Driving the Ottomans out of Europe

I've been doing some research and found a timeline of the OTL interregnum in Donald Edgar Pitcher's book (http://books.google.com/books?id=8gs4AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false).
Also, I've found two important pieces of information in it:

Suleyman aided Isa when he requested it and there was "little to no inclination to break away from Ottoman rule" in the empire. So Suleyman won't assasinate Isa, nor would the people accept a ruler not from the Ottoman dynasty.

"in Europe provinces were relinquished by Süleyman - often needlessly - in order to secure friends and allies for his contest for empire."
This means Suleyman is ready to negotiate peace in exchange for provinces - for example relinquishing Bulgaria.

I will adjust my "timeline" in accordance to this new knowledge.

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Sigismund sees that Stefan Lazarević, the Serbian Despot may have allegiance to Sultan Bayezid, he bribes him abundantly to stay away from the battle. He even places a skeleton battalion in the way of the possible rallying path to join the Sultan’s army. Thus, the Ottomans cannot employ heavy cavalry and, after heavy losses on both sides, they retreat.

Because of the great casualties, the Christian army decides not to pursue them at all, not even after recovery. The just starve the garrison out and take the city.

An adjustment of battlefield tactics is needed after the complete annihilation of the French cavalry in the debacle.

After the battle, the Banat of Nicopol is estabilished - Sigismund appointed Titusz Vay (in OTL he was given the title because of his brave deeds in battle) as Ban.

The Ottomans don't attack, but strengthen the defence of the region - Albanian tribes have a bit more time before being subdued.

Raids occur on both sides. In 1398 an uneasy truce is negotiated. During this truce, Bayezid partially conquers Albania and forces the remaining northern Albanian lords into vassalage.

A new, halfhearted siege of Constantinople is undertaken but lifted in 1399 after Emperor Manuel II, Bayezid's vassal, agreed that the sultan should confirm all future Byzantine emperors.
Soon thereafter Bayezid was called back to Anatolia to deal with continuing problems with the Ottomans’ Turkish rivals and never returned to the Balkans.

Battle of Ankara takes place in 1402. The Ottomans arerouted and Bayezid is taken prisoner, later dying in captivity. The Ottomans were reduced to Timurid vassals.

After learning about the Timurid raids in Anatlia, infights and seeing Ottoman vassals becoming more and more autonomous, Sigismund sees an opportunity to crush the already shaken Ottoman rule in Europe. He sends spies into Ottoman territory to acquire information about the issue.

In 1403, his agents give detailed reports about how the Empire is divided and how each part's situation is like. He quicky begins talks with Balkan states and starts to organize a coordinated effort. With Bosnia, Wallachia and Poland, he decides to locate and fund Bulgarian, Albanian and Macedonian elements willing to rebel to form organized resistance and get ready for a full-scale rebellion against the Suleyman, who was Sultan of Edrine.
With the southern states (Byzantine Empire, Raguza, Despotate of Epirus, Principality of Achaea, Duchy of Athens), negotiations are began to sow the seeds of a Macedonian uprising and prepare plans to go to war with Isa, who was Bey in Balikesir.

In May 1404 Rumelia is ragged with uprisings. Local Ottoman garrisons are tied down dealing with them while coalition forces prepare to enter the land. In the North to big armies arre rallied. One of them has the mission to liberate northern Bulgaria, the other marches against Edrine.

In the South, Greek and Albanian forces enter Ottoman territory while Venetian and Genoese fleets block reinforcement routes from Rumelia. The Venetians - concerned about their profits - require a part of the land conquered from the Ottomans. Byzantium waits for significant coalition success before entering the war.
Before any major battles can takeplace, Suleyman initiates negotiations. According to the agreement that is reached, he relinquishes Bulgaria in exchange for peace.
After advancing deep into Greece, the Southern members of the alliance meet with Isa's Anatolian forces - the Venetians couldn't stop them from being transported through the Aegean.

At late autumn the offensive came to a halt. All former Ottoman vassals were now free except for Macedonia. Constantine II was reinstated as king to a now free Bulgaria. The Banat of Nicopol was given to the country to complete it.

1405 passes without aggression in the Balkans.

In 1406, Suleyman decides to attack Anatolia. He is victorious in many battles. Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor contacts the members of the former coalition and encourages a new offensive while Suleyman fights in Anatolia. The others reluctantly agree. They occupy Edrine.
Suleyman sees that the Christians are restless and negotiates truce with Mehmed – Mehmed gains Isa’s Anatolion dominion and Suleyman receives the Rumelian territories after Isa is reported dead.

Suleyman returns to Europe. Isa’s possessions compensate him for his losses in his absence and he manages to slowly stop his enemies. He attempts to convince Theodore I Palaiologos, Despot of Morea to attack the Albanian Principalities in exchange for making him Byzantine Emperor, but he declines.
 
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He then offers the same pact to Manuel III Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond, who accepts.
Manuel II Palaiologos is assassinated and Manuel III Komnenos assumes the throne of Constantinople. With money from the royal treasure of Trebizond and some financial assistance from Suleyman himself, he raises an army which he deploys near Salonika. From there he marches toward the frontline where his and Suleyman's army grind Coalition troops.

Upon hearing from this betrayal Theodore I Palaiologos, Despot of Morea is infuriated. Not only did Manuel side with the Turks, but he also killed Theodore's brother. He leads his forces against Manuel's. They meet in a battlefield where the Ottomans are grinding up Coalition forces with Manuel's help. As the two Byzantines turn against eachother, the Turks don't have the manpower to destroy Christian forces and the battle is not decisive, although it can be evaluated as a tactical defeat for Suleyman, for he is left with too little army to effectively defend against the still fresh Northern Coalition forces.

Both Theodore I and Manuel III die in the battle. Theodore is succeeded by Helena Dragaš until their son comes of age. Manuel III's successor is his son, Alexios IV Megas Komnenos. The young John VIII Palaiologos is crowned as the new Byzantine Emperor.

Meanwhile in Anatolia, Musa rises up against Mehmed and civil war rages once again.
 
In early 1407, Suleyman attempts to destroy the enemy in detail. The plan works out initially, but then, due to a grave strategic mistake, his forces are surrounded and his soldiers refuse to fight. He is forced to surrender.

One of the main reasons for this was his extremely disrespectful conduct with his generals and treating his troops with cruelty.

After negotiating a treaty to give up all his lands, he is allowed to leave the continent with as many men as he is able to convince provided that he goes to Anatolia to face his brother Mehmed, who is winning the war against Musa. He agrees and lands near Karaman to launch an offensive against Amassia, the heart of Mehmed’s Empire. The element of surprise grants him the occupation of several cities, but Mehmed places his forces in his way before he can get to the capital. Hassan, the Aga of Janissaries on Mehmed’s side manages to persuade Suleyman’s troops to leave the cause of a madman who constantly humiliates them and join the most just and virtous Ottoman prince. Suleyman is angered and kills Hassan himself, but is fatally injured by one of the officers accompanying Hassan. His troops panic and flee as he bleeds to death on the would-be battlefield. After rounding up the fled troops, Mehmed forgives them and they join his army.
Even further bolstered by the newcomers, Mehmed ultimately defeats Musa in 1408. After the final battle, Musa is captured and executed.
Mehmed is now left to only known surviving son of Bayazid. The war of succession is over.

The situation in the Balkans also consolidates as Coalition members divide the Ottoman land and swap territories among eachother to make it fair for all participants.
 
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I haven't really dealt with this one for a long time, but I recently reviewed it and made some changes and added stuff.

Changes:

Sigismund doesn't return the Banat of Nicopol to Constantine II, the reinstated Bulgarian king.

In this war he can be viewed as the main protagonist from Christian aspect, but he is by far not that selfless or emphatic. If the Bulgarians inquire about it, he can say that his forces occupied it and his actions ultimately made them a free nation again.


(DISCARDED: Instead of the Emperor of Trebizond, Sulejman proposes his pact to the Prince of Achaea, Centurione II Zaccaria.

Trebizond was a bit far away and Achaea had a long-lasting conflict with Morea, originating from a succession dispute. The Despot of Morea was a relative of the Byzantine Emperor, so his claim could have been the most legitimate had he accepted Sulejman's proposal. Now, the Achaean Prince could claim the throne of Constantinople and can later incorporate Morea, thus return Byzantium to some of its former might.
--> Sulejman doesn't want this, since he would have a strong orthodox neighbour.)



After assuming the throne of Constantinople, Manuel III Komnenos leads his army through Thrace, and doesn't land at Salonika.

It would make no sense to get off at Constantinople, get crowned, then get on the ships again, sail to Salonika, land there and make his way to the frontline.


The latter one doesn't happen in 1406, but in 1407, along with Theodoros I Palaiologos' revenge.
Also, the Ottoman War of Succession ends in early 1409.


It has been pointed out to me that crushing Ottoman Rumelia may be a bit too quick this way, but I think that the many participants can make an army that matches one fourth or thrid of the Ottomans' and succeed.
Anyway, I've also found the flow of events in these years too tumultuous, so I stretched them a bit.


Additions:

Coalition members divide the Ottoman land and swap territories among eachother to make it fair for all participants.

Sigismund backs Venetian terriotrial demands in the Aegean in exchange for their Dalmatian holdings.
He also supports Serbia's claim on lands to its south for its northern strip and heavily weighs in in favour of Wallachia for the possession of Dobrogea in exchange for Oltenia.
Apart from that, the Albanian principalities carve out their part from Rumelia, Macedonia returns to Byzantium along with many other lands, Venice and Genoa gain islands and ports on the mainland.


Things to come

The Emperor almost certainly wants to see the glory of Byzantium return. His endeavours will aim at reuniting Epirus, Achaea, Morea, Trebizond and Naxos under one banner. The latter state is also a very lush target for Venice, their interests will collide.

The next parts of histoy is brand new for Bulgaria. How will they fare?

How will the Hussite War look like now? Will this war have any effect on it?

What is Sigismund's plan for the rest of his reign?

What will Sheikh Bedreddin do now that there are no Christian subjects in the Ottoman Empire? What will he base his rebellion ideologically on? Or will he even surface?

And ultimately, are the Ottomans down but not out? Will they try to reclaim their lost dominion?



I will try to explore these issues mainly and welcome any ideas on them and about other stuff as well. Stay tuned ;)
 
Mini update part I - Map

This is a semi-final map of the aftermath in the Balkans.
Note: Since my map-skills are quite poor, I'm gonna need help from someone who can do cool maps.

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Mini-update part II - Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Tzar Constantine II Asen needs to strenghten his and his country's position. He doesn't have any offsprings, not even a wife. Serbian Princess Olivera Despina returned recently from captivity, where she was held with his husband Sultan Bayezid I. After some negotiations with the Serbian ruler, they dissolved her pervious marriage vows based on the ground that it was with an infidel, and he is dead anyway. Then Olivera and Constantine married, strenghtening the ties between the two nations.

Since Ioannes VII Palaiologos was Constantine's cousin, he was also related to the Byzantine Emperor.

The two connections placed him in relative safety for the time being.
He then wishes to re-estabilish the Patriarchate of Bulgaria and
appoints Gregory Tsamblak, a former disciple of the prominent Bulgarian hesychast, writer and follower of the late Patriarch Evtimiy of Bulgaria, as the new Patriarch.


Other:

Since it's main purpose, the Ottoman threat, is now gone, the Order of the Dragon is butterflied away.
 
Byzantium

John VIII wants to reboot the economy, centralize his power and gain military strength.

He reestabilishes trade routes with the new neighbours. To profit more from the booming trade, he founds the Imperial Tradehouse in Constantinople. It is intended to buy all goods coming in the city and sell it for a somewhat higher price. This is implemented gradually to avoid sudden decline of the Treasury.

The tax collection from the newly regained territories is enforced strictly by the Emperor, since he is entitled to them.

John demands reparations from Trebizond for killing his father and seriously endangering the success of the Crusade. Trebizond, fearing from Mehmed's vengeance, are desperate to find allies, so they want to reconcile with Byzantium. They agree on a somewhat smaller amount and it is shipped in in small installments during the course of the next few years.

The Emperor obliges the noblemen to pay a symbolic tax to him.

Every Turk may reside on Byzantine lands and may retain their faith ine xchange for an oath to the Emperor hismelf, otherwise they have to convert to Orthodox Christianity.

From the extra income, he searches for untapped veins and builds mines.
He also invests in agriculture,


These measures will hopefully increase his income and boost the eceonomy The accepted Turks can be used as an army should the need arise.
 
I think that Murad II came *very* close to being taken hostage at the Battle of Varna, make this happen and have the Ottomans retreat in exchange for a hefty ransom and promise about not harming the Byzantines. If Constantine XI is savy enough maybe the Empire lives until the 1470s or so. Have it fall in 1476 for the double dose or irony, or maybe it falls into Bulgarian or Latin or Hungarian (or even Ottoman!) hands by marriage/dynastic inheritance and is existant but no longer "Roman" somehow. The real interesting effect might be how this changes Ottoman development as they have not united Anatolia yet, delaying this significantly could give other powers a chance to expand at Ottoman expense. Could he marry a Trebizond princess and somehow reunite the fragments of the Byzantine Empire?
 
The Battle of Varna we know is butterflied away. I think the Empire can live much longer than that. Reuniting the fragments of the Empire will cerainly be the agenda of every incumbent Emperors to some degree, but starting with Trebizond may not be in their power, they would focus on the closer ones.
 
The Battle that turned the tide

Now I would like to revisit the Crusade and give a detailed description of my favourite battle - the one in which Thedoros killed the 'traitor' Manuel.

It is a wikipedia article-style thing, which I have seen in some of the timelines and always wanted to try it myself. It's just a sketch yet.
I also want a plausibility check by you guys regarding the numbers and the course of the battle.
I haven't decided the exact time and location, but the other main factors are in place.

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Background____________________________________________________

The main thrust of the Crusade was from Bulgaria to the south. The united armies composed of Poland, Hungary, Bosnia, Serbia, Wallachia and Bulgaria.

The secondary operational area was the southern part of the Balkans. Epirus, Morea, Achaea, Athens and Albania provided the troops for this.

First, the Ottomans destroyed a smaller forward army of the Coalition in the secondary area. This happaned with the help of the new Byzantine Emperor, Manuel III Megas Komnenos who was also. Emperor of Trebizond.

Morean troops were placed between the main army advancing East and a smaller Albanian force, which was securing landing sites for Venetian and Genoese supply ships. Theodoros' goup acted as a fast respons reinforcement which was meant to help either of the two forces.

Theodoros, Despot of Morea was infuriated upon hearing from the Trapezuntine coup and their alliance with the Ottomans, so he forced a march to meet the primary army to the North before the Ottomans destroy it.

The battle____________________________________________________

The Coalition force is retreating from the larger Ottoman army, which is closing in fast. They are falling back to the direction where they can expect reinforcements, no matter how small it is. When they are forced to engage, they assume position on high ground and prepare for the clash.

The Ottoman left wing is commanded by Manuel, the Emperor of both Byzantium and Trebizond. They take the Colaition force in a death grip, slowly killing it off.

Theodoros arrives in this dire moment and attacks the left wing in the back, looking to kill Manuel. After some fighting, he succeeds; the Emperor was located further away from the main Coalition army, thus closer to Theodoros.
After killing the Emperor, the Imperial troops flee the battlefield.

He then proceeds to hack the Turks, but by this time, they manage to kill off almost half of the Christians. Theodoros falls, his troops, left without their commander and hearing only Latin and Turkish words, rout.
The rest of the Colaition army follows suit, the Ottoman disciple thriumps.


Aftermath____________________________________________________

The Byzantine/Trapezuntine soldiers fall back toward Constantinople. Suleyman's ally is dead, he no longer has their support. He also lost one third of his own army in the region. Had Theodoros arrive somewhat later, the main Coalition army would be destroyed and the Moreans would be next, then the small Albanian force at the shores. After that, he could've ransacked the defenseless states to the West or regroup to fight the main Crusader assault.

With Manuel's death, the brief unity of the two Empires and their alliance with Suleyman ceased.

Theodore is succeeded by Helena Dragaš until their son comes of age. Manuel III's successor is his son, Alexios IV Megas Komnenos. The young John VIII Palaiologos is crowned as the new Byzantine Emperor.

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