Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire
Byzantium's Shield
Let's Play	Medieval 2 - Total War Kingdoms
Controlled Provinces	(ongoing)
Total Rulers	(ongoing)

The Byzantine Empire was the faction Damo2986 decided to play during his Let's Play: Medieval 2 - Total War Kingdoms campaign.

The tales of individual nobles and notable agents are told elsewhere.

Byzantine History by Emperor

Emperor Manuel the Merciless

As of the year 1174, the Turks had claimed much of Asia Minor, the Byzantine Empire mostly pushed back to the sea.

At this point the future looked bleak and doom was almost certain, having lost most of its territories in Asia minor, several European powers notably the Italian City States saw their moment and through intrigue deception and open conflict reduced the Byzantine influence in the south east Europe (the Balkans).

The Emperor Manuel was in the unenviable position of facing war on two fronts. The young and power hungry European kingdoms in the west, typified by the Normans in Sicily and England, the Italian City States such as The Venetians and Milanese, and The See of Rome. In the East the deceitful and deadly Seljuk Turks and the treacherous Crusader States of Jerusalem and Antioch.

Emperor Stephanos Comnenus

Emperor Stephanous Comnenus came to throne in 1190AD inheriting an empire which was in a considerably stronger position than his predecessor, Emperor Manuel, had found it.

The first action in the Emperors long and illustrious reign was to reorganise the empire. The reorganisation came in the form a significantly more decentralised form of government where local Lords had control over military and economic affairs, with of course the approval of the Emperor, but for the most part if funds where aplenty and time was not an issue.

The second action was to provide a strategic overview of the Empire, and to provide the lords of the realm with a strategic long term policy they should all be working towards. This gave the Emperor the ability to veto any policy decision made by his Lords.