What caused the Byzantine Empire to Collapse?
The causes were several, but the fatal blow came from the Crusaders in 1204. Byzantine was well established and positioned state, but in 11th century the Catholic Europe and Islam changed the balance of power in the region. In year 1000, Byzantine was still the wealthiest kingdom in the world. It prospered as the central crossroad from Europe, Africa, Levant, Middle and Far East and Central Asia. But this wealth was starting bypass Constantinople and landed in emerging Italian city states. In the 11 century, Byzantine engaged on prolonged war with Bulgaria, which were real pain to Byzantine, and they were determine to get rid of them for once. This war was costly, but they achieved total victory in 1018, while performed large scale genocide of the defeated Bulgarians. Byzantine for the first time in 500 years achieved Danube boundary and country was overextended. Yet at the same century, Turks migrated into central Anatolia and carved much of the state into Sultanate of Rum. Byzantine
