Alternate History of Europe Timeline/1

This Alternate History of Europe Timeline is a timeline, created by Calthrina950, which will explore a alternate history of Europe, and eventually, of much of the rest of the world, starting in about 1201. It will possibly run for some time. I will try to be historically accurate in some areas, but will add new events and nations such as Britain, Russia, and etc. will appear on the map earlier. The Byzantine Empire will collapse earlier and the Ottoman Empire will arise.

=Timeline=

1200
The below is the starting map:



1201


In the Kingdom of England, King John I "Lackland", fell into the Thames River, while out on a royal hunt and drowned. Because the king had no sons, his closest surviving relative, Prince Edward, became the new King of England. Under Edward, the British Isles would be unified under one state, a fall-back from the territories in France would occur, and the stage would be sent for the eventual growth of Britain into the world's most powerful nation.

In Eastern Asia, Genghis Khan is killed by a tribal rival. As a result of his early death, the Mongols will never unify into one terrifying force, and as such the Mongol Empire will never be formed. As such, nations such as Russia which suffered under Mongol rule will be able to progress equally along with western Europe.

A small tribe, the Ottomans, consolidate in the southwestern Turkish territories of the Turkish Emirates. This tribe will grow from a minor chiefdom to a major European empire within the next several decades. Erjunhud, the tribal leader, makes himself "the Islamic King of the Ottomans", a stepping stone to the highest rank in Islamic government, Sultan.

1204
A Crusader force sacks Constantinople, the capital of the declining Byzantine Empire. The reason was because the Byzantine emperor had not paid back money he had borrowed from the Crusaders in order to gain the throne. The result of the "Sack of Constantinople", will accelerate the Byzantine Empire's inevitable collapse. After the Sack, rival forces begin fighting for the throne, thus weakening internal stability. Dissent begins to fester in Greece and Serbia, still under Byzantine rule. Also, the Khanate of Bulgaria steps up raids on the Byzantine's northern borders.

King Edward II of England begins a policy of Consolidation, which will bring more power and wealth into the hands of the Crown. Using military force, the king compels the nobles to sign the Charter of the Royal Rights, which insures the king's authority over the land and properties of the nobles, and his rights of supervision, control, and use of their services. The king also begins building up his own personal treasury.

1205


In Scotland, the entire Scottish royal family dies when the palace in which they are feasting burns down, killing everyone inside. King Edward II of England, who was the closest surviving relative to the now deceased Scottish king, was able to claim the Scottish throne, becoming King of Scots. Edward II began reducing the powers of the Scottish parliament, and he issued a series of Scottish royal decrees which brought Scotland into closer economic and diplomatic association with England. This would be for a eventual unification. At the same time, Edward II begins a process of withdrawal from English territories in France, believing them now worthless.

In the Holy Roman Empire, the Reichstag reorganized the entire system of the state division. It established the system of electorates, which would consist of states ruled by the major princes who would vote for the Emperor. These electorates included the Electorate of Saxony, the Electorate of Brandenburg, and the Archduchy of Austria. The Reichstag also established the Holy Roman Empire's official flag, clearly outlined the Emperor's (relatively limited) powers, and laid the foundations for a central military.

The Ayyubid Sultanate begins intensifying it's attacks on the remaining Crusader States. The Crusaders had diverted much of their attention to plundering the rotting Byzantine Empire. As a result, the northern Crusader states fell to Islamic forces by the end of the year.

The Turkish Emirates begin to weaken and falter in strength. This was a result of internal conflict, plague, and other problems plaguing the Turkish forces. By the end of the year, many of the Emirs and Sultans would be fighting each other, ignoring foreign and external affairs. As a result, the Ottoman Tribe of Erjunhud is able to expand, while Georgia extends it's territory south.

1206


King Edward II of England uses his bodyguard forces to dissolve the Scottish parliament by force. Shortly afterwards, he closes down the English "great council". As a result of this, he was now a absolute monarch in both of his realms. Edward dispatched a small army expedition which conquered Orkney and Shetland, now deprived of support from Norway. Afterwards, the King issued the Acts of Union 1206. The Kingdoms of England (including Wales and Ireland) and Scotland, as well the conquered territories of the Principalities of Orkney and Shetland, were unified as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Under the terms of the Acts, a common currency was declared, a free trade zone was established, the British Union Jack and other symbols and mottos were adopted, and all laws considered conflicting or nonconsistent with the Acts were declared null and void. Thus, a new nation had appeared on Europe's map. Thus, Edward II, King of England, King of Scots, and Lord of Orkney and Shetland, became Edward I, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The King promptly issued a decree, which made clear the Acts applied only to the British Isles, and not to any possessions in France, which he declared would be placed under a caretaker government until formally transferred to the rump of France.

The new Britain is recognized by the Holy Roman Empire, the Russian Principalities, Sweden, Norway, Rump France, and the Byzantine Empire, among other governments. Britain will eventually become of the greatest powers in Europe and in time, the world.

Rebellions break out in the Byzantine provinces of Serbia and Greece. The Serbians and Greeks were tired of Byzantine rule, and believed it was their chance to achieve independence, due to the Byzantine civil conflict. At first, the government in Constantinople did not respond effectively to the rebellions, but will eventually try to crush both, although they will be unsuccessful.

1207


The Byzantine government sends in troops to Serbia and Greece to attempt to crush the rebellions occurring in both provinces. At first, the rebellions are driven underground, but by the end of the year, have increased in intensity again. The rebellions are indirectly assisted by the continuing Bulgar raids on the northern Byzantine boundary, and by the raids of the Turkish tribes in the east.

Sweden begins colonizing the as yet uninhabited territories of what would become northern Sweden and Finland. The Swedes establish a series of posts and towns in these regions and begin a colonization effort. By the end of the year, much of Scandinavia had been occupied by the Swedes, who also began exerting control over the eastern Baltic Sea.

A Crusading order, called the Order of the Teutonic Knights, arrives in what would become Prussia. They had been sent by the Pope to convert the Lithuanians and Prussians to Christianity. Those peoples were among the last pagan peoples left in Europe. By the end of the year, the Knights had consolidated de facto control over a area of Prussia, which came to be called Teutonic Prussia.

A "Renassiance" begins to flourish in Italy, especially in Genoa and Ferrara, two of the major Italian states, as well, to a extent, in the Papal States. The works of Plato and numerous other Greek writers, who to that point had remained unknown since ancient times, were rediscovered by Italian historians. A new emphasis on the study of Greek, Latin, theology, history, and mathematics was made. Thus a great flourishing of culture began in Italy, which would eventually spread across Europe.

1209


King Edward II of Britain formally returns the British possessions in France back to remainder of the rump Kingdom of France. Philip Augustus, King of France, immediately consolidates his power. He issues a series of decrees, which organizes France into provinces, each one ran by a governeur appointed and dismissed by the King alone. This was to insure local administration remains strictly under central control. The king also organized France's first regular army and reorganized the French levying system, which now applied to nobles and priests. All these acts strengthen France, and thus confirm the absolute power of the king. Philip Augustus then begins preparing for campaigns against Andorra and Provence.

The rebellions in Serbia and Greece intensify to a new pitch. Finally, the central government in Constantinople, still suffering from the Sack of 1204, plagued by financial difficulties and problems with agriculture, as well military infighting, collapses. Both Serbia and Greece formally secede, becoming the Kingdom of Serbia and the Confederation of the Greek States respectively. Serbia will be a absolute monarchy, while Greece is a loose confederation based on that of the relationship of the Ancient Greek city-states. Meanwhile, a small state, the Constantinople Empire, forms in Constantinople, while the rest of the Byzantine Empire becomes the Empire of Nicaea. Thus, after nearly 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire, the true one, had fallen.

The Spanish Kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Portugal all establish a alliance, called the Christian Pact. This alliance's goal is to throw the Al-Andalus Muslims out of southern Spain, thus restoring Christian control of the entire peninsula. The alliance begins gathering forces and supplies for a offensive into the Muslim territories. The alliance is provided supplies and weapons by Britain, which is experiencing a growing economy, with a strong agricultural industry and growing merchant sector.

1212


Around this time, the Mamelukes, slave-soldiers serving in the Ayyubid military, begin to acquire greater power and influence. For years, they had become a influential faction in the Sultanate. Thus the stage is set for their eventual seizure of power by the 1240s.

Portugal, Castile, Aragon, and Navarre defeat the Muslim Emirate of Al-Andalus at the Battle of Los Novas de Tolosa. This battle will see a rapid campaign of Reconquest, which, within the next several years, will annex almost all of the Muslim territories in southern Iberia. Muslim armies reorganize and prepare for the next Christian offensives.

King Edward II of Britain opens greater trade with the wealthy states of the Middle East and Italy. This trade will help increase the prosperity of Britain's economy. The king also brings in Renassiance philosophers, playwrights, scientists, mathematicians, and others from Italy. He also establishes a royal theater and begins encouraging literature, as well supporting the establishment of schools for the wealthy and middle class. Around this time, the Renassiance scholars introduce Arabic numerals into Europe, and they also introduce algebra and numerous other innovations from the Middle East as well. They also begin developing techniques of mass-producing books.

France instigates a offensive against Provence, along the south-eastern coast. The duchy, virtually independent in all but formal status, was now acting as a foreign state, conducting diplomatic relations and completely controlling it's own affairs. By the end of the year, the more effective and organized French army bring the duchy back under direct French rule. King Philip Augustus I also begins bringing in Renassiance scholars and encouraging French culture.

1214
King Andrew II of Hungary is prompted into forming a temporary agreement with the Hungarian nobility, in order to calm down tensions. The king promises to respect the rights of the nobles in exchange for having control over taxes, finances, and the military system. This agreement will remain in effect until the more formal Golden Bull of 1222.

King Edward II of Britain issues a Royal Proclamation which divides Britain into fourteen districts, or provinces. Each province would have a royal governor, appointed and dismissed by the King at will. The governor would rule each province with the assistance of a Executive Council. He would collect taxes, administer the law and justice, and issue local orders for provincial administration. He would also supervise the nobles in his province and report on their actions to the king. Also, each major city (such as London, Birmingham, Oxford, Reading, Dover, Portsmouth, Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and others), are granted their own local government, with a charter personally issued by the king. All these local government reforms strengthen central authority.

The Pope calls for another Crusade in the Holy Land, in order to recover territories along the northern Judean coast lost to the Muslims, and to acquire territory in Ayyubid-controlled Egypt. The kings of France, Hungary, and Sicily, as well the rulers of Venice and Genoa, gather forces for a offensive into the Holy Land. By the end of the year, more then 25,000 crusaders will have been organized together.