AAR: What if the Latin Empire survived? (CK3 - EU4 Campaign)
This is the CK3 section of this campaign. The second part, in EU4, is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/eu4/comments/1vu81s5/aar_what_if_the_latin_empire_survived_ck3_eu4/
Part 1 - The 4th Crusade, and the Latins Prevail
We began as Baldwin IV of Hainaut (1150-1213), a dutch count of the House of Flanders. It would seem fate would smile on this unseemly count. He quickly took the province of Brabant from his lord in order to expand his powerbase. During this time, the Pope called crusade against the Saracens who had taken Jerusalem from Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. Baldwin thus readied his armies to retake Jerusalem...
However, the crusaders grew antsy in gathering and instead diverted their attentions to the lands of the Eastern Empire, where the Duke of Austria had pressed the claim of a woman named Theodora who would show loyalty to the Roman church. Baldwin of Hainaut joined the crusaders and attacked Basilius Alexios II as the brave King Richard Plantagenet attacked Saladin.
The crusaders in the Eastern Empire were joined by the King of Hungary who was pressing his territory further into the Balkans as well.
The brave King of Portugal fell in battle at Pozega in joining the crusaders, to which Baldwin of Hainaut, at that point a lesser force for the crusaders, began leading the Crusader army himself in unusual leadership.
He would lead the crusaders against the weakened Byzantine Emperor Alexios II and sacked Constantinople in 1193 AD, despoiling the city. In the chaos, the Crusaders refused to place Theodora on the throne and, commending Baldwin's bravery, instead crowned him the new Emperor of the Latins!
Baldwin IV, now Emperor Baldwin I, had to act and bring quick peace unto the sacked city. He took upon Greek advisors along with his Latin crusaders to form new governance over the city of Constantinople. He would then rejoin the crusaders in Jerusalem to attack Saladin. However, the Crusaders would lose their battle against Saladin.
Returning home from defeat, Baldwin I's power base was quickly weakening as the Greek Orthodox in the capital revolted. Baldwin put the rebellion down. Rumors began of a plot against him and the Greeks counter-attacking to retake their capitol. Baldwin believed a show of force was needed to keep the greeks under control. He invaded Achaia in 1201 AD, placing it under his rule as the Latin emperor.
Baldwin I committed other small incursions, though his empire was still in dire straights when he grew old and feeble. By 1213 the emperor's bones had grown brittle, leading to his death by tripping. His son, Baldwin II, would inherit the Empire, surrounded by a hostile Venice, Epirus, and the dangerous turks in Rum.
Baldwin II 'the Dutch' and then 'The Holy'
Succeeding Baldwin in this timeline, however, was not Henry of Flanders. Instead, it was Baldwin's direct son, Baldwin II, who was crowned Emperor in 1215 AD after a funeral rite and convincing the Pope for approval of his title as Emperor of the Latins.
Finding strength and backing from the remaining Crusader nobility, and a sanctioned holy war from the Pope, Baldwin II invaded the Turks of Rum in 1219 AD. He was joined by the Holy Roman Emperor in this war.
During this time, Baldwin II was being referred to the Greek soldiers in his army as "The Dutch" due to him being unable to speak Greek. Despite this mockery, Baldwin defeated the Turks in Rum and retook the Kingdom of Nikaea, riding into Constantinople in a triumph.
In these days of his rule, the Dutch and the Greek Latins started to ethnically mingle, more and more of them beginning to speak Dutch but remain Greek in their ways. Emperor Baldwin II began to further use the customs of the Greeks, as well. And with Nikaea under his control, his dominion as Emperor of the region began looking legitimate.
In the end of his days, he began to be called "The Holy" for his reverence of the Latin Roman church and pilgrimages, as well as his bravery against the Seljuks.
Baldwin would die of old age in 1233 AD, having a prosperous reign. He would be succeeded by his son, Baldwin III.
Part 2 - The Crusader Empire and the Church Unified
Baldwin III 'the Kind' (ruled 1233-1287) had a long and prosperous reign after the harsh efforts of his predecessors. His first act after being crowned in Rome was to take the Kingdom of Anatolia itself. From 1235-1241 he waged holy war against the Seljuks and retook the lands of Anatolia back for the Greeks. Slowly he had begun to carve in a proper crusader empire in the region, loyal to the Catholic church.
In the 1260s, the 5th Crusade had launched, and Emperor Baldwin III led the forces against the Saracens. This time, with the backing of a powerful Catholic empire behind them, the Crusaders successfully retook Jerusalem. Baldwin III's nephew Jordan was placed upon the throne of Jerusalem in 1267 AD.
Unfortunately the crusader state of Jerusalem would then fall against invading Mongols, while the Latin Empire remained untouched.
During the rest of his reign, Baldwin III's vassals retook the rest of Anatolia under his watch, leading to the peninsula to finally be under complete Christian control once more.
Emperor Baldwin III would die in 1287 AD of old age.
He was succeeded by Emperor Neophytos 'the Magnificent' (ruled 1287-1325 AD). With the threat of the mongols at his border and seeing what happened with Jerusalem, Neophytos became a tributary of the Mongol horde to protect his rulings. At the time, many called him a coward. However, Neophytos was well aware of the Roman histories, especially that of the Fabian Strategy. He wouldn't have to wait long for the Mongol horde to collapse.
With the death of the final Mongol khan, the empire was split into many smaller hordes. Neophytos' strategy had worked, and invaded the Ilkhanate in 1306 AD, a much weaker force. He retook the Kingdom of Georgia from them.
In the decades following, Neophytos also made an impressive campaign into the Balkans, fighting the Hungarians (under the Carpathian Empire) to retake Croatia and Serbia. Under Neophytos' rule, he had restored the old borders of the Eastern Empire.
Quickly forgotten was his tribute to the Mongols, and in magnificent triumph did Neophytos parade through the streets of Constantinople as the Emperor of the Latins. In the eyes of the Catholic church, there finally was a loyal eastern empire. With his wealth and power, Emperor Neophytos was proclaimed "The Magnificent".
Alas, the glory of the Empire was not meant to be forever. In 1325, after the end of a feast with his family, Neophytos died of a sudden heart attack. His son, Theodoulus would succeed him.
Theodoulus I 'the Strong' (ruled 1325-1362) had a long and peaceful reign. He wisely oversaw the remaining prosperity of his father and became known as a prominent builder, restoring the decayed infrastructure of Constantinople. He, too, was loved by his subjects.
As well as the fact that in the decades of his rule, he invaded Syria and the Mongolic Jerusalem, placing them back into the hands of Crusader counts and dukes. Jerusalem he placed his nephew Baldwin upon the throne once again. His rule was thus viewed as one of strength in the middle east.
Unfortunately, the end of his reign also saw the Black Death. Much devastation overcame the empire from the plague, though the aging Emperor ruled wisely and ensured it did not collapse.
This guy changed everything. Theodolous II 'the Righteous'
Emperor Theodoulus I died in 1362, tripping to his death due to his fragile bones. His son, the very young Theodoulus II "the Righteous" (ruled 1362-1406) was a controversial choice, as his eldest brother, Neophytos, had been elected to be the next emperor, but died of the plague. The nobles did not trust the youngest son of the Emperor.
In fact, Theodoulus II was nearly overthrown in an attempt by the nobles. But at his crowning, Theodoulus claimed to see a vision from God: he would be the sword in which would bring the church to the world. They laughed at this bold statement.
Little would they know Theodoulus would be the greatest and most pious of all the Latin emperors before and since. For he invaded Egypt in 1365, gaining a decisive victory at the Battle of Cairo and driving out the Saracens. The nobles turned their voices away form their skepticism. Yet, they wondered, "surely this is where he stops. He doesn't have the power to defeat the empire of the Moors?"
...and then, the turn of events happened, in what historians would call the Night of the Cross of 1366. After the turn of the New Year, the people of Constantinople grew into such a stupor of celebration that they began arming themselves and donating gold as the emperor rode through the street. "HAIL THEODOULUS, SECOND OF HIS NAME! CONSTANTINE REBORN!" was shouted in the streets.
The mighty cross shone in the eyes of the nobles and peasants in the night, in a religious stupor. They gathered their swords together, and Emperor Theodoulus II rose his sword in the air. "DEUS VULT! On this day, Rome is reborn!" he proclaimed to the people. And that day, the armies of the Latins marched into North Africa.
What happened next was a veritable slaughter as the armies of the Latins, noble and peasant, marched and pillaged through the desert in a violent crusade in the lands of the Moors. The Kingdom of Africa was taken in a violent conquest. During this, the King of Sicily tried to attack the Latin Empire in the Balkans, hoping to take some ports as the violence in the south was happening. In retaliation, the Crusaders, in their stupor and believing they were reforming the old Roman Empire, attacked Sicily.
It was a bloodbath, much of Sicily absolutely devastated from this. The Pope, who was currently relying on Sicily for protection, grew fearful of the zealous violence of the crusaders, fearing they would attack the rest of Italy. The Pope excommunicated the Emperor, hoping it would deter the armies of the Latins and go against their emperor. Instead, the Latins grew angrier and marched further and further north.
Pope Callistus soon saw the Papal States overrun by pillaging crusaders. At first, Emperor Theodoulus II had merely wanted to stop at Sicily. But from his excommunication, it became proving a point. The city of Rome was sacked in 1374. The Pope, however, was not removed from his throne. Emperor Theodoulus II merely requested the excommunication lifted, and allowed the Pope to continue ruling from the Holy City.
He then marched north against the Holy Roman Emperor, and retook the land of the Italians from him. As the decade turned to the 1390s, the Crusaders had finally rested, having taken northern Italy. They proclaimed that Theodoulus was to be Constantine, and marched the Emperor to Rome.
Sure we basically sacked all of Italy, but hey, the church is unified again right?
At the sword of Theodoulus II, the church was requested a new council. Pope Callistus called upon the churches of the west and the diminished Eastern Church. The patriarch of Constantinople debated with the Pope in Rome, while the emperor supervised. Theodoulus II, favoring the doctrines of the Catholic, brought the debate to a close. The church would be mended, the Eastern Church bowed to the authority of the Pope. Meanwhile, the Pope would be ruled by the Latin Emperor, reclaiming the old ways of the Roman church.
This decision... angered much of Christendom, who were appalled by the actions of the Latins for violating the power of investiture. But the deed was done, and the churches were no longer under schism, in 1394 AD.
It also angered the Holy Roman Emperor, who denounced Theodoulus II as a pretender of the Empire and violater of the Papal throne. Theodoulus II ignored these words.
After the mending of the schism, the emperors of France and Aragon, seeing the power of the Latin Emperor and his crusaders, sought alliance with Theodoulus II and married their sons to his daughters.
The armies of the Crusaders gathered again in North Africa. The crusaders attacked the Emperor of the Moors in crusade and pushed them further west, out of the kingdom of Tahert. Later, the King of Aragon claimed the rest of Morroco, ending Moorish rule after centuries.
Just for kicks and giggles for the LARP
Then, there was one last act. The crusaders marched back to Arabia. In their zealotry, the conquests of the 7th century were undone. Mecca and Medina were sacked in 1396. Over the coming decades, the lesser counts and dukes in Arabia cleared out the Peninsula.
As Emperor Theodoulus II grew older, it was believed his eldest son Eustratios would become emperor. But Eustratios would die of Consumption, and his second eldest son Theodoulus would become a leper, unable to become the emperor. His other sons had become deviants, none of them worthy of the glory their father had brought.
For years, Theodoulus had loved his eldest daughter, Philomina, the most. She had served him faithfully as a regent in much of his years of conquest as her brothers joined their father in war. She had served as a seneschal and spymaster for her father, being a very competent ruler, and someone who kept stability in the empire against those who sought to bring ruin to his rule.
In a controversial move, as the Emperor had a feast in Constantinople, he proclaimed to the nobility his eldest daughter would be his successor. The nobility was disgruntled at this news. They proclaimed they would not elect a woman to the throne. Thus, in royal decree, Theodoulus rewrote the law of succession, that it would be by blood the throne of the Latins was passed down, not the election of the governors.
Before the Emperor could appease his vassals in this controversial law, he died of a sudden heart attack in 1406. Thus was the end of his rule of 44 years. Now, a empress would take the throne...
Part 3 - The Decline of Empire
St. Philomina, Empress of the Latins
Emperor Theodoulus II was in rather good health for his age when he suddenly died. Many had considered God had smitten him for "betraying" his people with such a curse after unifying the churches. Yet, the law was now law. St. Philomina of Hainaut was crowned the new Basilissa of the Latins, though the nobility had plotted to overthrow her quickly. But she was an intelligent woman and quickly imprisoned and exiled the dukes who threatened her rule.
She would be uneasily crowned by the Pope in 1406. Comparisons were made of Irene of Athens. To satisfy the fears of the people, she submitted to the Pope's authority. It was shortly after her crowning, though she was believed to be unable to have more children after a decade of infertility, she became miraculously pregnant once more, and gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Maria. Many believed this was a blessing from God.
Empress St. Philomena promised to bring peace during her reign, and she did. She also made major reforms. She prosecuted the Persian nobles who plotted against her and her father during his many conquests. Many of them were sympathetic to the Arabs and Moors and had sought independence. She swiftly put down the plot.
She also built more of Constantinople and the surrounding regions, making it the richest city in the world. She used her power as empress to become an absolute monarch, using blackmail of the impious to control them. Despite what some believed were underhanded tactics, she went on more pilgrimages than her predecessors, was charitable (to a fault), and ruled justly from her throne.
Alas, St. Philomina would see her end when the Persian Crusade was declared in 1495. This six year war had her leading the Latins against the remnants of the old Persian empire. As she battled the Persians, she was critically wounded as a bolt struck her helmet. When she was found, she was still alive, but had become incapable.
As she was in a coma, her son Theodoulus was given control of the empire. She would then die in the coma, a blade being driven into her by a mysterious force. In the future it would be revealed one of the servants had killed her, to "put her out of her misery." Theodoulus imprisoned the servant, but did not kill her. She had ruled 25 years.
Taking the throne as she was in a coma was her eldest son, Theodoulus III (who ruled from 1431-1457). It was thanks to him that the Empire did not collapse, for with Basilissa Philomina's absolute monarchy thrown out of question, revolts had begun against the Latin Empire rule. Theodoulus III thus decided to make smaller crusader states loyal to him in Africa, Arabia, and in Ethiopia. He consolidated power in Italy and northern Egypt to offset the rebellions and decentralized.
It was thanks to his competent rule that the Latin Empire continued to live. Though, not as glorious as it once was. Though Theodoulus III was a good ruler, never again would it reach the glory and might of his grandfather.
When he had his mother's funeral, the empress was posthumously declared a saint by the Pope for her piety. It would be forever remembered, the House of Hainaut had reunified Christendom and brough the holy gospel to the lands of North Africa... For now.
TO BE CONTINUED IN EUROPA UNIVERSALIS 4...