Byzantines Butterfly Democracy?

Well, namely Republican Italy which was key to the development I suppose. Would a Byzantine Italy where they control at least parts or the majority of Italy lead to the butter flying of Republicanism?

I am somewhat inclined to not believe so simply due to I view the Byzantines as fallible. Even in the case of a surviving Byzantine Empire their control on Italy would ALWAYS be contested and a movement to exert direct control would be hard pressesed. The Exarchs and Doux would be the basis of Autonomy and Republicanism as similarly to Venice's development.
 
The Byzantines only really cared a lot about controlling the southern portion of Italy, the North will in all likelihood be be a buffer region divided up under local control, which may or may not mean a lot of republics. Also even if this gets rid of the Byzantines it really doesn't mean the idea of democracy goes away (in a lot of places you have a history of highly localized direct democracy among peasants). As an idea I just don't see something very similar to democracy not showing up because it's just such a simple idea to come up with and one that was atleast somewhat known in most of Europe.
 
The Byzantines only really cared a lot about controlling the southern portion of Italy, the North will in all likelihood be be a buffer region divided up under local control, which may or may not mean a lot of republics. Also even if this gets rid of the Byzantines it really doesn't mean the idea of democracy goes away (in a lot of places you have a history of highly localized direct democracy among peasants). As an idea I just don't see something very similar to democracy not showing up because it's just such a simple idea to come up with and one that was atleast somewhat known in most of Europe.

Although you might get the idea that its completely ineffectual at a national level without any examples of successful republics.

If that happens, that is.
 
Although you might get the idea that its completely ineffectual at a national level without any examples of successful republics.

If that happens, that is.

Rome will always be popular among classicists, and even then lacking republics "constitutional monarchy" equivalents will certainly be around (because Aristocrats can even chafe under absolute monarchy in most cases). Between those two groups one is almost certainly going to get powerful (if only because centralizing a kingdom under one autocrat is something thats hard and has a high probability of failure).
 
Rome will always be popular among classicists, and even then lacking republics "constitutional monarchy" equivalents will certainly be around (because Aristocrats can even chafe under absolute monarchy in most cases). Between those two groups one is almost certainly going to get powerful (if only because centralizing a kingdom under one autocrat is something thats hard and has a high probability of failure).

True. But Rome might as easily be associated with its imperial days and (as another example of a classic republic) Athens can be used as an example of failure rather than success - though this would take a different turn in Western thought altogether, I think, and not one favored by Byzantine survival (as the Byzantine classicalists will always see Athens as learned, and learned is cool).
 
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