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Periods:

Early

Middle

Late

Late Byzantine state

the Crusades and the turkish Invasion (1025 - 1204 - 1355)

1. The beggining of the Crusades
   1. Alexius I and the First Crusade: soldiers of the West
   2. Late Comnene Dynasty
2. History of the Crusades and the Pope's armed forces
   1. The destruction, plundering and devastation of Constantinople by the West: 1204
   2. Paleologoi Dynasty: Michael VIII - year 1263
   3. Andronicus II Paleologus
   4. Cultural Revival and the Paleologoi Renaissance - the brightest Art of the time
   5. Andronicus III and John Cantacuzenus: 1320-1354
3. The turkish expansion: year 1355 (1355-1461)
   1. Manuel II : the turks have surrounded the City - year 1391-1421
   2. the final assault of the turks : 29 May 1453, 1460, 1461

Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, founder of the Comnenian dynasty, nevertheless appealed to the pope for aid against the Turks. Western Europe responded with the First Crusade (1096-1099).

Hypocrisy of Western nations

Although the empire initially benefited from the Crusades, recovering some land in Asia Minor, in the long run they hastened its decline. Italian merchant cities won special trading privileges in Byzantine territory and gained control of much of the empire's commerce and wealth. The Byzantines experienced some prosperity in the 12th century, but their political and military power waned. The REAL interest of Italian and Western nations, however, was not to destroy Muslim domination over Holy Land, but to destroy (as much as possible), Byzantine trade and economy. That's why Crusaders allied with Venice, then took advantage of internal Byzantine strife to seize and plunder Constantinople in 1204, establishing their own Latin empire of Constantinople. The Crusaders succeeded in taking Constantinople, which they then plundered shamelessly. The Latin Empire of Constantinople, created by this Crusade, survived until 1261 when Constantinople was liberated; it had contributed nothing to the defense of the Holy Land.

There's no any other so bitter example of (non-)human hypocrisy in history. Crusades (CROSS - soldiers), supposed to present Christianity, humanity, and liberation, turn out to be real killers, plunders and rapers. Everywhere they have been, they've done harm and destruction. And there's no sound of penance even today. The same countries and nations are acting the same way.

Centres of Byzantine resistance were established in Epirus (northwestern Greece), Trebizond (Trapezount) (Northern-Eastern part of Little Asia), and especially in the city and region of Nicaea (Northern part of Little Asia) . Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus recaptured Constantinople from the Latins in 1261 and founded the Palaeologan dynasty, which ruled the empire until 1453. The Palaeologan Empire's resources were very limited in terms of finances, land, and central authority. Agricultural conditions worsened for the rural population. The emergent ottoman turks conquered the remnants of Byzantine Asia Minor in the early 14th century. After 1354 they overran the Balkans and finally took Constantinople, bringing the empire to an end in 1453.

• Early Period (from Constantine to Ioustinian),
• Middle Ages (from Ioustinian to Komnin dynasty)
• Late Period (till 1453).