Supposedly say the East Roman Empire collapses after the disaster in Manzikert due to Civil War or whatever. How would this affect the Middle East, the Balkans, the Crusades?
Supposedly say the East Roman Empire collapses after the disaster in Manzikert due to Civil War or whatever. How would this affect the Middle East, the Balkans, the Crusades?
Would there be any crusade without Alexios and his request for “military support”?
I really think that will depend on what the collapse looks like. Obviously, there’s loads of ways this could happen, so lets ask one two part question: who has Constantinople and what else do they have?
Constantinople might remain the city of an Emperor but outside of it the authority is as good as gone. Like that.
Not really, if we assume that the Pechenegs in the Balkans, Normans in the Aegean, and Seljuks in Anatolia will form a "balance of power". Because of the city's strategic position, maybe the three invader powers will prefer to keep it as a neutral city-state to avoid startling the others.I’m not sure that would be sustainable. Someone is going to grab Constantinople. Greek, Norman, Slav, Turk... someone will. The ‘best’ case scenario for a broken empire is that its someone non-Greek and non-Orthodox, to keep things disputed.
Not really, if we assume that the Pechenegs in the Balkans, Normans in the Aegean, and Seljuks in Anatolia will form a "balance of power". Because of the city's strategic position, maybe the three invader powers will prefer to keep it as a neutral city-state to avoid startling the others.