1340s in the Byzantine Empire - Byzantine Civil War of 1341-1347, Zealots of Thessalonica, Byzantine-Genoese War (Paperback)

Chapters: Byzantine Civil War of 1341-1347, Zealots of Thessalonica, Byzantine-genoese War. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 31. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Byzantine civil war of 13411347 was a conflict between the supporters of John VI Kantakouzenos and the regents for John V Palaiologos, the nine-year-old son of Emperor Andronikos III: the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy, the Constantinople Patriarch John Kalekas, and the megas doux Alexios Apokaukos. The war polarized Byzantine society along class lines, with the aristocracy backing John VI and the lower and middle classes supporting the regency and, later, and John V. To a lesser extent, the conflict acquired confessional overtones. Adherence to Hesychasm was often equated with support of Kantakouzenos. As the chief aide and closest friend of Emperor Andronikos III, Kantakouzenos became regent for child, John V, upon the Emperor's death in June 1341. During Kantakouzenos' absence from Constantinople in September, a coup d'etat led by Alexios Apokaukos and the Patriarch John XIV established a new regency. In response, Kantakouzenos' army and supporters proclaimed him co-Emperor in October, cementing the rift between himself and the boy's mother and her supporters. Armed conflict broke out immediately. During the first years of the war, the regency's forces prevailed; in the wake of several anti-aristocratic uprisings, most notably that of the Zealots in Thessalonica, most of the cities in Thrace and Macedonia remained under their control. Kantakouzenos sought assistance from Stefan Dushan of Serbia and Umur Bey of Aydin. With their help, he reversed the gains of the regency. By 1345, despite Dushan's defection to the opposition and the withdrawal of Umur, Kantakouzenos held the upper hand with the assistance of Orhan, ...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=23325915