Novus Rex Romanorum - Latin Empire TL

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Novus Rex Romanorum - New King of the Romans

Welcome to my brand new timeline which I was inspired by when I accidentally stumbled on the Latin Empire when swooping around Wikipedia. From the help of our very our members I have devised a scenario and PoD for my timeline. In late April 1204 a revolt of Greek peasantry arise in Constantinople and killed many of the Crusaders in the city, making the Venetians rethink their plans to install Baldwin of Flanders as Emperor of Constantinople and later that week proclaim Boniface of Montferrat, the leader of the Crusade as the Emperor and changes the history of the Latin Empire forever.

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Chapter #1: Survival of the Latinokratia

Part #1: Crowning of the Montferratian

Chapter I, Part I

The Greek people of Constantinople had become furious with the Latin invaders that had plundered their cities. A young Greek aristocrat living in the city had ove heard two crusaders talking about the events that had taken place prior to the siege. The nobleman assembled his allies and gathered hundreds of peasants outside the Hagia Sophia for all to see. He denounced the Venetian invaders and called on his brothers and sisters to resist the invaders. He almost immediately gained support and the peasants stormed Crusader holds across the city and almost wiped out a quarter of the invading force. They were able to fight back against the Crusaders for a week and were finally put down by the armies of Boniface of Montferrat. The Venetians became increasingly worried about the revolts and called upon a council of the Crusades leaders. The council decreed by popular vote the only way to calm the populace was to elect Boniface of Montferrat (the man favoured by all but the Venetians) as the next Emperor of the Romans. Enrico Dandolo was outraged that this had gone ahead but had to agreed to the councils wishes. On the 29th of April, the Hagia Sofia was lit and decrorated with Catholic crosses. The coronation of Boniface as Emperor of Románia was underway. He was granted with the crown of the former emperors and stood in grace as the first Latin emperor in centuries.

After the coronation, word had been reached of a rump state headed by Theodore Laskaris in Bithyinia. Boniface ordered the raising of all of his crusader allies to help him put down his new rival. His army was formed and set sail for Abdyos on the 1st of May. The rebellious pro-Laskaris armies swelled towards the Hellespont, intent on retaking Constantinople. The Venetian navy had become aware of the force and had already blockaded the cities of Callipolis and Abdyos, securing them for the advancing army of Boniface. With Bonifaces arrival at Abydos on the 3rd of May, they rapidly secured the city and destroyed the old Roman regiments remaining there. Theodore Laskaris and his army arrived on the 7th of May and set the city into a bloodbath eventually leading to their leaders death by Frankish cavalry. A death he should of saw coming. His coaleasced soldiers fled and returned to their homes in Asia Minor, while Boniface made his triumphant march towards Nicaea.
 
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Part #2: The Fall of Nicaea

Chapter I, Part II

The devastated remains of the Anatolian realm of the Empire of Nicaea were all under the sword of the armies intended for the Levant, crusaders. The quick expansion was not unnoticable and within weeks the cities of Prusa and Nicomedia had surrendered. Boniface himself lay siege to the centre of his former rivals empire, the city of Nicaea. An army, under the command of a young Anatolian nobleman was large enough to defeat the Crusaders. But Boniface was resilent enough to wait their with his army for the city to starve and surrender. While Boniface headed the armies in Anatolia, Balwin of Flanders quickly followed on plans set out by Enrico Dandolo of Venice, and begun the invasion of Greece, where between May and September he pillaged throughout Macdeonia and Hellas.

The remaining Crusaders established control over Anatolia and eventually took Pergamon in Late September, when the city of Nicaeas' walls were inflitrated and commenced the battle of Nicaea. Most of the remaining Crusaders not included in the battle either had to defend their new posts or return to Thrace to help campaign in northern Greece. While this entire invasion had gone underway, the Venetians had taken control over all of the Greek coast with the help of Baldwins land forces and established vassal states under Bonifaces rule, including the Duchies of Macedonia, Thessaly, Athens. In Epirus and Morea new Greek states formed which were headed by Manuel I Komnenos Doukas of Epirus and Andronikos I Doukas Komnenos Palaiologos of Morea. Thus with the fall of the Roman contender state in Anatolia, the Latins were much more concerned with another rival, the Bulgarians.
 
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Dathi THorfinnsson

Is the thread title supposed to be "new king of Rome"? Because if it's supposed to be "king of New Rome" it should be something like "Rex Novae Romae". Even if it is "new king" wouldn't it be more likely "Romanorum" (of the Romans) rather than (of Rome)?
 
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Romanos

Very interesting :D And, let me guess, no disaster in Adrianople ittl? Btw, you may want to change your title to the grammatically correct "novorum Romanorum" although talk of "New Romans" would sound very strange. Maybe "Rex Novi Imperii Romanorum" or "Rex Novi Romaniae" could perhaps work better? Or if you mean to say "New King of the Romans" then it would be "Novus Rex Romanorum".

Exciting story, anticipating your next post.
 
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Part #3: Bulgarian Intevention

Chapter I, Part III

The news of the newly established "Latin" Roman Empire arrived at the news of the Holy Roman Emperor, who became outraged at a contender to his title. The Romans on the other hand, they didn't care what they were called. The crusaders wanted the money, glory and fame. No one was going to stand in their way. At the fall of Nicaea, Emperor Boniface felt a sign of relief. He could finally stop worrying about his Greek contenders and focus on his major neighbours; the Turks and the Bulgarians. They both had the manpower to shatter his nation and luckily for him, the Turks and Bulgarians were not under the sway of the Pope, so a crusade against the Turks and a realingment of the Bulgarians could do him good. The Emperor returned to Constantinople in late September and helped his Venetian allies reestablish trade with Europe and the Near East, a hope to regain the wealth that had been lost under the misguidance of the Angeloi.

His plans were interrupted on the 8th of October when there was word of a Bulgarian army marching for Constantinople. Boniface decided to move half of his army from Constantinople and round back to Adrianople where both parts of his army could ambush the Bulgarian flight before it landed at the gates of the Queen of Cities. The Emperor quickly pulled this plan together and on the 16th of October the great battle of Byzantium begun, forcing the Bulgarians to assume defeat and run eastward towards Macedonia. The Roman armies were not unprepared for this and tailed them across the Thracian coast to the city of Thessalonica, which had quickly been ramsacked by the Bulgarian army. A scout from Larissa notified the Emperor of the enroaching force of Bulgarians was heading into central Thessaly, hoping to steal the riches of Hellas from his empire.
 
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Part #4: Conflicts in Thessaly

Chapter I, Part IV

The forces of Baldwin of Flanders had arrived in Athens by the time there was word of a Bulgarian invasion and he was ready to take them on by October. His army consisted of traditional Frankish cavalry and the large conscription of young Greek soldiers from the Angeloi period. These soldiers were only around 15% of the armed forces that made up the former Roman army that dissipitated after the death of Theodore Laskaris and his commanders. The army was well trained for Bulgarian invaders and only chose to stay in the empire due to their opinion of the new emperor, Boniface I. Baldwin and his army moved from Athens and arrived in Larissa on the 27th of October where a Bulgarian army awaited for them. The battle was an massive bloodshed but eventually the Bulgarians won the day. The army of Boniface was only a few kilometres behind the Bulgarians and arrived at dusk where Baldwin had set up camp. He arrived at the camp and was saddened by the death and horror put on both sides. Baldwin had to have his arm amputated after a fiery arrow from a Bulgarian horse archer had burnt his arm beyond belief.

The person army of the Bulgarian Tsar Kayolan moved from Sofia to Thessalonica in October and tailed the Roman armies towards Larissa where the Bulgarians had pillaged and killed thousands. The imperial armies coalsced under the command of Boniface while Baldwin returned to Constantinople to rest from his wound. The other crusade commanders followed Boniface into battle which finally ended in victory against the small Bulgarian army. They were unaware of Kayolan and his army thathad arrived from the north so when they had begun resting in Larissa on the 5th of November, Kayolan attacked!
 
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Janprimus

The title used by the ''Latin Emperor of Constantinople'' was (short version) Imperator Romaniae, whereas the title of the Holy Roman Emperor was (short version) Romanorum Imperator.

If they recognize each other, then they might achieve better diplomatic relations, then the Byzantine Empire had with the Holy Roman Empire.
 
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Grouchio

So Tubendo and I talked and it seems that our new writer here "needs the details of Byzantine noblemen and Crusader noblemen in the time period." (I would also include the Seljuks of Rum, the Bulgarian and Serbian aristocracy into this as well.) Could you fellow members be of service?
 
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Part #5: Bulgarian Advance

Chapter I, Part V

The armies of Kayolan raided the camps of Emperor Boniface's army on the 5th of November 1204. and killed tens of Crusaders and hundreds of Greek soldiers. The Tsar nearly was able to kill Boniface who fled the scene and ordered a retreat. The Bulgarian is said to of laughed and pitied the Emperor, calling him "a craven old man". Boniface was all but that as he pulled his archers into the fight who killed a good portion of the Bulgarian army, before he and his cavalry warded off the remaining soldiers. The Tsar was not deterred and ordered to circle the army and head straight for Athens. Boniface returned to Larissa and was pleased with his work for the day.

Kayolan advanced southward throughout November leading his army into skirmishes with Greek peasants. A Venetian diplomat arrived in Larissa on the 12th of February and warned the Emperor of a new Morean-Bulgarian alliance which had pushed the Venetians out of Morea and burned a few of their grand ships, infuriating the doge. The Emperor responding by marching south to the city of Athens where the Bulgarians were laying siege. He arrived on the 19th of December and saw the horror of the vulgar Bulgarian pillaging, which had laid waste to Hellas and it's people. The Greek peasants pleaded for a victory, but all they really wanted was a Greek state for themselves. A Greek Románia once again they seek.
 
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Van555

tubendo said:
Early November 1204

The armies of Kayolan raided the camps of Emperor Boniface's army on the 5th of November 1204. and killed tens of Crusaders and hundreds of Greek soldiers. The Tsar nearly was able to kill Boniface who fled the scene and ordered a retreat. The Bulgarian is said to of laughed and pitied the Emperor, calling him "a craven old man". Boniface was all but that as he pulled his archers into the fight who killed a good portion of the Bulgarian army, before he and his cavalry warded off the remaining soldiers. The Tsar was not deterred and ordered to circle the army and head straight for Athens. Boniface returned to Larissa and was pleased with his work for the day.

Kayolan advanced southward throughout November leading his army into skirmishes with Greek peasants. A Venetian diplomat arrived in Larissa on the 12th of February and warned the Emperor of a new Morean-Bulgarian alliance which had pushed the Venetians out of Morea and burned a few of their grand ships, infuriating the doge.
Click to expand...

Interesting...
 
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Part #6: Invaders from the South

Chapter I, Part VI

The army of the Latins quickly rode to the city of Thebes, which was under siege by the Moreans. Emperor Andronikos of Morea was untainted the siege personally and had knowledge of the amassed Latin army coming from Larissa. He had placed provisional garrisons at the Hexamillon to rebuild the ancient defence that could protect the Peloponnese indefinitely. The imperial army made a swift skirmish with the enemy, ending in status quo as both armies were weaker and smaller than their initial sizes. Boniface retreated to a camp where he and his council of generals (including Conon de Béthune, Othon de la Roche and William of Champlitte, all eventually gaining titles in Hellas) planned an raid on the camp to distract the enemy so they could break their line of defence and destroy their army, along with their leader.

The attack was initiated on the 26th of February and was a success with the abandonment of their siege and their retreat back to Corinth, disabling them to help the Bulgarian army in Attica. Boniface himself left William of Champlitte in charge of the Hexamillon defence, and rode to Athens where he arrived on the 9th of March, and was immediately contended by a Bulgarian ambush where the army was shattered by Kayolan's cavalry but most of the army survived and retreated to a camp on a hill near Athens, which was eventually known as Campa Bonifacio. The camp was built up into a temporary (eventually permanent) fort where soldiers from across Románia would join the ranks of the army to protect Hellas from the Bulgarians that had taken control of Attica and Eobea.
 
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