The collapse of the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire


At the end of the XI century. Crusades began. It would seem that this disaster will not affect the Byzantine capital – the center of Orthodoxy. But the organization of the Fourth Crusade was interrupted by a cunning old man – blind Venetian doge Enrico Dandolo. He conceived the hands of the Crusaders to destroy the main commercial competitor of Venice in the East – Byzantium. The political machinations of the Doge were a success. In 1204, the Crusaders suddenly seized Constantinople, in order, as they claimed, to place the “legitimate” emperor on the throne. They completely plundered the city, destroyed a lot of townspeople.

On the territory of Byzantium formed the Latin Empire – the state of the Crusaders. Byzantium temporarily disappeared from the historical map, her emperor retained power only in Asia Minor. Part of the Byzantine territory went to Venice. But the Byzantines were supported by the Turks and trading rivals of the Venetians – the Genoese. Therefore the Byzantines gradually conquered their lands from the Latin empire. In 1261 they again took possession of Constantinople. This time the Latin empire ceased to exist, and the Byzantine Empire was reborn. But not for long.


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The collapse of the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire