Excellent AAR so far. It's so interesting, I might have to pick up this scenario myself. It's an interesting time period: nothing is better than a Catholic empire. 
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Part Four: The final years (1227-1230)
After his easy victories on the Balkans Balduin became increasingly arrogant and unrealistic in his self-esteem. He thought his empire could dismantle any opponent on the Balkan. He learned how foolish this belive was the hard way. In January 1228 the emperor of Nikaia invaded the lands the Duke of Nikaia, a vassal of Balduin. The emperor reacted by immidiatelly mobilizing his army and retainers, some 6.500 men and sending orders to all of his vassals to array all able bodied men and join him at Prusa at the earliest possible point. Balduin however completely misjudged the situation and advanced into Nikaia without awaiting any reinforcements and laid siege to the city of Smyrna. There he was confronted by the Nikaian emperor Thedoros. Although outnumbered Theodoros was by far the better general and he inflicted a crushing defeat upon Balduin, who escaped with only a few hundred men. Asia Minor now lay completely open to the enemy.
Balduins vassals who where arriving not massed but one at a time where all beaten.
Balduins reaction to this was complete and utter panic. He began loading his ships with as many treasures as possible and planned to flee to Rome to seek aid from the pope. It was just in this moment when all seemed lost that fortune looked down kindly on Balduin. A great insurgency of the Muslims broke out in the eastern part of the Nikaian empire and the emperor was forced to withdraw most of his forces. He therefore sent an offer of peace to Balduin. The Latin emperor would be allowed to keep all of his possessions but two of his vassals would be at the mercy of the Nikaian emperor. What else could Balduin do but accept? If he had opposed the peace he would have probably lost his capital in the long run, the one and only source of strength available to him that kept the empire together.
Just one year later emperor Theodoros died and was succeeded by his 15 year old sun Alexandros who called himself Alexandros II thereby making clear that he claimed to be the true emperor. By Feburary both duchies had fallen and the empires only footholds in Asia were Lydia and small track of land near the isle of Lesbos. Balduin died a few months later on July 9th 1230 a broken man. He was succeeded by his eldest son Hugues.
~Lord Valentine~
After his easy victories on the Balkans Balduin became increasingly arrogant and unrealistic in his self-esteem. He thought his empire could dismantle any opponent on the Balkan. He learned how foolish this belive was the hard way. In January 1228 the emperor of Nikaia invaded the lands the Duke of Nikaia, a vassal of Balduin. The emperor reacted by immidiatelly mobilizing his army and retainers, some 6.500 men and sending orders to all of his vassals to array all able bodied men and join him at Prusa at the earliest possible point. Balduin however completely misjudged the situation and advanced into Nikaia without awaiting any reinforcements and laid siege to the city of Smyrna. There he was confronted by the Nikaian emperor Thedoros. Although outnumbered Theodoros was by far the better general and he inflicted a crushing defeat upon Balduin, who escaped with only a few hundred men. Asia Minor now lay completely open to the enemy.
Balduins vassals who where arriving not massed but one at a time where all beaten.
Balduins reaction to this was complete and utter panic. He began loading his ships with as many treasures as possible and planned to flee to Rome to seek aid from the pope. It was just in this moment when all seemed lost that fortune looked down kindly on Balduin. A great insurgency of the Muslims broke out in the eastern part of the Nikaian empire and the emperor was forced to withdraw most of his forces. He therefore sent an offer of peace to Balduin. The Latin emperor would be allowed to keep all of his possessions but two of his vassals would be at the mercy of the Nikaian emperor. What else could Balduin do but accept? If he had opposed the peace he would have probably lost his capital in the long run, the one and only source of strength available to him that kept the empire together.
Just one year later emperor Theodoros died and was succeeded by his 15 year old sun Alexandros who called himself Alexandros II thereby making clear that he claimed to be the true emperor. By Feburary both duchies had fallen and the empires only footholds in Asia were Lydia and small track of land near the isle of Lesbos. Balduin died a few months later on July 9th 1230 a broken man. He was succeeded by his eldest son Hugues.
The empire shortly before the death of Balduin I. Note the exspansion of Nikaia.
~Lord Valentine~
That's the way to do it. Go Nikaia! Oops, wrong side. The struggle between Hugs and Alex will be interesting, I venture.
It's staying remarkably true to history in as far as the battles and the Asian Latin possessions have gone.
It's staying remarkably true to history in as far as the battles and the Asian Latin possessions have gone.
He definitely paid for his hubris, though I think the Franks have a long ay to go before they're unparalleled, especially after the last war.
RGB:Yes sooner or latter only one will be able to claim the rightful legacy of the byzantine empire. But it will need emperors more capable than Balduin if the Latins want to be successful
Chief Ragusa:Actually I have done much better than the Latin empire did historically (although it's hard to do any worse). In reality after all they where beat both by th Bulgarians, Epirus and Nikaia. I have at least managed to defeat Epirus, keep Bulgaria at bay and well... lost against Nikaia but that can still change.
JimboIX: Your right there especially as a new power will enter the theater in the next decades...
~Imperator Valentine~
Chief Ragusa:Actually I have done much better than the Latin empire did historically (although it's hard to do any worse
). In reality after all they where beat both by th Bulgarians, Epirus and Nikaia. I have at least managed to defeat Epirus, keep Bulgaria at bay and well... lost against Nikaia but that can still change. JimboIX: Your right there especially as a new power will enter the theater in the next decades...
~Imperator Valentine~
You have indeed. You've defeated Serbia, Bulgaria and Epirus.The Seljuks have been wiped out by Trebizond (Trapezunt) and then Nikaia triumphed in the battle of the Emperors.
The historical bit is the success they enjoyed against the Latin possession in Asia Minor. Losing Adrianople will prove fatal, if you do not reconquer it pretty quickly.
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies should be about to gatecrash the Peleponnese. Venice, too, had been silent, ominously quiet.
The historical bit is the success they enjoyed against the Latin possession in Asia Minor. Losing Adrianople will prove fatal, if you do not reconquer it pretty quickly.
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies should be about to gatecrash the Peleponnese. Venice, too, had been silent, ominously quiet.