WI : Constantinople withstands the Ottomans in 1453

One possibility is that if both Venice and Genoa are fighting in this war on the same side, they might allow the Byzantines to keep these forts if only because neither wants to let the other have control of access to the Black Sea. Genoa and Venice, particularly at this time, were rarely on friendly terms with one another and would likely prefer relatively neutral Byzantine control of the Straights to their direct rival.
That's true, except Genoa is also exceptionally weak compared to Venice at this point in time. TBH their only real rival in the eastern Mediterranean is... the Ottomans... who are (as per the prompt) getting dogpiled and partitioned. The Venetians might not have carte blanche but they are going to get *something* from the war, territorially speaking.
 
That's true, except Genoa is also exceptionally weak compared to Venice at this point in time. TBH their only real rival in the eastern Mediterranean is... the Ottomans... who are (as per the prompt) getting dogpiled and partitioned. The Venetians might not have carte blanche but they are going to get *something* from the war, territorially speaking.

I'd been looking at the possibility of Marmara - the island is obviously well placed in between the Dardanelles and the Bosporus to be a useful place to control - but it is also within a stones through of the silk production yards of Bursa. Venice may well see that as a good location to apply future pressure from, and to stockpile silk if they want to artificially raise prices in Europe, or more damagingly, flood the market with said stockpile to crash the other Italian silk producers.
 
I'd been looking at the possibility of Marmara - the island is obviously well placed in between the Dardanelles and the Bosporus to be a useful place to control - but it is also within a stones through of the silk production yards of Bursa. Venice may well see that as a good location to apply future pressure from, and to stockpile silk if they want to artificially raise prices in Europe, or more damagingly, flood the market with said stockpile to crash the other Italian silk producers.
That might suit the Venetians better anyways, as an island would be much easier for them to protect, particularly for the more naval oriented Venetians, while still leaving the Byzantines themselves with vital control over the Bosporus.

The obvious problem being that the Byzantines would need a combination of military force and a lot of skilled diplomacy to keep the Venetians from making an attempt at taking or vassalizing what remains of the empire itself. They had done it before after all, when the Empire was in a far stronger position. The focus for the Emperors would then have to be to make it as unprofitable as possible, because without many years of recovery there is simply no way the Byzantines could defeat them at sea, or even on land for that matter beyond the walls of Constantinople itself.
 
That might suit the Venetians better anyways, as an island would be much easier for them to protect, particularly for the more naval oriented Venetians, while still leaving the Byzantines themselves with vital control over the Bosporus.

The obvious problem being that the Byzantines would need a combination of military force and a lot of skilled diplomacy to keep the Venetians from making an attempt at taking or vassalizing what remains of the empire itself. They had done it before after all, when the Empire was in a far stronger position. The focus for the Emperors would then have to be to make it as unprofitable as possible, because without many years of recovery there is simply no way the Byzantines could defeat them at sea, or even on land for that matter beyond the walls of Constantinople itself.

Honestly, the Byzantines could really benefit from capturing a fleet in port, or somehow getting a measure of control over the Dardanelles. If they had that, then they could start to properly combine the resources of Constantinople and the Morea, and actually make moves in S.Greece. The challenge again is what would Venice want? I imagine the answer would probably be territory again.
 
Top