Byzantine civil war of 1373–1379
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The Byzantine civil war of 1373–1379 was a military conflict fought in the Byzantine Empire between Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos and his son, Andronikos IV Palaiologos, also growing into an Ottoman civil war as well, when Savcı Bey, the son of Ottoman Emperor Murad I joined Andronikos in a joint rebellion against their fathers. It began when Andronikos sought to overthrow his father in 1373. Although he failed, with Genoese aid, Andronikos was eventually able to overthrow and imprison John V in 1376. In 1379 however, John V escaped and, with Ottoman help, regained his throne. The civil war further weakened the declining Byzantine Empire, which had already suffered several devastating civil wars earlier in the century. The primary beneficiary of the war were the Ottomans, as the Byzantines became their vassals.
Byzantine civil war of 1373–1379 | |||||||||
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Part of the Byzantine civil wars | |||||||||
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The Byzantine Empire was facing a dire economic and political situation during the reign of Andronicus II. The Black Death had killed a substantial proportion of the Empire’s population and decimated the workforce, while corruption, mismanagement, and foreign invasion threatened the empire. In 1373, Andronikos IV attempted a failed coup and later became embroiled in a conflict with his father over the succession to the throne. The civil war weakened the empire even further, leading to the loss of soldiers and resources and making it difficult to defend against Ottoman expansion.[1]