John Fredrick Parker
Donor
Is there a way for the Duchy of Athens (Catalan or no) to survive as a sovereign(ish) nation to the present day? Can it happen even if Constantinople still falls? If so, how would history be changed?
Only way I can see that happening is if the Duke of Athens is able to get himself turned into a vassal of the Ottomans like the rulers of Transylvania and Wallachia. I see this a unlikely, but it could have happened given the right circumstances.
This would seem to be the best way to do it. If/when the Ottomans decline, he can maybe come under Hapsburg protection?
Err...That seems really random here. I think that if it's not on Turkic clientele, it would maybe form sort of Skanderbeg's Albania equivalent, under Papal or even Napolitan protection.
Or Venetian even, especially if perhaps they own the Morea. I mean Venice certainly had client states of her own (The Duchy of Naxos and Catarina Cornaro's Cyprus come to mind).