In OTL, the Battle of Manzikert was a pivotal battle in 1071 between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Seljuk Turkish Empire. Due to part of the Byzantine force backstabbing the rest of the army due to convoluted political differences and the overconfidence of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV, the Turks, despite the fact that the Byzantines were initially winning, won the battle. The Byzantine Emperor was captured by the ingenious Turkis leader, Alps Arslan. Though he ultimately made peace with the Byzantines, following rulers and conflicts would result in the Byzantine loss of all of Anatolia in the span of a few years. The Crusades began due to this, which ultimately failed and sealed the chances for Byzantine survival.
This battle was one of the most decisive battles in history in terms of political and cultural ramifications. It begs the question: What if Byzantium had been triumphant in the battle?
