2 AHCs: Slavic ERE and Turkic ERE?

[Harald Sigurdson II]

In the 700s, a majority of the Byzantine Empire was either overrun or inhabited by Slavic speakers, including Greece, the heartland. Before this, the language of the emperor had changed from Latin to Greek (maybe later, if I am likely wrong). Your challenge is to change the language of the emperor, and the bureaucracy to Slavic.

Your second challenge, not necessarily in the same TL as the first, is to get a Turkish Byzantine emperor and government, not merely the Islamic heirs of the ERE, Rum and the Ottomans. Doesn't matter their religion, but you get ebola a cookie if they're Catholic or Muslim.

Also, again not necessarily in the same TL in the others, what about a Norse emperor? The bureaucracy doesn't have to speak Norse, though.

 

[Hrvatskiwi]

In the 700s, a majority of the Byzantine Empire was either overrun or inhabited by Slavic speakers, including Greece, the heartland. Before this, the language of the emperor had changed from Latin to Greek (maybe later, if I am likely wrong). Your challenge is to change the language of the emperor, and the bureaucracy to Slavic.

Your second challenge, not necessarily in the same TL as the first, is to get a Turkish Byzantine emperor and government, not merely the Islamic heirs of the ERE, Rum and the Ottomans. Doesn't matter their religion, but you get ebola a cookie if they're Catholic or Muslim.

Also, again not necessarily in the same TL in the others, what about a Norse emperor? The bureaucracy doesn't have to speak Norse, though.

In before some smartass talks about Russia as "the Third Rome".

One could conceivably get a 'Turkish' emperor if one of the small post-Seljuk sheikhdoms become Orthodox Christians and marry into the imperial house. Alternatively, if one of those sheikhs (probably not the right term for Turkish ones) takes over Armenia or a Christian Caucasus country and converts to Orthodoxy, then marries into the Byzantines.

Stefan Dusan is probably the best bet for a Slavic ERE.

 

[SlyDessertFox]

If you have a pre-Islam POD, that shouldn't stop the Turks from storming into the region. It makes it a lot easier to get them to convert to Orthodox.

 

[Wendell]

Weren't there Byzantine generals of Turkic origin at several points in history, and Turkic migrations in the same time?

 

[Tjakari]

If you have a pre-Islam POD, that shouldn't stop the Turks from storming into the region. It makes it a lot easier to get them to convert to Orthodox.

Around the time the Turks made it to the Near East the conversion was still superficial for a sizeable portion, you have the right people convert around the right battles you might just get some christian Turks in the Empire.

 

[SlyDessertFox]

Around the time the Turks made it to the Near East the conversion was still superficial for a sizeable portion, you have the right people convert around the right battles you might just get some christian Turks in the Empire.

And then I guess having a Turkic dynasty wouldn't be too implausible. Of course, to get both POD's to work together, a POD way back is necessary anyway.

 

[Tripledot]

For a Norse Byzantine emperor, do Normans count? Seems like that could be one of the most easily done.

 

[Shahrasayr]

A Varangian goes rogue and kills the emperor, marries his daughter and takes the throne for himself? He might even give some parcels of land to his buddies from the guard.

I mean come on, Basileus Ásmund Eriksson does have a bit of a ring to it.

As for a Turkish beylik which would be appropriate for this, the Beylik of Sinop/Isfendayarids are a good bet to achieve with. Make them become vassals of Byzantium somehow (possibly by instigation of a Christian rebellion) and get a ethnic Turkish house onto the throne of the ERE.

 

[Byzantine fanatic]

In the 700s, a majority of the Byzantine Empire was either overrun or inhabited by Slavic speakers, including Greece, the heartland.

Nice ideas, however the sentence above is not accurate.

The heartland of the Byzantine Empire was Anatolia, and it was overwhelmingly inhabited by people who spoke Greek. The Slavs were never more than a tiny minority there. As for the area of the southern Balkans which we now call 'Greece', that region was peripheral at best in the 700s. Only the city of Thessalonika was of much significance, and it remained under Byzantine control.

Scenario A was never going to happen.
Scenario B could only happen if the Turks immigrate and then convert to Christianity. That would require a much stronger Byzantine state between 1071 and 1204.

 

[Russian]

In the 700s, a majority of the Byzantine Empire was either overrun or inhabited by Slavic speakers, including Greece, the heartland. Before this, the language of the emperor had changed from Latin to Greek (maybe later, if I am likely wrong). Your challenge is to change the language of the emperor, and the bureaucracy to Slavic.

Well, that's not easy. But possible.

There were emperors who were successful in their wars in the Balkans. Let them be more successful.
Some emperors achieved serious gains in Asia, in Syria and even in Mesopotamia. Let these emperors make their wars conquering european lands populated mostly by the Slavic speakers. Actually these territories were traditional Roman territories, so why not? And they are close to Constantinople, easier to convert and rule than Muslims of Asia.

When Anatolia is inevitably lost to the Turks, there is a strong, big Roman Empire in Europe consisting of Slavic speakers for the most part. The Greek language will stay as a language of learning though; and cultural and religious elites will be bilingual - Slavic and Greek.