Fall of Venice

Involvement in the mainland

Political developments in Europe turned attention to controlling nearby mainland territories

Needed to secure and maintain supply of resources for city's growing population and expanding industries

Taking advantage of rivalry among the mainland states to achieve balance of power
eg. created alliances

Act of switching alliances led to fragile relations and put Venice at high risk
eg. overland trade route is unsafe

Had to equip themselves with a strong army by recruiting mecenaries

Ottoman Empire

Ottoman replaced Genoa as Venice's greatest competitor for maritime control

Venice forced to give up some less important territories to avoid further losses

Venice had to use its galleys to fight off attacks by Ottomans which disrupted its use for trading purposes

Wars drained Venice resources and manpower, and disrupted trade

Venetians willing to give concessions to Ottomans whenever it suited their commercial interests

But later seek military aid from other Europeans states to fight Ottomans

Europeans neighbours developed deep hostility for Venice
eg. Venice was left to fight on their own against Ottomans

League Of Cambrai

Consisted of most major powers in Europe
eg. Spain, Hungary, France

Aim to reduce the power of Venice and divide its territories

Cost of war drained and weakened Venice's resources

Discovery of new sea routes

New sea routes destroyed Venice's monopoly of the lucrative spice trade and greatly reduced large profits

Original route was shorter but time consuming and unsafe
eg. robbers and plunderers hiding

New trade rivals

Dutch East India Company bypassed Venetians to get supplies from East

English East India Company brought cotton and pepper from India, tea and porcelain from China

Venetians imitated better-designed ships of Dutch and British but lack the skills in operating them

Less successful in negotiating for favourable trading rights in new ports

Protectionist policy made trading with Venetians to be unattrative and they lost trade partners

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