User:Garrison Lee/sandbox

For Byzantine-Norman Wars page

Original

Third Norman invasion of the Balkans (1185–1186)
Although the last invasions and last large scale conflict between the two powers lasted less than two years, the third Norman invasions came closer still to taking Constantinople. The incompetent rule of Andronicus Comnenus allowed the Normans to go unchecked towards the Byzantine capital giving Thessalonica a savage sack (a grim portent of what Constantinople would face in 20 years time). The resulting panic, however, allowed Isaac Angelus to take the throne. In the aftermath of the fall of Andronikos I, a reinforced Byzantine field army under Alexios Branas decisively defeated the overconfident Normans at Battle of Demetritzes. Following this battle Thessalonica was speedily recovered and the invaders were pushed back to Italy. The only exception being the County palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, the latter remained in the hands of the Norman admiral Margaritus of Brindisi and his successors until 1479.

''Uses a great deal of loaded language. "savage" "overconfident" "incompetent"''