Cuāuhtemōc
Banned
Does this include the Crusader states in Greece, including the Kingdom of Cyprus? Or just the states in Syria-Palestine?
Only the Levantine Crusader states.
Does this include the Crusader states in Greece, including the Kingdom of Cyprus? Or just the states in Syria-Palestine?
Countries pass through danger periods and depending on how these danger periods are handled decides the fate of these countries. For Outremer the danger period was the simultaneous decline of Byzantium and unification of Egypt and Syria under Saladin. In the event this danger period was handled poorly at Hatttin, but as we know Hattin is golden AH fodder. Half of the danger period passed upon Saladins death, but by then Outremer was emasculated.
I don't think it's that bad. I think that if the Byz hadn't fallen to bits in the decade before Hattin Saladin would have been somewhat contained and Outremer wouldn't have been in such mortal danger. Outremer was quick to side with the Byz when it suited them, and I think if the Byz were powerful in 1187 the Franks would buddy up to the Byz at great speed.
The Byzantines seemed fully content to allow Nur ad-din to ravage the Crusaders. I doubt they would change this policy with Saladin, especially considering he could be an ally against the Turks.
A muslim kingdom controling the Levant is one one thing, Saladins empire is a bit more than that and they wont want to deal with the Ayyubids for long, too powerful and too much of a threat to Byzantine territorial ambitions (of which the Crusader states are, seriously I doubt the Byzies are the key to keeping them around when their longterm goal is to either force them into vassalage or take them back ((especially Antioch)).
A powerful Byzantium would be something Saladin could not ignore, I doubt he'd want a large Byz army crossing Anatolia andd arriving at Antioch in 1187.
The Byz were a practical people, this is why they would treat with the Islamic powers such as the Fatimids. Similarly they were happy to have the Crusaders fight the Turks of Anatolia and pick up the spoils. I think that if the Franks were going to fight Saladin the Byz would lend their support in order to knock Saladin down a peg or two and reduce the threat he posed to the empire. This support might take the form of money subsidies to the Franks, or doing some campaigning in the east to divert some attention rather than sending troops to fight with the Frankish army.