Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nikaia or Empire Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine empires exile after the conquest of Constantinople in 1204 and establishment of the Latin Empire in the Fourth Crusade. It existed until the reconquest of Constantinople and transfer of the capital of Nicaea ( Iznik today ) there 1261st
Foundation
In 1204, the Byzantine emperor Alexios V. from Konstantin Opel fled after the Crusaders had entered the city. The son of Alexios III. , Theodor I, was crowned emperor. He fled to Nicaea in Bithynia, when he realized that the situation in Constantinople Opel was hopeless.
The Latin Empire was founded by the Teutonic Knights had a poor control of the former Byzantine territories, in many places it was non-existent. Therefore, rapidly Byzantine successor states were established; the Despotate of Epirus and the Empire of Trebizond and Nicaea. Nicaea was due to its proximity to Konstantin Opel in the best starting position for the restoration of the Byzantine Empire. Theodore I. Laskaris suffered setbacks at first, so in 1204 at Poimanenon and Prusa (now Bursa). Nevertheless, he established himself in large parts of North West Anatolia, favored by the fighting between the Latin Empire and Bulgaria. 1206 had himself crowned Emperor of Nicaea Theodore I.. Theodor beat the Seljuk Turks at Antioch in Pisidia 1211 when she Alexios III. presented as an excuse to expand westward. He also snatched the Emperor of Trebizond, the Black Sea coast of Bithynia.
Many alliances and peace treaties between Bulgaria, Nikaia, the Seljuks and the Latins were closed and broken in the next few years. Theodore I. substantiated his claim on the diadem of Constantine the Great, by advocating a new Patriarch of Constantinople Opel in Nikaia. In 1219 he married a daughter of the Latin Empress Yolanda of Flanders. When he died in 1222 he bequeathed to his successor and son John III. a small but viable state.
Expansion
1224 the Kingdom of Thessaloniki was captured from the despots of Epirus and came to the battle of Klokotnitsa 1230 together with the Despotate of Epirus under Bulgarian suzerainty. Since Trebizond was too remote and too weak Nicaea remained the only serious Byzantine successor state. John III. could therefore extend its dominion in the Aegean and Thrace. In 1235 he allied himself with the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II. Fell in 1242 the Mongols in Asia Minor and made after the battle of Köse Dağ the Sultan of the Seljuks Kai Khosrau II tribute. John III. Although feared that the Mongols would then also attack him, but was not done so. On the contrary presented the Mongolian victory marked the end of the Seljuk threat, but what after 1261 led to a neglect of the eastern border and should have fatal consequences for Byzantium. 1245 allied himself John III. with the Holy Roman Empire by marriage to Constance Anna, a daughter of Frederick II until 1248 had John III. also defeated the Bulgarians and occupied Thessaloniki. He had created important prerequisites for the reconquest of Constantinople Opel until his death in 1254.
His son Theodore II fended off attacks in Bulgarian Thrace and forced the despots of Epirus, Kastoria and Dyrrachium cede. In addition, he fell in 1258 Laodicea in Asia Minor his kingdom. Just before Theodore II died in the same year, however, Epirus allied with Manfred of Sicily. His underage son John IV Laskaris followed him, but under the tutelage of a 1259 as co-emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos winning. Michael VIII defeated in 1259 Manfred of Sicily and the Despot of Epirus at the Battle of Pelagonia.
Reconquest of Constantinople
1260 Michael went to attack Constantinople Opel on what its predecessors were not able to. He allied with Genoa, during his general Alexius Strategopoulos months spent watching Constantine Opel. In July 1261 the army of the Latins was not in town. Alexios was also able to persuade the guards to open the gates. Once inside the city, he put in the Venetian area fire ( as Venice had directed the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople Opel and also was an enemy of the allies Nikaia Genoa). Michael was later crowned as Emperor few weeks and thus is considered as the restorer of the Byzantine Empire. Mistra was soon recaptured, but Trebizond and Epirus remained independent Byzantine states. The restored Empire was faced with even the threat of the Ottoman Empire, which entered instead of the Seljuks defeated. Although Constantine Opel was recovered, the restored Empire remained a shadow of its former power and could not build on his old position as a great power. To have been serious damage which had caused the Crusaders. Konstantin Opel had been completely looted and was not the kingdom as formerly supplied with sufficient financial resources, to the fragmentation came in several states and the strengthening of local feudal lords. In this way, Byzantium was only one power among many in the Balkans.
Emperor of Nicaea
- Theodore I. (1204-1222)
- John III. (1222-1254)
- Theodore II (1254-1258)
- John IV (1258-1261)
- Michael VIII ( co-emperor from 1259 to 1261 )