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In the final battle The Byzantines held the brother of the Ottoman Sultan as an alternative to Mehmed, he actually commanded the final defense of a section of the walls. The battle was close and it was agreed that the final assault by the Ottomans would be the last assault, losses, lack of results, fear of a Crusader army, and most importantly of all open talk of rebellion among the many Turkish tribes and also Christian Balkan warriors. In the final charge the Janissaries had been halted in there attack but a side gate had been left open. A handful of Turks charged thought and briefly captured a tower – raising the Turkish flag, and demoralizing the Byzantine forces. Despite this the Turks, in the tower were isolated and killed. It appears is if the Byzantines had won. However a stray bullet wounded the Giustiniani the Genoese commander, who had become a hero in the siege. As he was carried from the battle the Byzantines and there allies collapsed in confusion thereby giving the victory to the Turks.
However let’s say instead of the bullet hitting Giustiniani the bullet hits the Turkish Sultan instead, gravely wounding or killing him. The grand visor would have taken over and he was decidedly against pressing the attack. As the Turks fall back 1/3 of there army (Christian subjects) rebel and go home, no longer under the feudal obligation and seeing disorder in the Turkish succession plans. The various Turkish tribes in Anatolia, who had rebelled in the last 10 years break away from a leaderless Ottoman Empire. The Byzantines releases the Turkish Sultan’s brother and he regains ½ of the European domains. Becoming a strong Byzantine allies but never stronger then the Byzantines.
The Byzantines focus on keeping a low profile and pick off a few of the smaller Turkish Anatolian territories with a heavy focus on allowing no new “Ottoman conglomeration” of Tribes to reassemble. The Byzantines recapture Greece and some of Bulgaria and keep great relationships with the Ottoman prince who rules western Bulgaria. Domestic relations are rebuilt with Hungary.
Seeing how well gunpowder weapons had worked at the recent siege, Giustiniani is made commander of the forces and slowly adapts there military to a defensive force and developing trade and good relationships with there counterparts.
At this point in history the western powers were beginning to be divided by there own issues. In 1492 Columbus will discover America. By the early 1500’s better and safer ways of obtaining spices from the East by going West were becoming popular, and realistic, thereby weakening the Italian merchant states. The “Great Italian Wars” The Italian Wars, sometimes known as the Great Italian Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, all the major states of western Europe (France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, England, Scotland, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, and most of the city-states of Italy) as well as the Ottoman Empire. Originally arising from a dynastic dispute over the Kingdom of Naples, the wars rapidly became a general struggle for power and territory among their various participants, and were marked with an increasing degree of alliances, counter-alliances, and regular betrayals. Leaves Italy in a total mess and unable to interfere in the limited Byzantium revival.
As gunpowder Weapons become more advanced, and lacking an Ottoman presence to adapt to gunpowder weapons the Turkish tribes do not adapt to modern warfare, over the next century the Byzantium army shows a marked advantage over there Turkish neibours. There recapture, in a safe controlled manner gives them an increasing amount of Anatolia.
The West is focused on there internal wars, dividing up Italy, conquest of the Americas, and penetration of the Pacific Rim. The Byzantine revival continues as it focuses on trade with Russia, Egypt, and the Moslem divided powers.
It will never be what it once was but will be the major power of the Balkans and Middle East.