Emperor Maurice not Overthrown: No Byzantine-Sassanid War?

Maurice was the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire who reigned from 582 to 602 A.D. Generally a very competent ruler, he made the mistake of ordering his army to launch a winter offensive beyond the Danube. Already alienated by his decisions to not ransom 12,000 prisoners from the Avars(they were executed), the army overthrew him and ushered in the disastrous reign of Phocas the Tyrant. He and all his sons were executed.

But, what if he had not antagonized his army and had continued reigning as Emperor? This could have potentially huge consequences. He had sheltered the Sassanid Emperor Khosrau II from his rivals when he was younger, and had provided military support for his reclaiming of the throne. As a message of gratitude, Khosrau gave the Byzantines territory in Armenia and married Maurice's daughter Miriam.

If Maurice stays in power, could this eliminate the Byzantine-Sassanid War? Without this war, would both empires be a more formidable barrier to Islam?
 
If Maurice stays in power, could this eliminate the Byzantine-Sassanid War? Without this war, would both empires be a more formidable barrier to Islam?

Probably it'll be put off for quite a while, but peace is very unlikely to last indefinitely. I can see the Romans and Sassanids staying very close for another ten years or so, uneasy peace continuing until the 640s, and full scale warfare breaking out again after that- the Persians might start to claim the Roman throne through Miriam.

Regarding Islam, I doubt it will be anything like as succesful, but it's likely to take hold quite strongly in Arabia. I suspect it'll be forced to spread through early Christianity style preaching though, rather than by conquest and then slow assimilation.

The most interesting POD of a Maurice survives TL is in the West- he was the first Emperor to have real success in the Balkans since Zeno, and furthermore, he planned to set up his son as a new Western Emperor. These two things have the potential to dramatically shore up the collapsing East Roman position, by removing unneccesary distractions from the vital task of the Persian front.
 
Very interesting. I'm guessing that this second Western Empire would consist of the two Exarchates of Africa and Italy?

Questions about this though: Just how extensive was Byzantine control over Italy at this point? And were there enough Romans left in the West at this point to make such a second western empire viable in the long-term?
 
Very interesting. I'm guessing that this second Western Empire would consist of the two Exarchates of Africa and Italy?

Questions about this though: Just how extensive was Byzantine control over Italy at this point? And were there enough Romans left in the West at this point to make such a second western empire viable in the long-term?

You guess correctly. And it was fairly limited- basically the Venice-Ravenna-Rome line across the peninsula, plus the Bay of Naples, the boot and heel of Italy, Sicily and Genoa. Africa is much more healthy, and is currently fairly economically succesful. And I think at the end of the sixth/beginning of the seventh century, the answer is still just about yes. Wait another century, and it becomes impossible. This revived Western Empire won't be going off reconquering Gaul though- it'll be largely limited to restoring Italian unity, and holding off barbarians from the western Balkans and the Sahara.
 
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