Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-25205072-20150422083509/@comment-25205072-20150625003443

STORY SO FAR

Alexios II Komnenos ascends the throne under the regency of empress maria I, however many greek lords resent the rule of empress maria for latin leanings. In response, Andronikos I tries to seize the throne but is betrayed by his muslim contigent who massacre his forces leaving the rest of the rebellion to be crushed. This was all due to the efforts of Isaac Angelos (who is then renamed a Komnenos) and goes on a military campaign against the sultanate of Rum seizing much of Rum territories and preventing the Sultanate of Rum from seizing power in anatolia ever again. When Alexios rose absolute power, he ordered Maria to be executed under the guidance of Isaac Angelos and soon tasked Isaac to retake anataolia from the turks. Under Isaac, this was an astounding success retaking nearly all anatolian territory. He was proclaimed heir in the case that Alexios II died and was named a legitimate member of the Komnenos family. Soon after at the age of 20 Alexios II died leaving Isaac II Komnenos as emperor. His first order of business was the crusaders. Emperor Barbarrosa of the Holy Roman Empire requested access and money for the third crusade. Although initially denying it, seeing the benefits of the latins under Manuel I rule, proceeded to allow further venetian trading in the Byzantine empire creating more income for the empire and warming relations with the Venetians. His first internal challenge came from Andronikos I who proclaimed himself king of cyprus after Isaac's ascension to the throne. (In ATL Isaac is a more effective ruler mending relations with the church and recapturing all of anatolian territory lost after Mazinkert in 1071). After defeating Andronikos, who was killed in a peasent uprising due to his innefficient administration. Isaac II made decision to join the crusades to recapture anatolian territory further mending church relations. Isaac's decision was quite shocking as this was the first time a byzantine emperor decided to particapate in a crusade, The crusade was an astounding success, recapturing all lost territory and bringing the komnenian restoration to full frutation.