WI: Theodore I Laskaris wins the Battle of the Rhyndacus?

Theodore I Laskaris, no sooner had he defeated the Seljuks at the Battle of Antioch on the Meander, was defeated by Henry of Flanders at the Battle of the Rhyndacus despite having a larger force, eventually leading to the Treaty of Nymphaeum. What if Theodore had defeated Henry instead? Could he have retaken Constantinople within his lifetime? He was only 48 when he died.
 

Zlorfik

Banned
It's very, very, very, very, very, very difficult to take Constantinople.

What he probably would have done is cross the straits at Gallipoli and go on a land grab, probably seizing Thrace and if he's lucky he'll get part of Macedonia before Michael Doucas (who has almost certainly taken Thessaly and started expand southward) takes all of it. The Latin fiefdoms are unlikely to get much assistance from the west, as per OTL.

Then both Michael and Theodore (more the latter) will be threatened by the expansionist Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria. What happens next is anyone's guess...
 
It's very, very, very, very, very, very difficult to take Constantinople.

What he probably would have done is cross the straits at Gallipoli and go on a land grab, probably seizing Thrace and if he's lucky he'll get part of Macedonia before Michael Doucas (who has almost certainly taken Thessaly and started expand southward) takes all of it. The Latin fiefdoms are unlikely to get much assistance from the west, as per OTL.

Then both Michael and Theodore (more the latter) will be threatened by the expansionist Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria. What happens next is anyone's guess...

Actually, Kaloyan had been dead for four years by 1211, replaced by the incompetent Boril, so Bulgaria might not be much of a problem unless OTL Ivan II Asen comes back.
 
I think a victory will lead to some gains,but limited in it's form.I'd assume the empire would have been badly exhausted after two consequetive major battles.
 
Grabbing too much land might even be too dangerous, given the state of the Byzantines. But there's an advantage in a victory - chances are more key officers survived, and if there's one thing the Romans needed more than ever at the time was competent officers.
 

Zlorfik

Banned
The new territory would (and did in OTL) carry the risk of overextension, but it was a rich region populated mainly by Greeks, and as such would increase revenues and provide a fair amount of manpower.

Considering the nonthreatening situation in Bulgaria (I forgot that kaloyan was already dead :p) I'd imagine Michael and Theodore would immediately attack each other in traditional Byzantine style, to decide who would become The Emperor.

They'd probably entice foreign powers (mainly Serbia, Bulgaria) to support them, with promises of land or religious concessions.

At the same time, though, the Seljuks are doing very well; IIRC they have already seized (or are about to) ports on both the Black and Mediterranean seas. Removing all of those men from Byzantine Anatolia at such a time may prove to be a mistake...
 
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