A Battle That Changed History
- Nick Holmes
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The Battle of Manzikert, 1071
I've always been fascinated by the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
Relatively unknown compared with other great battles in the Middle Ages like Hastings and Agincourt, in my view it was just as important if not more so.
Why? Because it transformed the whole of western Eurasia. It marked the end of Byzantium as a great power. Although Byzantium survived, it never again dominated the eastern Mediterranean. The First Crusade would arguably not have taken place had the Byzantines not been forced to appeal to the Papacy for help. And the Venetians would not have been able to create their maritime empire which so profoundly shaped European commerce and culture.
Most important of all, it led to the creation of modern Turkey, and before then the great Ottoman Empire. The battle was of course won by the Seljuk Turks but they proved to be the forebears of the Ottomans.
Discover exactly what happened in this pivotal battle in my latest podcast episode! In my detailed examinaton of it lies the greatest surprise of all. The battle should have been won by the Byzantines! The emperor Romanus Diogenes held the upper hand during most of the battle until at one critical moment, towards the end of the day, he was betrayed by a political rival. The result was the worst Byzantine defeat in their history.
NEW BOOK: THE INHERITORS OF ROME
The final book in my series on the Fall of the Roman Empire, The Inheritors of Rome, is now out in eBook and print on Amazon. The audiobook will be out next year.
Thank you again for your continued interest and support.
Have a great weekend!
Nick
PS I'd be delighted if you wanted to forward this email to a friend who might be interested.
Nick Holmes, c/o Puttenham Press Ltd, Unit 121195, PO Box 6945, London, W1A 6US
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