[FONT="] Basically I have done far more research into byzantine history reading the books of treadgold, Ostrgorsky, and other famous byzantine historians and so now I have come to look at an unusual period of its history. he Komenoi era. In otl the era saw the rise of Byzantine feudalism and this was one of the reasons why the Komenoi couldnt leave lasting effects on the empire. Here the empire will take a drastic new turn and I hope you enjoy. Please comment and point out the mistakes I make.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Now I present to you my tl
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[FONT="]Chapter I: The Rise of the Eastern Roman Military State Part I
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In the year of 1081 at the fierce battle of Dyrrachium the Normans under Robert Guiscard and Bohemund received a crushing defeat at the hands of the current emperor of the Romans Alexius I Kommnenos.
Now the reason for Guiscard's loss was the patience of the Byzantines. You see with the fall of Anatolia to the Turks the previous Roman system the theme had collapsed. Now rather than a soldier farmer more power was being given to the aristocracy. The internal foundations that the empire stood on at Alexius ascension had virtually disappeared.
However Alexius decided to try creating a new system from scratch.
Alexius after overthrowing Nikephros Botaniates and with the help of Michael doukas became emperor in 1081. However the state he acquired was in a state of virtual disintegration. Hardly any native troops remained, the empire was bankrupt, the backbone of the empire Anatolia had been lost, the Byzantine economy was in ruins, the Normans were wreaking havoc as were the Turks and pechenegs and so the ERE was undergoing a state of crisis never experienced before. Unlike the times of Heraklius or even Basil the empire no longer had the resources as before, then due to keeping Anatolia and having vast untapped resources the empire managed to reassert its dominance. Now however that no longer was possible due to the loss of Anatolia.
However Alexius devised a plan in order to recruit native troops for his army. Aside from the varangoi Alexius mistrusted troops from the west and realized paying for them was a terrible idea due t it reducing the empires treasury even more. Even worse many were not very loyal and had their own ambitions. Thus Alexius came up with a brilliant ploy to get new troops. It was the Military farm system. Alexius immediately split the empire into various military districts each controlled by a strategus of the army. These strategus were the rulers of the area they controlled but were loyal to the emperor and paid some of their income to him. They were soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle and they were tasked with managing the provinces. However the strategus land was not hereditary and instead the state decided who received it and whether or not the strategus family can continue to use it. Also part of the tax he collected from the land would be given to the state. however he could keep the rest and he had the choice to chioose how he ran the land provided it didn't infringe upon the peoples, freedoms.. Most of the income given to state would go to building improvements to the area and lead to land development. In effect the people of the land would enjoy whatever necessities and the likes they want provided they pay taxes to the strategus and their own tax to the empire. However there was a way to escape this service. What commoners could do was register for the army. However instead of being paid in gold these new members would be paid in land grants aka small plots of land, which they would cultivate themselves. The strategus could only collect taxes that too based on the amount of wealth these soldiers produced. HE was in effect simply an administrator who controlled the land, collected taxes as required by the state, and oversaw its development but the people themselves were independent and they could work on the land and reap whatever benefits it provided them given that they paid their taxes. However these lands they controlled would only amount to around 5 acres per family who joined the military. However their would also be communal land or land where government offices, shops, and the likes were built. Thus you have many acres of land given to commoners who cultivate it with a central sector in the idle of the administrative area where the actual industry and market would be located. Each of these administrative divisions as its own little statelet and the people in it would be developing the land and provide service to the state. As for those people who didn’t receive any land they would be paid a monthly salary universally the same for all soldiers but the higher the rank you were in the army the more you will be paid by the government but in return you will have greater responsibility to ensuring the empires survival. As for the aristocracy they would keep their estates but would also like commoners have to pay taxes and provide military support. However this land they were given would come from the aristocratic hands meaning they had to pay rent to the aristocrats for owning the land. However there was an alternative that was that as the empire expanded with new land available they would be allotted this land provided they settle and farm it. However by accepting this proposition they would not receive their land immediately. Only after a campaign in which land has been retaken they would then receive it. Till then they would live in military barracks. A total of 50 different administrative provinces were carved out of the empires holdings and these would increase as soon as the empire conquered new lands. Thus when the empire conquers new land its soldiers will receive it and in turn must farm it and once the land was populated enough it would become an Administrative division of the empire. Soon seeing the prospect of new land and a way to escape their crushing poverty, taxes, and a chance to own their own land, thousands of commoners soon eagerly rushed to the recruitment centers wanting to sign up or the army.
Within months thousands and thousands of these soldiers applied eager to receive the land grants which they were promised after they served the empire for a period of 3-5 years in military service. Thus all this land the peasants did not receive immediately but would after five years. Also the soldiers would be allowed to take whatever loot they wanted from the dead enemies.
Eager at the prospect of money many more people signed up to the army.
Shortly thereafter to achieve officers military academies were in construction and some of the preexisting government buildings in the empire were converted to these academies where young boys would be given equal opportunity to prove themselves as capable officers. Now even commoners could become officers provided they were skilled enough and so the Byzantine army started to become a meritocracy. However usually rich boyds who could afford the money to hire tutors to train them got in easier. Also all families receiving grants must promise to always send their first boon and second born sons into the military after they reach of age. In this manner Alexius soon assembled an army of some 15000 troops of which 10000 were natives and 5000 on the march the army was regularly drilled, trained, and disciplined by its various officers.
Finally it reached Dyyrachion. On the way the Count of Rascia and zeta sent envoys promising the emperor his support but the emperor refused it. You see Rascia had been gaining power in the Balkans and it was becoming an eyesore. Alexius decided that one he finish with the Normans he will invade Rascia and crush that stupid count. The next night Alexius held a meeting with his generals discussing their plan of attack. The generals all agreed they should send false information to the Normans and launch a surprise attack. The Normans were given false news from a captured roman spy that the “Greek” camp was virtually defenseless and that its flank was virtually unprotected. So Guiscard and Bohemunnd decided it was best to catch the Romans by surprise and so they launched an assault at Alexius camp from the flank. The Normans fell into Alexius trap. Rather than a weak flank it was the most well defended part of the camp. Under the brilliant leadership of Nikephros Mellisenos the Byzantine flank numbering some 7000 troops managed to draw the Norman armies attention and keep it at bay while Alexius real army surrounded the Norman army of some 17000. Just before Alexius and the army had fled to the woods and waited for the Norman assault on the camp. Guiscard was caught by surprised when thousands of roman troops surrounded his army and suddenly the vardariots of the emperor soon fired their arrows at the exposed back of the army leading to hundreds of soldiers dying and with a fierce war cry by Alexius the army rushed into the fray attacking from all sides the Norman army. Heading the charge was all the emperors’ powerful Athanatoi and the varangians supplemented by various tagmas and kontophorous. The Normans soon reformed their positions under the orders of Robert Guiscard and fought back with ferocity against the roman soldiers. For hours the battle raged with neither side losing ground but finally in the end the Norman army was crushed. The final defeat came when Guiscard died from an arrow shot by a roman vardatroi hitting his chest and his son fell at the hands of a Roman tagmata soldier. In effect three different fronts was where the battles were being fought. For although Guiscard and Bohemund had been slain the Normans refused to surrender. The other two fronts were full of Byzantine skirmishing in which Strategus George Paleologos beat back the Normans. The Varangians however proved descive in crushing the Norman heavy knights. These hardy warriors soon unhorsed many knights killing any of them. Soon with the combined onslaught of both Athanatos and Varangoi the Norman knights were effectively crushed and soon wiped out. With the leaders of the Normans dead the Norman army broke rank and soon Dyrachium ended in a complete Byzantine victory. However the battle was won at a great cost, 6000 mercenaries and 5500 native soldiers died. But in contrast the entire Norman army of 17000 was wiped out. In a day over 28000 soldiers had died and hundreds more were wounded. Alexius was shocked at the news the next day but smiled. He had done it, the Normans were completely crushed. But he was not satisfied he soon turned to his fellow generals and gave them orders to prepare the army to march on rascia and once and for all eliminate that petty count who had been so irksome to them. So the remaining army of some 5000 soldiers supplemented by peasants numbered 7000 headed for Rascia. The emperor during this march was overjoyed when he heard of the victory at sea ; The Venetians who were allies to Byzantium and had been promised many royalties soon had their fleet engage the Sicilian fleet, which was soon sunk by superior Venetian tactics at sea.
Thus the Norman invasion was a complete failure, However Alexius on his march to rascia didn't keep his promise with Venice. A week after the battle news reached the doge that he had been tricked. The Romans had no interest in signing any treaties with Venice and simply said that they couldn’t afford to sign the treaties. This message when read by the doge made him mad. Venice itself was quite angry that the Romans had betrayed them.
On August 5th 1081 a fierce siege of Rascia followed. The roman soldiers crushed the count of Rascia and his army and soon rascia and zeta were annexed within months by the roman army. The Venetians could not really attack the Romans because Venice lacked a strong land army.
With rascia gone the Romans didn’t face much opposition from the area and in December after Alexius returned home in triumph signed a treaty with Hungary in which he married Irene, King Ladislavs daughter and soon the borders between the two kingdoms was set at the Danube with Croatia and Dalmatia under Hungarian control while Bosnia, Serbia, and Bulgaria would fall into the roman sphere and be under their control. Suddenly things changed when in early 1082 the HRE once more attacked Hungary, Ladislav appealed to the pope but the pope refused to act and let the HRE invade Hungary. Ladislav was angered and suddenly at the battle of pecs the imperial armies crushed his forces. At this perilous moment Alexius sent envoys to Ladislav with an agreement. Hungary had been betrayed by the catholic church which supported the HRE, so if Ladislav converted to Orthodox Christianity than the Hungarian church would not only be raised to an autonomous position but also he would receive roman support. Ladislav realized that these were reasonable demands and angry with the pope who didn’t act he soon agreed to the roman terms. Soon Alexius lead an army of some 10000 into Hungary, which proved crucial. With Ladislav regrouping the Hungarian forces the combined Hungaro-Roman armies inflicted a crushing defeat on Imperial forces. Soon the HRE sued for peace and the treaty of pecs was signed restoring status quo. On February 4th 1082 Ladislav converted to Orthodox Christianity and proclaimed it to be the true faith claiming that he had been betrayed by the catholic west, he was supported by the cardinal of Hungary who was altogether happy to become a patriarch of the Hungarian orthodox church soon he threw his support behind Ladislav. Plus due to the heroic feats of the Romans, many of the commoners soon consented and soon Catholicism was soon out of favor in Hungary, which was now turning into an orthodox state. The pope of Rome was simply stunned and it was said never forgave himself for doing something so stupid.
With a friendly power in the west and the Balkans up to Bosnia under his control Alexius turned to more pressing matter at hand. The Seljuk Turks.
After the disaster at Manzikert the seijuks had overrun Anatolia and Alexius was eager to get it back. But first Alexius knew he had to train his army. For the next three years from 1082-1085 Alexius had built new military schools and was turning the empire into a military state. Many troops were instilled discipline, officers were reading old Greek and roman texts on battle tactics and strategies and soon a powerful officer core made from the empires brightest minds was established. These fresh officers had graduated from military academies and were eager to fight on the battlefield. Thus the army also evolved. Soon new units were created such as Βασιλικό άλογο τοξότες( Royal Horse archers) as well as legions were introduced. These legions would form the frontal assaults made up of tagmas that would be positioned in the old roman tortoise formation with large shields and charge at enemy troops. They would form the front lines supplemented by pikemen to defend them from enemy mounted cavalry. Soon an army that was molded from western and eastern teachings and was mix of cavalry, infantry, and Archers had been created;
Meanwhile the imperial navy was soon rebuilt. With increased loot and funds from the campaigns a small roman fleet of 40 fire ships was created. These ships lead by the brilliant megas doux John doucas crushed the Turkish fleets of Emir Tzachas of Smyria thus clearing the way for a roman invasion of Anatolia.
The roman army soon attacked swiftly and captured many of the Turkish coastal cities. Using its newly created navy the Romans launched surprise attacks by sea on multiple coastal cities and soon the Anatolian coast was conquered from the siejuks by 1084. While this land was added the Turks in the land were soon killed. Not by the emperor’s orders but by soldiers who had been promised this land and so they displaced the Turks or rather killed them and took their stuff. Women, children, innocent civilians none mattered, as one soldier put it “ Kill the heathens and take their land, after all that is in my job description.” This lead to a massive depopulation of Turks in the coastal cities and eager roman troops took it as their payment. With the coast secure the roman armies marched for Nicea and shortly at its gate’s the forces of Emir Malik Toghruls son were crushed and the Turkish army of 7000 was annihilated by the hardy roman troops. After a fierce siege Nicea fell that august to triumphant roman forces. As before the soldiers went on to exterminate the residents wanting to take their land for themselves and also all the mosques were burned to the ground. The priests were dragged out and killed by soldiers and ambitious officers soon took all the treasures of the mosques and had them transported to the state treasury and be given medals. Soon to the officers it became a game to see who could deliver the most loot to the state and receive the most medals. These officers also viewed the Islamic Turks as being subhuman for that is how they had been trained. Across the empire at its schools and academies the officers were taught to hate the Turks who had taken their land. They were drilled too show no mercy to those heathens and retake Anatolia. However after much lobbying by the church to state it was decreed that those Turks who converted to orthodox Christianity and gave up their heathenic fate would be treated as normal roman citizens. However only 10-15percent of the Turks chose this proposal and most remained followers of the Islamic faith. Toghrol III tried desperately to hold off the Romans but it was futile the Romans simply outnumbered the Turks and had a superior military, unlike Romanos Diogenos and his incompetent army, Alexius had recently reformed the roman army and this new army was being tested, to also help the Romans were the brilliant officers and fanatical soldiers.
Even after repeated attempts at peace all of toghruls entreaties were ignored and the eager officers continued their eager conquest most of them aged 20-30 years were ambitious and wanting to make a name for themselves and especially those officers of common stock wanted to bring their family honor and prestige. Back at home it became an honor to fight the Turks for as roman decrees put it join the army and win fame, glory and land for your family. With these insurmountable odds the Turks soon lost city after city and at the battle of Caesarea Toghrol III was killed. With the death of Toghrol the Turkish resistance crumbled and by 1091 Anatolia from the Baltic coast to Caesarea was under roman control. They also captured toghruls son who signed the treaty of Caesarea and gave half his treasury to the roman state and all roman conquests were to be given to the Romans and the seijuks would revoke all claims to these lands.
Finally the end of 1092 had captured approximately a 1/3 of Anatolia by the roman armies and many new divisions were created.
With the wars over these officers remained in the vicinity garrisoning their troops in the various cities. Many had won many medals and awards. The soldiers too were satisfied now owning their own little plots of land. Alexius so returned to Constantinople in complete triumph.
Soon he had a daughter and son named Anna and john were born in late 1092.
Alexius now however faced a problem. The aristocracy back home was infuriated that they weren’t given much land and were all plotting against the emperor. By giving the land to soldiers and farmers Alexius had inadvertently alienated much of the aristocracy.
Soon various houses such as :Laskaris, Phokas, Bryyienos, and other noble families in Greece launched a revolt against the emperor hiring mercenaries and assembling a force of 10000 lead by Nikephros Bryyiennos marched against Constantinople.
However the Anatolian officers threw their support behind Alexius for although some belonged to these families virtually all of them had been drilled in school to be loyal and faithful to the emperor. Very few of the officers came from the families in revolt against the empire and those who did were promised a restoration of their honor and value loyalty to the emperor and wanted to make a name for themselves and so abandoned their families cause. Plus they were given awards and medals and so they happily supported Alexius. As did the Mellisaneans, the Doukids, and paleologians. The roman fleet too supported the empire. At the great battle of Thessalonica the nobility who had revolted against Alexius saw their army crushed. The mercenaries proved no match to native disciplined troops. Soon many of the aristocrats who opposed the emperor were soon executed and the government seized their estates and coffers. Alexius said it simply that those who betray the state are the worst and deserve nothing less than death.
The officers who killed them happily carried all of this out. Many of them had been sent as children to state schools and so they felt no remorse for their families because they had for years been told those who opposed the state were evil. Plus they were promised more prestige and glory by the emperor. Of course some officers disagreed but they were brought back to his side by the encouragement of their friends.
They were also paid handsomely by the emperor and were promised more chances at winning glory and getting richer and having lands in Anatolia. This motivated many to commit these atrocious acts.
Those nobles who had not taken part in the revolts shut their mouths and happily sung praises o emperor Alexius and soon threw their support behind him and his family offering all their support.
Thus the power of the nobility had been curbed and the emperor once more dominated the state but now the military was growing in power. Although Alexius had restored the army it became very powerful and soon its officers and generals started to dictate Roman policy. Increasingly Alexius saw this rapid rise in the power of the military aristocracy, which had by this point become the top dogs of the empire. Roman feudalism the ideology that had taken root also in Rome was stamped out now replaced by soldier’s farmers, commercial merchants and bankers who expanded trade opportunities, officers, generals, and intellectuals started to dominant the empire. Students and teachers alike were rediscovering many of the Greek works of Plato, Aristotle, and the likes as well as Roman works. With an increase in schools and expansion of government hundreds of new jobs were created. The former roman society had by 1095 virtually vanished.
The period from 1095-1578 would forever be known as the rise and fall of the military state. A time of vast expansion, internal civil was, coups, and instability would characterize this period of turmoil and expansion of the roman state.