WI: Empire of Nicaea looks East?

LatinEmpire2.png


Take a look at this map.
IIRC, the Empire of Nicaea was the direct successor state to the destroyed Byzantine Empire post-4th Crusade which IOTL went on to reconquer it's lost territories via war with the Latin Empire some decades later.

But what if, instead of taking on the Latin Empire, the emperor (Michael VIII) strikes east at the Turks first? Could he crush the Sultanate and if so what would be the effects?

Plausible reasoning could range from wishing to gain a more defensible foothold in Anatolia before attacking Constantinople to taking the loss of the capital as an opportunity to breifly shift focus to taking back Asia Minor.
 

B-29_Bomber

Banned
Read An Age of Miracles.


That's your best case scenario. At the end of the day the idea of Constantinople just held too much sway over their minds to have them delay the reconquest too long.
 
@Basileus444 made a timeline starting off with a similar premise, known as An Age of Miracles: The Revival of Rhomanion, and its sequel, An Age of Miracles Continues: The Empire of Rhomania.
 
LatinEmpire2.png


Take a look at this map.
IIRC, the Empire of Nicaea was the direct successor state to the destroyed Byzantine Empire post-4th Crusade which IOTL went on to reconquer it's lost territories via war with the Latin Empire some decades later.

But what if, instead of taking on the Latin Empire, the emperor (Michael VIII) strikes east at the Turks first? Could he crush the Sultanate and if so what would be the effects?

Plausible reasoning could range from wishing to gain a more defensible foothold in Anatolia before attacking Constantinople to taking the loss of the capital as an opportunity to breifly shift focus to taking back Asia Minor.

Not gonna happen with Michael VIII or the Palaiologids with general, who focused a lot on Europe as they were opposed by large sections of the Anatolian population courtesy the manner in which they overthrew the Laskarids . The Laskarids are the best bet for that (Age of Miracles is the best TL with that premise).

As for what would happen, well-Rum was weakened by the Turks and so Nicaea has a somewhat decent chance of getting Central Anatolia back (definitely the Aegean coast) barring Venetian interference. Beyond that is harder to predict, though the Osmanli are certainly butterflied away and the Empire would probably last a bit longer than OTL at worst. The Latin Empire was not going to last particularly long, Charles of Anjou or otherwise-and so the Queen of the Cities may return to Roman hands before the century ends. After that, TTL Black death will do a number on the Empire, and a eastern gunpowder Empire could also prove to be it's nemesis. Should it adapt to the times (oh, who am I kidding?) and become a gunpowder Empire itself, I can see it making it all the way to the 20th century, evolving to Greece when the old system crumbles.
 
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