What if Byzantium focused on Europe and not Asia?

What if Constantine V in the Bulgar wars or some other emperor had more success in Eastern Europe and decided to rebuild the empire in Europe by focusing there, instead of focusing on retaking the Levant and Syria? Alternatively, Justinian could have a go at this.
 
Europe was poor compared to the Levant for most of the Empire's history, so unless you've got an emperor with ASB-tier foresight, it's unlikely that ERE wouldn't 'focus' on Asia/the Levant/etc. because that's where all the money was.
 
Krum gets annighlated eliminating the disaster at the pass. Following victory Avar begin rading roman territority, lead to invasion and the Avars get their asses handed to them and the region falls under roman control. Have revolts break out in calpite like otl weakening it severly. Meanwhile in Italy have the romans sieze the oppurtunitywhen the fransk are kicking the Lombards to also atack them, probably a frank-roman allaince works best. Once that happens Southern Italy falls back into roman hands. Have the shia uprisings fail to take egypt and so you have the fatiimid berbers based in Africa, and conflict over sicily epts int war. Leads to a successfull roman campaign and the egyptions wont help since Berbers are shia. Wallah lot more focus in the west for the Romans.
 
What if Constantine V in the Bulgar wars or some other emperor had more success in Eastern Europe and decided to rebuild the empire in Europe by focusing there, instead of focusing on retaking the Levant and Syria? Alternatively, Justinian could have a go at this.

Actually that was possible, and you can think of a cartload of PODs to make it happen.
The Balkans were a traditional power base, recruiting grounds of the Empire since the III century AD, a lot of excellent emperors were borne there.
It had had quite a defensible border, what it needed was half a dozen of strong fortresses to make it perfect.
That would be a good start.

And the Balkans were not that poor. It became poor after it had been neglected and turned into a playground of the wild Slavs.
 
And the Balkans were not that poor. It became poor after it had been neglected and turned into a playground of the wild Slavs.

Why am I now thinking it's funny for Nikephoros I to go gallivanting off in the Balkans, and suddenly sees the Pokémon wild battle intro screen... (Horde Encounter)

"Wild Slavs appeared! Go, Roman Army!"

Bulgar Khanate- Level 30
Serbs- Level 23
Avars- Level 27
Croats- Level 22
Bozniaks- Level 23

VS.

Roman Army- Level 30
 
If the Byzantines could simply hold the portion of the Balkans they possessed towards the begining of the ERE, that alone would give them a big power base to call upon.
 
Actually that was possible, and you can think of a cartload of PODs to make it happen.
The Balkans were a traditional power base, recruiting grounds of the Empire since the III century AD, a lot of excellent emperors were borne there.
It had had quite a defensible border, what it needed was half a dozen of strong fortresses to make it perfect.
That would be a good start.

And the Balkans were not that poor. It became poor after it had been neglected and turned into a playground of the wild Slavs.

Point is that by the middle of the eighth century, the days of the Balkans as a prosperous core of the Empire were very much in the distant past. Asia Minor was the only real recruiting ground for the army by this point, and was the home of the aristocratic families, as well as most of the surviving dioceses under imperial rule.

That's not to say that a Balkan focused ERE is impossible, but it's not really practical with a PoD under Constantine V. I'd suggest a late PoD is probably more viable: maybe Serbia taking control of Constantinople in the fourteenth century?
 
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