Effects of a Long Lasting Latin Empire

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Deposing the Byzantines in the process, the Crusaders of the 4th Crusade were able to establish the short lived Latin Empire in Constantinople.

Unfortunately, the major power bases of Anatolia and Thrace didn't really recognize them as legitimate and plotted to restore the Byzantines, which did some years later.

But what if the new rulers were able to hold on to power successfully? At least until the Turks were becoming a serious threat.

How could they do this?
What effect would this have on the Middle East and Europe?
 
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Deposing the Byzantines in the process, the Crusaders of the 4th Crusade were able to establish the short lived Latin Empire in Constantinople.

Unfortunately, the major power bases of Anatolia and Thrace didn't really recognize them as legitimate and plotted to restore the Byzantines, which did some years later.

Latin Empire. Roman heretics (or at least heterodox).

No, it's not going to have any internal support. Unless, perhaps, they converted to Orthodoxy, and totally went Greek. In which case, it would hardly be a 'Latin' Empire.

Talk about an 'own goal' in the conflict between Christianity and Islam!
 
Well it hardly makes sense to see the Fourth Crusade as part of any historical "clash of civilizations" even if that's the paradigm you choose to take. It seems to me at least to have been profit-motivated from the beginning.

The mistake, from that point of view, was ending the smash-and-grab conquest with a longer attempt to form a state. They should have maintained a tighter leash on Alexius IV and used him more effectively, or simply bounced after sacking Constantinople.

A longer lasting Latin Empire is possible, insomuch as you could get it to stick around longer by a matter of years, but for a best-case scenario, secure a Latin dominated Byzantine Empire with a Greek ruler in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, rather than trying to rule the tremendous ruin they created.
 
I guess the Latin Empire could have been bailed out by the Mongols. Or maybe even the Cuman allies they had in 1240, had these not switched sides.

Still, the Empire's very existence was pretty much a constant uphill battle, and a few strokes of better luck aren't going to fix that.
 
While I have no particular love for the Latin Empire, I have some respect for Henry of Flanders. Personally I think avoiding his assassination might mean better fortunes for the state. At least until his death.
 
Chief gainer would be Venice. After the Byzantines retook Constantinople in 1261, they gave Venice's Genoese rivals a monopoly of the Black Sea trade, but if the LE survives the Venetians presumably keep it.
 
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