Here is the post it may be a bit long
Ioannes IX Kapodistrias the Great (1820-1860)
(Born Constantinople 1799-Died Thessalonica 1860)
Emperor Ioannes
It is hard to imagine now that the 2nd Byzantine Empire once stretched from the Danube all the way to modern day Ethiopia. But during the time of Ioannes the Great it was the one of the world’s greatest powers. Ever since the Great Turkish war and Byzantine independence wars the Empire was a rising star in European politics as it dominated one of the key Bosporus straights and the rich Greece, Anatolian Area. Ioannes was never meant to be the Emperor his brother Isaac was the chosen heir. But tragically both Isaac and his father Emperor Constantine XIV were killed fighting the Turks at the battle of Mosul. Ioannes reign began with a bloody war between Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and Romania. Ioannes gather what was left of his army and marched it towards the Ottoman forces they meet at Lake Van. The battle of Van was the first great victory by Ioannes. He decided to fight him with a small sized infantry force against Vizer Reşid Mehmed Pasha large Turkish army. He then revealed his surprised a large elite cavalry force smashed into flanks together the three forces push the Turkish into the lake.
The Battle of Lake Van
The battle was a massacre the Turkish army was destroyed. Ioannes marched his force all the way to capital of Baghdad. He forces Sultan Abdül I to sign the treaty of Mosul annexing vast amount of lands to the Byzantium and forced him to abdicate the throne splitting the empire in three countries ruled by his son Syrian Sultanate ruled by Murad, Iraq by Abdul I, and Nejd by Mehmed. He then turned his attention to the south towards Egypt Ibrahim Pasha. Ibrahim was a smart commander and realized that this was his opportunity to expand Egypt. He declared war on Syrian as son as it was declared independent state. He had no trouble taking the area. Ioannes was not about to let Ibrahim gain the holy land. He marched his growing force of 20 000 to face Egyptian army meeting them at battle of Aleppo, the Battle of Beirut, and the Battle of the Golan Heights all of which were Byzantine victories. Ibrahim was desperate fell back to Gaza to make one final stand. Ioannes decided to meet Ibrahim and fight him at Gaza. The battle was indecisive. The war having a massive effect on the weakening Byzantine army who was always at numerical disadvantage every time they went into battle, and casualties were taking their toll on the army.
Ibrahim Pasha
But Ioannes had to go north. Romania had just defeated and annexed their ally Bulgaria. He crushed King Michel’s army into the empire crushing them at battle of Sofia, and battle of Budapest annexing the country thus bringing the war to an end (Egypt signed a peace treaty giving up all Asian lands). Ioannes next tried to secure international support and alliances. Russia already hated it for trying to usurp its power in the Balkans same goes for Austria. Hesse and Prussia were at each other throats trying to unite Germany under each others rule. Scandinavia was not interested in trying to improve the already damaged relations with the empire. That left Britain, and France for support. As Italy began to heat up in the wars of independence Ioannes decided to support the Kingdom of Savoy in their quest to unify Italy. It is also convient that France supported them too. After months of negotiations all three of the monarchs Phillip III of France, Emperor Ioannes, and King Antonio II of Savoy signed the treaty of Genoa agreeing to protect each other if the other was attacked, it also agreed that for open trade between the three countries.
King Phillip III
King Antonio
This was the masterwork of Ioannes as it opened the country to foreign investment rapidly industrializing the country. This treaty leads to the rapid industrialization that would last until 1837 when war was sparked again between Egypt and Byzantine with the Byzantine quickly crushing the Egyptian annexing the country. This gave Byzantine Empire key area of the Suez Canal leading Britain to court the Empire. They try to get Britain to joining their alliance. Britain refused to join but allowed for their merchants to invest in the new arising economic power that was Byzantium. This put the empire in a good condition its position as protector of the Slavs and economic and military prowess that was unmatched in the region. But war was brought was back into Europe as Savoy and league of other Italian states declared war on Austria. Ioannes joined the fight sent one army under the commander of his friend Dimitrios Zaimis into Italy to meet up with King Antonio and the assisting French forces, while he Ioannes would attack from the East. He was able to crush the force under the command Joseph Radetzky beating him at the battles of Sibiu and Arad but losing at Oradeau. The biggest battle was at a town called Szolnok. The battle of Szolnok was a bloody three day affair that ended with extremely high amount of casualties but was won as the 2nd Athean division attack and flank Radetzky flank the army retreated to Vienna realizing that Austria had lost signed the treaty of Milan in which Austria would be forced to recognize Italy as a independent state and cede the Transylvanian regions to the Byzantine empire. The empire lived in peace till the revolutions of 1843 began. The cause of these revolutions was the overthrow of the king Phillip in place of a republic that would last until 1856 when the grandson of an old emperor would take the throne. These revolutions causing the collapse of Naples, and the creation of an independent Poland, and Croatia. These revolutions would have a profound effect on the empire and its emperor. The region of Romania was affected the most by these revolutions as revolutionaries tried to gain its independence. To do this they work with a democratic force trying to establish a republic. Both of the revolutions were quashed. After winning one of the battles he approached a rebel captain to ask him why he was fighting what drove him to fight against his empire. The Rebel gave him a simple answer to gain the freedoms that is essential to man. Inspired by the man bravery and his message he pardoned him and made him an advisor. Ioannes want to bring some of the freedom the rebel had mentioned while still maintaining power. Together the two of began the biggest reform program in history of Byzantine Empire creating the state Parliament and decreasing the power of the Senate. The people would elect the Prime Minster with the emperor approving everything. They elected the former rebel Basil Damyanov as Prime Minster.
Prime Minister Basil Damyanov
Peace ruled over the empire until the biggest war in Ioannes reign. Russian declared war on the merits of killing Russian nationalist in Empire and demanded that the straight be open. The Russian invaded through Romania and Caucasus Ioannes led the army into Romania while Dimitrios led them into the Caucasus trying to hold the Russian off until their allies Britain, France, and Italy arrived. They were successful is hold of the advance and in pushing the armies back at the battle of Ismail, Oltinitz, and Gyumri. The British arrived crushing the Russian navy at Sinop. The war slowed down as the campaign began to focus on the Ukraine. They were able to advance to Sevastopol but the lack of any skill by the British and French force, Ioannes took over command crushing the Russian at river Alma and the battle of Kars. After these defeats the Russia sued for peace recognizing Byzantine rule over the Balkans. The rest of Ioannes reign was defined by peaceful development till the German unification wars between his French allies, Hesse, and Prussia. While making his way to Prussian owed Magdeburg after the winning a battle he died from wounds. His son Alexios would inherit the throne. But after the empire would never recover from the damage from the long German unifications and the Slavic wars. The empire slowly collapsed loosing Egypt and Romania soon after Ioannes death, by the Second World War the empire had ceased to be a major power in the world (think like a post World
Konrad II, 1st King of Hesse and leader of the Protestant Alliance reigned from (1632-1671)
Map of Byzantine empire at the death of Ioannes imposed on the map of OTL 1841. White lines equal what he inherited, light purple equal Byzantium now, Dark Purple equal his empire