Struggle for Constantinople (1204–1261)

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The struggle for Constantinople was a complex series of conflicts following the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, fought between the Latin Empire established by the Crusaders, various Byzantine successor states, and foreign powers such as the Second Bulgarian Empire and Sultanate of Rum, for control of Constantinople and supremacy within the former imperial territories. At the time of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was already divided by internal revolts. In the aftermath of the Crusader sack of Constantinople, the empire was dissolved into a patchwork of territories held by various pretenders and warlords. The former Byzantine emperors Alexios III and Alexios V both aspired to retake the capital, though were defeated by the Latins. The early years after 1204 saw the rise and fall of numerous Byzantine statelets; the Latins managed to defeat warlords such as Leo Sgouros but were unable to halt the formation of the more well-organized...

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