Another 4th Crusade thread...

Ohhh!!!!! I get it..... :eek::eek: nvm.....:(:(:(:( however the Devastation cause by the Mongols is huge, Anatolia is the backbone for a surviving ERE, with so depopulated how do you expect pop transfers...... The mainsource of Byzantine troops and Horses came from Anatolai, not the Balkans...... Otherwise it seems fine except that I feel that Byzantine expansion is going to fast.... Otherwise I have no real qualms it is a good byzantine tl.... Once again srry:(:( Damm I should have paid more attention.

Well, remember that the Byzantines have been fighting the Seljuk successor states at this point-and all of them went through exactly the same thing Byzantine Anatolia went through, except they don't have a large part of their territory that was unaffacted. Also, I don't think its particularly fast...I had them take over Anatolia up to Iconium over a 20 year period.
 
Dramatis personae

Let us recall the significant players of OTL post-1203 history.

Alexios Komnenos. Born in 1182, son of Manuel Komnenos and Rusudana of Georgia, grandson of Andronikos I Komnenos.

In 1185 when Andronikos was deposed and executed and Manuel was caught, blinded and apparently died thereof, Rusudana and her sons succeeded in escaping to her elder sister Tamara in Georgia. There they stayed, OTL till beginning of 1204. Using the weakening of Empire by 4th Crusade, but before the fall of city in April, they took Georgian army from his aunt the Queen, seized Trapezund, declared Alexios Emperor with the intent to seize the whole empire - in which they were thwarted by Theodore Komnenus.

Isaac II Angelos. Born in 1156, son of Andronikos Angelos, grandson of Theodora Komnene, great-grandson of Alexios I Komnenos.

In 1183, Andronikos Angelos and his sons rebelled against Andronikos I Komnenos. The elder son Alexios III Angelos was exiled; the younger brother Isaac was spared and left in Constantinople. In 1185, Isaac rebelled on his attempted arrest, overthrew Andronikos and became Emperor. His older brother Alexios was ransomed by him out of exile, overthrew him in 1195; Isaac was blinded and imprisoned and was still alive in 1203. He would die, allegedly of shock, after second overthrow in 1204.

Alexios III Angelos. Born in 1153, ruling in 1203. In OTL, went on to live till 1211, was imprisoned in a monastery and died of natural causes.
Alexios III had no sons. His brother he had blinded and imprisoned, his nephew was imprisoned and escaped. He did have 3 daughters. Irene Angelina; Anna Angelina who was from 1200 married to Theodoros I Laskaris, and Eudokia Angelina who was in 1203 a divorcee.

Alexios IV Angelos. Born in 1182, son of Isaac II. Imprisoned after his father´s overthrow, escaped in 1201. When in July 1203, the Crusaders tried to call the citizens to support him, the Greeks were uninterested, because Alexios III was legitimate for them.

Theodoros I Laskaris. In 1203, the only son-in-law of Emperor. Fought in July 1203 to defend Constantinople; after Alexios III fled to Thrace, submitted to Alexios IV.

So. The 4th Crusade is not bankrupt and not aiming for Constantinople. Alexios IV in exile is not finding armies to sail on the city. With the regime not weakened as per OTL, Tamara is not sending armies to put her nephew Alexios Komnenos on throne.

How will Alexios III continue his reign? Will he kill Theodoros Laskaris on suspicion? Or will Theodoros seize power by coup? Or will Alexios die natural causes in 1211 as per OTL and bequeath the throne to Theodoros I Laskaris unopposed?
 
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