This is my first timeline. It deals with a Stefan Dusan who lives to be crowned Constantine XI of a revived Byzantine Empire. I'd like to thank Basileus Giorgios, without whose encouragement and advice I would not have been able to get this thing started. 
An excerpt from The History of the Roman Empire in the 14th Century by Ioannis Psellos. Vardas Publishing, Constantinople. Second edition, 1953.
CHAPTER III - THE SERVIAN RESTORTION
INTRODUCTION
The Slavic barbaroi from the north had long threatened Constantinople’s security and peace. I refer of course not to our Hellenic brothers of Slavic descent, but to the Slavophone inhabitants medieval Servia and Voulgaria. Their frequent incursions, makeshift settlements, and not infrequent rebellions had made them a thorn in the Romans’ side for centuries. The newcomers had even been arrogant enough to claim the highest title, the title only one man in Christendom (well, save for the Western emperor we recognized when it was expedient) could hold – that of emperor. After the fall of the First Voulgar Empire, the haughty kings of these barbarians continued to claim the title of tsar. This unauthentic claim held little weight and served only to antagonize the one True Emperor in Constantinople, the equal of the Apostles, God’s vice-gerent on Earth. However, the slavoi would prove themselves quite capable, equal in some instances to us Greeks. The historian notes that many of the most illustrious Greeks of today have Slavic descent, and holds the Servian and Voulgarian languages in high regard for their melodious sound. The slavoi have enriched our Hellenic culture with their quaint ways and novel philosophies. One of them would rise to save the Roman Empire, and by extension the Roman people, from vassalage and slavery.
EARLY LIFE OF CONSTANTINE XI
Note: For the purposes of this section of the history, Constantine XI will be referred to by his Servian name, Stefan Dusan.
When Stefan Uros Dusan, or as Constantine XI Dusanes was known among the Servs before his ascension to the throne , assumed the title of emperor of Romans and Servs, his claim to the Roman throne was anything but spurious. As a child, Dusan had spent several years in Constantinople, and became learned in our Greek ways. He participated in the Servian victory at Velbuzhd, at which the Voulgars were finally and irrevocably crushed – thankfully, a Voulgar Empire would never rise again. The Romano-Voulgar power struggles helped to fragment Orthodoxy for centuries, and the rulers of these upstart slavoi had proved more trouble than they were worth. After this humiliating defeat, the Voulgars became hostile to the Romans, a political shift that would aid Dusan in his future conquests. One cannot exaggerate the brilliance of this ruler, which we can at least partially attribute to his illustrious Greek ancestors. His ascension to the throne demonstrated the power Servian nobles, who had deposed Dusan’s father in favor of him, but he never ceased to masterfully manipulate these greedy aristocrats.
Through a combination of conquest and treaty-making (for the Dusanes never resorted to bribery), Dusan conquered much of Macedonia, and set his eyes on Epirus, Thessaly and Albania. His strategy called for a relatively bloodless campaign in which he would seek the help of Greek landowners and nobles. This illustrious leader would never needlessly spill the blood of fellow Greeks, for despite his Servian heritage he undoubtedly felt as Greek as the usurper in Constantinople. After several of his conquests, he took the title REX RASIE, IMPERATOR ROMANIAE, symbolizing his transition from the King of a nation (Rascia) to Roman Emperor.
THE ASCENDANT KING
Dusan’s imperial ambitions could not be realized until he deposed John V Palaiologos. John V, as need not be said, was a weak, and in the end treasonous, emperor. Numerous books have been written on the depravity of his rule, and I will spare my readers the details here. Nevertheless, Dusan knew that he had to ascend to the throne, it was his God-given mission. To this end, he makes a strategic pact, later a military alliance, with his old friend, John Kantakouzenos. Kantakouzenos, as co-emperor John VI, also desired to be sole ruler of Constantinople. To Dusan, who was on a divine mission, this did not matter in the least – what could Kantakouzenos and his patchwork army do against his unstoppable fighting force? Better to ally with him and fry the big fish, the despised John V, first.
A rather amusing historical document attributed to Kantakouzenos tells us how Dusan not only regarded him among his best friends, he saw in John a superior, the true Christian emperor. When the two meet to sign their pact, John tells us, Dusan spent so much money in his reception that it’s a miracle that he could field an army afterward. Regardless of what Kantakouzenos wrote, the original copy of the treaty now housed in the Dusanes Dynasty wing of the Museum of Constantinople tells us a different story.
Kantakouzenos gives Dusan heavy concessions in return for his help in the incoming Roman civil war –
1.)Dusan would be allowed to keep any territory conquered in Epirus and Albania, whether in the course of the war against the Palailogoi or in his personal wars against local rulers
2.)The conquered cities of Macedonia and Thessaly would be able to choose between Kantakouzenos and Dusan
3.)In the case that John VI is killed, Kantakouzenos will declare Dusan co-emperor
This alliance proves fruitful for both men. When war finally broke out in 1343, Kantakouzenos leads a large force of Servs and Greeks through Macedonia while Dusan made a parallel assault into Thessaly. Both offensives are a resounding success – one by one, the cities yet conquered by Dusan surrender to Kantakouzenos, while Dusan is already at the walls of Thessalonica.
By 1344, John V Palaiologos is faced with a dilemma. He is either to recognize Kantakouzenos as co-emperor, and in effect become a subordinate, or he is to fight on until the end. He decides the latter option, though it wouldn’t matter either way – he would be the last emperor of the Palaiologos dynasty. It would be a disappointing finish, and as I write from the library in Constantinople I notice the scarcity of books that describe the rule of the Palaiologoi. Back to our story - efforts by the Roman navy and some “helpful” Turkish pirates relieve Thessalonica, and Kantakouzenos, a man who was never quite as courageous as our Constantine XI, abandons the siege.
In early 1345, Kantakouzenos returns to Thessalonica with 50,000men, making the city’s capture his final goal in the campaign. Meanwhile, Dusan, ever the pragmatist, is happy to consolidate his conquests. He is also secretly working on an alliance with the Venetians – though the Serene Republic had previously been hostile to the idea of a powerful Roman Empire, whether under Greek or Serv, Dusan promised to crush the Genoans and give the Venetians free roam in the Black Sea. This may shock the modern reader, but we now all know that what Dusan did was necessary for the restoration of the Roman realm. [The historian omits an additional concession: to add the icing on the cake, Dusan promised a 50-year lease on the island of Lemnos, from which the Venetians could expand their trade.] The alliance is finally made in late September, with representatives of the Servs and Venetians meeting in secret in the Zetan city of Budva. Dusan finally has his navy – and his imperial ambitions are that much closer to fruition.
The war draws to a close as Kantakouzaenos’s forces, doubtlessly led by Dusan’s skillful generals, capture Thessalonica in February 1346. John V immediately surrenders and signs a peace treaty which recognized Kantakouzenos as co-emperor. Kantakouzenos is true to his word, and “awards” Dusan many of the cities he has captured. [Dusan’s empire is somewhat smaller than in OTL, but it’s much stronger diplomatically. Another fact that the historian omits: with the help of the patriarch, Dusan is able to send his wife Helena off to a convent]. Dusan marries Kantakouzenos’s daughter Maria, in an elaborate and jubilant ceremony in Constantinople. Kantakouzenos spends a small fortune on the celebrations, surely no less than what Dusan had allegedly spent on his reception years ago. Dusan, however, has no intention on keeping with the status quo, which of course is a weak Roman Empire. He has now married into the imperial family, and this tall, ambitious and brilliant leader waits for his chance to take the throne.
An excerpt from The History of the Roman Empire in the 14th Century by Ioannis Psellos. Vardas Publishing, Constantinople. Second edition, 1953.
CHAPTER III - THE SERVIAN RESTORTION
INTRODUCTION
The Slavic barbaroi from the north had long threatened Constantinople’s security and peace. I refer of course not to our Hellenic brothers of Slavic descent, but to the Slavophone inhabitants medieval Servia and Voulgaria. Their frequent incursions, makeshift settlements, and not infrequent rebellions had made them a thorn in the Romans’ side for centuries. The newcomers had even been arrogant enough to claim the highest title, the title only one man in Christendom (well, save for the Western emperor we recognized when it was expedient) could hold – that of emperor. After the fall of the First Voulgar Empire, the haughty kings of these barbarians continued to claim the title of tsar. This unauthentic claim held little weight and served only to antagonize the one True Emperor in Constantinople, the equal of the Apostles, God’s vice-gerent on Earth. However, the slavoi would prove themselves quite capable, equal in some instances to us Greeks. The historian notes that many of the most illustrious Greeks of today have Slavic descent, and holds the Servian and Voulgarian languages in high regard for their melodious sound. The slavoi have enriched our Hellenic culture with their quaint ways and novel philosophies. One of them would rise to save the Roman Empire, and by extension the Roman people, from vassalage and slavery.
EARLY LIFE OF CONSTANTINE XI
Note: For the purposes of this section of the history, Constantine XI will be referred to by his Servian name, Stefan Dusan.
When Stefan Uros Dusan, or as Constantine XI Dusanes was known among the Servs before his ascension to the throne , assumed the title of emperor of Romans and Servs, his claim to the Roman throne was anything but spurious. As a child, Dusan had spent several years in Constantinople, and became learned in our Greek ways. He participated in the Servian victory at Velbuzhd, at which the Voulgars were finally and irrevocably crushed – thankfully, a Voulgar Empire would never rise again. The Romano-Voulgar power struggles helped to fragment Orthodoxy for centuries, and the rulers of these upstart slavoi had proved more trouble than they were worth. After this humiliating defeat, the Voulgars became hostile to the Romans, a political shift that would aid Dusan in his future conquests. One cannot exaggerate the brilliance of this ruler, which we can at least partially attribute to his illustrious Greek ancestors. His ascension to the throne demonstrated the power Servian nobles, who had deposed Dusan’s father in favor of him, but he never ceased to masterfully manipulate these greedy aristocrats.
Through a combination of conquest and treaty-making (for the Dusanes never resorted to bribery), Dusan conquered much of Macedonia, and set his eyes on Epirus, Thessaly and Albania. His strategy called for a relatively bloodless campaign in which he would seek the help of Greek landowners and nobles. This illustrious leader would never needlessly spill the blood of fellow Greeks, for despite his Servian heritage he undoubtedly felt as Greek as the usurper in Constantinople. After several of his conquests, he took the title REX RASIE, IMPERATOR ROMANIAE, symbolizing his transition from the King of a nation (Rascia) to Roman Emperor.
THE ASCENDANT KING
Dusan’s imperial ambitions could not be realized until he deposed John V Palaiologos. John V, as need not be said, was a weak, and in the end treasonous, emperor. Numerous books have been written on the depravity of his rule, and I will spare my readers the details here. Nevertheless, Dusan knew that he had to ascend to the throne, it was his God-given mission. To this end, he makes a strategic pact, later a military alliance, with his old friend, John Kantakouzenos. Kantakouzenos, as co-emperor John VI, also desired to be sole ruler of Constantinople. To Dusan, who was on a divine mission, this did not matter in the least – what could Kantakouzenos and his patchwork army do against his unstoppable fighting force? Better to ally with him and fry the big fish, the despised John V, first.
A rather amusing historical document attributed to Kantakouzenos tells us how Dusan not only regarded him among his best friends, he saw in John a superior, the true Christian emperor. When the two meet to sign their pact, John tells us, Dusan spent so much money in his reception that it’s a miracle that he could field an army afterward. Regardless of what Kantakouzenos wrote, the original copy of the treaty now housed in the Dusanes Dynasty wing of the Museum of Constantinople tells us a different story.
Kantakouzenos gives Dusan heavy concessions in return for his help in the incoming Roman civil war –
1.)Dusan would be allowed to keep any territory conquered in Epirus and Albania, whether in the course of the war against the Palailogoi or in his personal wars against local rulers
2.)The conquered cities of Macedonia and Thessaly would be able to choose between Kantakouzenos and Dusan
3.)In the case that John VI is killed, Kantakouzenos will declare Dusan co-emperor
This alliance proves fruitful for both men. When war finally broke out in 1343, Kantakouzenos leads a large force of Servs and Greeks through Macedonia while Dusan made a parallel assault into Thessaly. Both offensives are a resounding success – one by one, the cities yet conquered by Dusan surrender to Kantakouzenos, while Dusan is already at the walls of Thessalonica.
By 1344, John V Palaiologos is faced with a dilemma. He is either to recognize Kantakouzenos as co-emperor, and in effect become a subordinate, or he is to fight on until the end. He decides the latter option, though it wouldn’t matter either way – he would be the last emperor of the Palaiologos dynasty. It would be a disappointing finish, and as I write from the library in Constantinople I notice the scarcity of books that describe the rule of the Palaiologoi. Back to our story - efforts by the Roman navy and some “helpful” Turkish pirates relieve Thessalonica, and Kantakouzenos, a man who was never quite as courageous as our Constantine XI, abandons the siege.
In early 1345, Kantakouzenos returns to Thessalonica with 50,000men, making the city’s capture his final goal in the campaign. Meanwhile, Dusan, ever the pragmatist, is happy to consolidate his conquests. He is also secretly working on an alliance with the Venetians – though the Serene Republic had previously been hostile to the idea of a powerful Roman Empire, whether under Greek or Serv, Dusan promised to crush the Genoans and give the Venetians free roam in the Black Sea. This may shock the modern reader, but we now all know that what Dusan did was necessary for the restoration of the Roman realm. [The historian omits an additional concession: to add the icing on the cake, Dusan promised a 50-year lease on the island of Lemnos, from which the Venetians could expand their trade.] The alliance is finally made in late September, with representatives of the Servs and Venetians meeting in secret in the Zetan city of Budva. Dusan finally has his navy – and his imperial ambitions are that much closer to fruition.
The war draws to a close as Kantakouzaenos’s forces, doubtlessly led by Dusan’s skillful generals, capture Thessalonica in February 1346. John V immediately surrenders and signs a peace treaty which recognized Kantakouzenos as co-emperor. Kantakouzenos is true to his word, and “awards” Dusan many of the cities he has captured. [Dusan’s empire is somewhat smaller than in OTL, but it’s much stronger diplomatically. Another fact that the historian omits: with the help of the patriarch, Dusan is able to send his wife Helena off to a convent]. Dusan marries Kantakouzenos’s daughter Maria, in an elaborate and jubilant ceremony in Constantinople. Kantakouzenos spends a small fortune on the celebrations, surely no less than what Dusan had allegedly spent on his reception years ago. Dusan, however, has no intention on keeping with the status quo, which of course is a weak Roman Empire. He has now married into the imperial family, and this tall, ambitious and brilliant leader waits for his chance to take the throne.
