WI: Crusader States survive until the Ottoman Era

Strength doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it.
They did, though. The second emperor, Henri d'Flandres, crushed both the nikaeans and the bulgars repeatedly, and decisively at that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Philippopolis_(1208)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Rhyndacus_(1211)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adramyttion_(1205)

He was also notably kind to the local hellenes, going head to head with the pope and his legates, countermanding orders by papal legates to close down orthodox churches and arrest orthodox clergy, and, apparently, involving the hellenes in the romanian government and overall treating them as he would any other one of his subjects, or so Georgios Akropolites, a greek and likely to have a bias against the crusaders, is known to have written.

In addition, henri, though by all accounts a highly proficient general, seemed to prefer peace and avoid war whenever possible, judging by his treaties with the nikaeans, and his marriage with the stepdaughter of the defeated bulgar king.

All that needs to happen is that Umberto di Biandrate be prevented from poisoning henri. When the nikaeans inevitably suffer from civil war between the Laskarids and Vatazenids, Henri may well pounce, and, considering his previous record, likely be successful in whatever campaign he decides to undertake. With a marriage with the bulgars, and a quite possibly defeated nikaeans, the Komnenodoukas are likely to be brought to heel, facing the undivided attention of the latin empire and it's most successful emperor.
 

Scaevola

Banned
They did, though. The second emperor, Henri d'Flandres, crushed both the nikaeans and the bulgars repeatedly, and decisively at that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Philippopolis_(1208)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Rhyndacus_(1211)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adramyttion_(1205)

He was also notably kind to the local hellenes, going head to head with the pope and his legates, countermanding orders by papal legates to close down orthodox churches and arrest orthodox clergy, and, apparently, involving the hellenes in the romanian government and overall treating them as he would any other one of his subjects, or so Georgios Akropolites, a greek and likely to have a bias against the crusaders, is known to have written.

In addition, henri, though by all accounts a highly proficient general, seemed to prefer peace and avoid war whenever possible, judging by his treaties with the nikaeans, and his marriage with the stepdaughter of the defeated bulgar king.

All that needs to happen is that Umberto di Biandrate be prevented from poisoning henri. When the nikaeans inevitably suffer from civil war between the Laskarids and Vatazenids, Henri may well pounce, and, considering his previous record, likely be successful in whatever campaign he decides to undertake. With a marriage with the bulgars, and a quite possibly defeated nikaeans, the Komnenodoukas are likely to be brought to heel, facing the undivided attention of the latin empire and it's most successful emperor.
Ohhhhh I see! I thought by Imperium Romaniae you mean the latter-day >eastern >roman >empire.
 
Not sure about this part. Far less area and inaccessible terrain to work with than Rumelia and more importantly playing politics with the neighboring Muslim rulers well enough seem to preclude clearing the resident Muslims out.

Even without ethnic cleansing Muslims would still convert under Christian rule, and a significant part of the population was already Christians.
 
Cyprus made it to the closing years of the 15th century, they're a realistic goal?

Er, reword; they literally made it to the Ottoman Era, they were one of the first non-ERE entities to be conquered by Ottomania even.
 
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Marc

Donor
I am sure someone has suggested one of the more easy to postulate supposings: That the Mongols wreck the Mamlukes, maintaining a solid dominance over the Middle East for some centuries. And when they convert to Islam, as they almost invariably will, they take only the Kingdom of Jerusalem - for the religious significance.
That should keep the remaining Outremer states surviving (as tributaries of course), for quite a while longer.
 
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