

Incapable Leadership > Corruptible Government

A capable leadership would stop corruption in the government

Incapable leadership > Over-dependence on Mercenaries

 A capable leadership would solve the problem of the over-dependence on mercenaries

Over-dependence on Mercenaries > Corruptible Government

An over-dependence on mercenaries would threaten the country’s safety immediately,
while a corruptible government would affect the country’s economy after a period