Изостанак Ромеја у Маричкој бици и ступање Византије у вазални положај кроз призму деловања Андроника IV Палеолога
Absence of the Romans in the battle of Maritsa and the entrance of Byzantium into a vassal position through the prism of Andronikos IV Palaeologus’ actions

Summary/Abstract: Taking into account Andronikos’ disobedience to Emperor John V, evident in several instances between 1366 and 1371, this paper posits the assumption that, throughout that period, the young prince was laying the groundwork and attempting to ascend to the Byzantine throne. The last in a series of events that unequivocally allude to the awakened imperial ambition of Andronikos IV, in our opinion, is the rebellion in the fall of 1371 immediately after the emperor’s return to the capital, which was unsuccessfully carried out by a group of distinguished aristocrats. We believe that the rebellion was caused by the connection of the rebels with Andronikos IV, using the discontent of the people of Constantinople towards the pro-Latin policy of the emperor who rejected the Orthodox faith in Rome and converted to Roman Catholicism. In addition to all of the above, it is important to emphasize Andronikos’ conciliatory attitude towards the Turks, followed by the desire to reach an agreement, despite the great engagement of the despot John Uglješa for a common struggle. Taking all this into account, it becomes clear why the Byzantines did not participate in the Battle of Maritsa. Andronikos IV did not need enmity with the Turks, since their alliance on the other hand, would have greatly facilitated his assumption of the throne. In our opinion, the rebellion at the end of 1371 was the catalyst for Roman Emperor John V Palaiologus to become a vassal to the Turkish Sultan Murat I, most likely occurring in 1372. This act can be seen as a strategy to maintain his position on the throne in the face of the impatient heir, who was actively seeking Turkish support. Approaching the problem from this perspective, there is a possibility that actually Andronikos IV’s closeness with the Turks, along with their military superiority especially as a potential ally in his struggle for power, forced John V to this act in order to maintain his throne. This is supported by the rebellion of the two princes in 1373, that is, only one year after the Byzantine submission to the Ottomans, which clearly speaks of the impossibility of cooperation of the Byzantine heir to the throne with Sultan Murat I, to whom John V, as a vassal, was completely responsible on the throne. These are the reasons that led to the alliance of the Ottoman and Byzantine princes, who, seeing the good relations between their fathers, realized that they would have to wait a long time for power, as a result of which they united their forces in an attempt to get hold of it.

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