No recapture of Constantinople in 1261

Mars aeternum

Hello people..

Let's suppose that during that time of July, 1261 the Latin forces defending Constantinople were in their places, so Alexios Strategopoulos does attempt to recapture the City.

I am not aware of the exact borders of the Latin Empire at the time, but I'm pretty sure they were shrinking, with them being cornered on all sides.

So, the Latin Empire survives in the mid-tern, as a city state, mostly supported by sea.

How things play out after? Nicea almost took down Epirus a couple of years earlier, could they have kept pressing on? Or they would have focused eastwards? Can the Laskarid dynasty survive some more? IIRC Michael Palaiologos, emboldened, deposed and blinded John Laskaris after the recapture of the City.
 
EasternRomanEmpire

EasternRomanEmpire

Wouldn't the Empire of Epirus be able to conquer the Latin one had the Nicaeans failed to take Constantinople?
This would mean that the Ottomans are unlikely to rise since the Empire of Nicaea would be much more likely to be able to defend itself
 

Mars aeternum

The Despotate of Epirus had some early success but was defeated by the Bulgarians in Klokotnitsa and effectively ceased to be a threat to Constantinople.

Whether the Ottomans rise or not depends on a lot of factors.
 

BIZANTINUL

The Latin Empire was dead in 1261. It has survived that long due to the Venetian intervention. It was impoverished and beside Venice, it has no allies. In the other side, Genoa has signed a lucrative deal with Michael and is willing to lend its naval power to him. If push comes to shove, Michael, albeit with dire consequences in the long term, can offer the Venetians extensive privilegies to forego their support of the Latin Empire.
 

Nuraghe

BIZANTINUL said:
The Latin Empire was dead in 1261. It has survived that long due to the Venetian intervention. It was impoverished and beside Venice, it has no allies. In the other side, Genoa has signed a lucrative deal with Michael and is willing to lend its naval power to him. If push comes to shove, Michael, albeit with dire consequences in the long term, can offer the Venetians extensive privilegies to forego their support of the Latin Empire.
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actually you are right the Latin Empire was already moribund in the 1230s, with defeats against Bulgaria and Epirus combined with political chaos in Constantinople due to a series of weak regencies, the real possibility of survival of the empire would have been a more lasting reign for Henry I of Flanders and perhaps his subsequent subjugation of the Kingdom of Thessalonica and the despotate of Epirus ( given that he had already previously demonstrated that he could beat them in a direct clash )
 
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Elfwine

It probably falls within another few years barring some shocking twist (Michael VIII being killed/usurped, say). John IV is all of eleven and without any powerful figures on his side - the Laskarids were popular with the population, but that's not quite the same thing.
 
Remitonov

Remitonov

Beefhammer said:
How much of Anatolia do you think it could take before Constantinople falls without a fight?
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Probably depends on how much the Ilkhanate is willing to allow. They're just coming out of the defeat at Ain Jalut, and is looking at an incoming clash with the Islamized Golden Horde. Letting the Niceans strengthen their position and remove potentially rebellious Turks might be a useful short term solution for the Ilkhan.
 

Beefhammer

Remitonov said:
Probably depends on how much the Ilkhanate is willing to allow. They're just coming out of the defeat at Ain Jalut, and is looking at an incoming clash with the Islamized Golden Horde. Letting the Niceans strengthen their position and remove potentially rebellious Turks might be a useful short term solution for the Ilkhan.
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So how much of Anatolia would that translate to?
 
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