Blair152
Banned
Any POD that would have the Byzantine Empire survive into the 20th century would have to begin earlier than 1300. 1271, the year of the Fourth Crusade, which broke the rubber band that was the Byzantine Empire, would have to have the Crusaders being rich enough to pay theNo Fourth Crusade. It is my opinion that the end of the Byzantines was the Fourth Crusade, and not the Ottoman siege of Constantinople. If the Fourth Crusade could be stopped, then the Byzantines would be in a better position to stop the Turks, as instead of Balkanized Despotites and Crusader Occupiers all fighting over the remains of the Empire, there would be a unified Greco-Christian state to stand against the Turks. Also without the Western looting the economy would be in much better shape as well. This might also mean longer lasting Crusader states in the Levant, as the Byzantine occupation robbed them of their men, significantly weakening them, and this too might prove an effective counter balance to the Turks, as they would have to fight the Christians on two fronts. The Byzantines might never regain Eastern Anatolia, but the Turks probably wouldn't be strong enough to enter Europe either. In short, HUGE butterflies.
Venetians. That's how the Latin Empire came into being in the first place.
The Venetians talked the Crusaders into taking out their competition, which was the Byzantine city of Zara. Taking Constantinople was just the
icing on the cake.