Anatolian Catalan Company State?

[MNP]

At the dawn of the 14th century, the Byzantine Emperor hired the Catalan Company (1,500 knights, 4,000 almoghavars) as mercenaries. In Anatolia they defeated the Turks and added some Horse Archers in their ranks. They weren't shy about pillaging the Byzzies as well, but it didn't seem any of the Turkish factions of the day could stop them. Their leader, Roger de Flor was suspected of wanting to set up his own principality in Anatolia. In the end, the emperors betrayed them and massacred them using the Alans and they ran around causing chaos on the European side of the empire before being hired out by the Latins of Athens who also betrayed them. The Company ended up conquering Athens and the Morea and ruled it for 70 years.

So the WI: What If the Byzantine Emperor supports Roger de Flor's setting up a state between the Byzantine and Turkish areas incorporating parts of both? Will they attack the Byzantines? Will they attack the Turks? If they are a buffer state for 70 years in the east, how does this effect the Byzantine Empire?

 

[Antipater]

Given the ruthlessness of the Catalan company, I doubt that any "Principality" they set up would have any focus other than squeezing every last byzant out of their territory. For that privilege I think they would be happy to fight off any potential Turkish invader who threatened their own (and perhaps) the Emperor's territory.

The problem is, I doubt they would fight for the Emperor the moment he stopped paying them exactly what they wanted. Eventually they would become a thorn in the Empire's side, just another aggressor demanding protection money or tribute from Constantinople. So the Empire would eventually resort to a typical "Byzantine" solution and either maneuver or bribe either another mercenary company, or even some Turkish emir to take care of the Catalans, and either cause them to revolt against the Empire and cause massive damage, per OTL, or utterly destroy them. That same Emir would proceed to play the same game with the Emperor that the Catalans had, with the Emperor bargaining away territory and gold for ephemeral "protection" so he could focus on winning his current round of civil strife. Most the the 14th century was wasted by the constant civil wars between John VI and the legitimate pretender to the Throne, that was was really destroyed the Empire, not the minor Anatolian Turkish threat they faced during the 14th century.

I don't think that this Catalan principality would strengthen the Empire in any way, at best they would just leave the Empire with their pockets stuffed with Gold, or be annihilated by a hostile Turkish Emirate and after taking out a fair number of the Empire's real enemies.

 

[el t]

Catalan Company

Given the ruthlessness of the Catalan company, I doubt that any "Principality" they set up would have any focus other than squeezing every last byzant out of their territory. For that privilege I think they would be happy to fight off any potential Turkish invader who threatened their own (and perhaps) the Emperor's territory.

The problem is, I doubt they would fight for the Emperor the moment he stopped paying them exactly what they wanted. Eventually they would become a thorn in the Empire's side, just another aggressor demanding protection money or tribute from Constantinople. So the Empire would eventually resort to a typical "Byzantine" solution and either maneuver or bribe either another mercenary company, or even some Turkish emir to take care of the Catalans, and either cause them to revolt against the Empire and cause massive damage, per OTL, or utterly destroy them. That same Emir would proceed to play the same game with the Emperor that the Catalans had, with the Emperor bargaining away territory and gold for ephemeral "protection" so he could focus on winning his current round of civil strife. Most the the 14th century was wasted by the constant civil wars between John VI and the legitimate pretender to the Throne, that was was really destroyed the Empire, not the minor Anatolian Turkish threat they faced during the 14th century.

I don't think that this Catalan principality would strengthen the Empire in any way, at best they would just leave the Empire with their pockets stuffed with Gold, or be annihilated by a hostile Turkish Emirate and after taking out a fair number of the Empire's real enemies.

I agree. The Catalans are'nt numerous enough to really settle the country and their Roman Catholicism would have presented a problem to the Greek population. I see a Catalan state in Asia Minor as emphemeral at best.

 

[Niko Malaka]

I also agree with the scepticism showed by other posters. Beside this, Roger de Flor was a great military leader, but, was he a good political leader? Also, as the history of the duchy of Neopatria shows, they owed loyalty to the aragonese crown and it could be a source of problems. On the other hand, in modern terms, we would say thet their "business model" was the mercenary services, and considering their internal confrontations (sure, they happened after Roger de Flor's death, but perhaps we can assume that such an important change as having a territory for their own could also shake the fundaments of the Company) ruling a territory could pose challenges beyond the company capicity.

 

[el t]

Catalan Company

Most of the Greek peasantry had long abanoned their lands in western Asia Minor by the time of the Catalan campaign. The Catalans could take the role of the former Byzantine border troops, but the government of Andronicus II is probably too weak to control them. The situation in Asia Minor was not like it was when Alexius Comnenus was able to take advantage of the passage of the First Crusade and re-occupy extensive areas of western Asia Minor.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Side-POD: what if the Catalan Company and its leader had escaped destruction, continuing to exist throughout the Middle Ages, eventually becoming the world's oldest continuing PMC?