What if, as in BasileusGiorgios' Isaac's Empire timeline, Isaac keeps the throne, promotes his nephew, and dies in '75 or so. Alexios, young and inexperienced may possibly have rivals, so perhaps a civil war from some of the eastern portions in Anatolia. Perhaps he wins, learns a few tricks, and puts the themata back in action to hold onto the Macedonian gains in proper thematic defensive fashion (still need some info on this). However, later on down the road, I forsee Bulgarians on the freedom path. I want to see an empire that holds onto Anatolia, "the beard," but looses Bulgaria, "the top."
This is for a grander TL of a longer Byzantine Empire that fades into obscurity and fractures and a strong HRE and France that both have a future colonial empire to shake at *Spain or our own early colonisers.
This is for a grander TL of a longer Byzantine Empire that fades into obscurity and fractures and a strong HRE and France that both have a future colonial empire to shake at *Spain or our own early colonisers.