AHC: Suriving Byzantine Empire

Your challenge is to have the Byzantine Empire surive continusly from the fall Westeren Roman Empire to the present day. Bonus points if its broders exceed that of present-day Turkey.
 
Or Isaac's Empire 2.0. 1.0 was the old version, and there are other Byzantine Empire TLs that I know. If you want an unusual Byzantine TL, I highly recommend A Khan in Constantinople.
 
Basically, the best way to do it is to either slow down Western Europe's technological and political progression by a century or two (fairly difficult, IMHO), or to have an ERE that retains its dominance in Western Asia by the time of the emergence of powerful European states, notably Hungary and Norman Sicily. Without these factors, the Empire with a post-700 POD will always be facing an uphill struggle against aggressors on two fronts.

Alternatively, just butterfly the events of the first half of the seventh century, and the Roman Empire can remain a Mediterranean superpower.
 
A Surviving Ottoman Empire has alot more interesting possibilities than a Surviving Byzantium/Rome.

I'm not sure I'd say that.

Both are in an interesting position.


I'd say that up to about the Third Crusade, the Byzantines can probably make their position relatively stable in Europe.

An earlier POD would be nice, but it's not until the 1190s that the Byzantine attempts to reassert power in the Balkans become enfeebled.

Still, if the Byzantines aren't going to struggle on both fronts (Asia and Europe), they really need something about the size of Basil II's empire - and even that's hardly more than necessary.

Not counting the vassal princes to the west, or the Italian lands. Although those would be very, very useful, especially the former.
 
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