France and Byzantium - European Powers

Isn't slashing taxes (if they're exorbitant) good economic sense? Lower taxes facilitating commerce, import/export, leading to a higher overall revenue?

The problem is, the taxes being cut didn't do anything to increase commerce etc., they just decreased state revenue.

If memory serves, it was more "You don't have to pay these taxes at all!" kind of cutting than lowering percentages.

Nor were they exorbitant in the first place, but I digress.
 

MAlexMatt

Banned
As stated: I've heard bad things about him here from others.

I'm not trying to judge his work. I'm saying that what I've heard doesn't encourage me to buy it.

I'll see if I can find a copy via the library, however.

Treadgold is an expert in his field. I would trust his opinion about things better than any single person's here.

Seriously, hearing bad things about him from people here is one of the worst reasons I can think of to not buy his books. You're missing out on a vast wealth of material and information for virtually no real reason.
 
Treadgold is an expert in his field. I would trust his opinion about things better than any single person's here.

Seriously, hearing bad things about him from people here is one of the worst reasons I can think of to not buy his books. You're missing out on a vast wealth of material and information for virtually no real reason.

Because everyone here is only a bumbling amateur who has no reason to prefer one expert over another.

In other words: Hearing good things about him here is one of the worst reasons to buy his books.

I can - and intend to - buy more books on the Byzantines than I currently own, and "This book isn't all it's cracked up to be." from those who have read as much and probably more than I have is not a good sign for its chances of being added to my collection.
 
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WeisSaul

Banned
Have a Byzantine Empire that successfully maintains control of the lands making up the Megali Idea, Magna Graecia, Thrace, Macedonia, North Epirus, Pontis only north of the Pontic mountains, Phaselis, Malta, and the Crimea. Also leave an allied/dependent independent Armenia to the east of Pontis.

Establish a dependency/vassal state/allied state Armenia, that would be a junior partner, but a friendly partner to Byzantium.

This leaves Byzantine Greece with enough land to be prominent, but leaving enough land for a significant Muslim Turkish power to take over the rest, and effectively cut off trade from the east. The capital would likely be a city on the trade routes like Constantinople was. Perhaps Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo, Antioch or even Jerusalem (though I doubt it). Antioch seems most likely to me, it's secure, has access to the Med, and is an easy location to control Asia minor from.

If the trade from the east is still cut off, then the age of exploration still occurs and France still eventually becomes a major European power like OTL.
 
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