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The Empire Of Crete

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The Empire of Crete is an island strategically positioned in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete controls most of Eastern Mediterranean trade and taxes. Crete has the ability to trade with “Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, the Aegean islands, the mainland and west Sicily” (Thomas Sakoulas). This is how Crete gets its income. The issue is Crete has materials to build boats, but as soon as Crete reaches the mainland they lack animals to carry their goods across the Silk Road. The Crete Empire will secure trade along the Silk Road by forging alliances with the Bedouins and Ottoman Empire. The Empire of Crete will increase profits by capitalizing upon the alliances with Bedouins and the Ottoman Empire, in exchange for conditional access to Crete’s sea routes. The problem with limited transportation to the …show more content…

Crete plans to sail to the mainland where the Silk Road is nearest to both of the empires and, as Crete sails, the Bedouins meet up with Crete and trade camels and timber. “Timber was one of the natural resources that was commercially exploited and exported to nearby Egypt” (Thomas Sakoulas). Since the Bedouins are helping Crete, Crete will take off fifty percent for the vessels the Bedouins use, on the Eastern Mediterranean. In return, the Bedouins will provide an army for Crete to block the Holy Roman Empire from using the trade routes. One army will not hold off all of Rome, so Crete agreed to partner up with the Ottomans and have the Ottoman army tag along with the Bedouins. Therefore, Crete will allow the Ottomans no taxation on the eastern sea. Crete shall do this because they have harsh history with Rome. Professor Keith Bradley said, “Rome once forced people to be Greek slaves.” This is showing that Crete would never trade, nor partner up with the Holy Roman Empire, because they enslaved Crete’s own family. In conclusion, Crete will gain power, wealth, and peace because of the Silk

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