Fourth Crusade

If it hadn't happened, could the Byzantines have fought off the Turks?

Also, more generally, what was the reaction of the Catholic Church to the fall of Constantinople? Were Westerners concerned and were there any movements to reclaim it?

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>If it hadn't happened, could the Byzantines have fought off the Turks?
Doubtfully

>Were Westerners concerned and were there any movements to reclaim it?
Yes, after the Bulgars slaughtered the majority of the forth crusade leaders between 1205-1207. Pope Innocent III engaged in yet another streak of communications with the Bulgar ruler sort of playing nice and giving him an imperial crown to appease him and stop him from forming an alliance with the Byzantines.

What was Bulgaria's policy towards the Byzantine Empire? Would they have defended them like in 717, if they didn't get have the internal strife that split their country into three kingdoms?

And why would have the Byzantines lost if they didn't get sacked? Before the Fourth Crusade they were still relatively rich and powerful while the Ottomans were still trying to consolidate their gains.

Bulgarian here, never, EVER trust the eternal B*zantian

Bump for interest

But you helped them during the Byzantine siege of 717. Why?

Well from what I've read Bulgaria was generally hostile to the Byzantines, but there were times when the two sided together. For example during the Arab siege of Constantinople or later during the time of the Byzantine Empire. Bulgarian rulers would generally ally themselves with the Byzantines when there was internal struggle like a civil war, support a candidate to secure further support down the line. Which is actually quite different from what the Byzantines did when there was internal strife in Bulgaria which was to run it into the ground. So to sum it up, they spend like 600 years at war with each other but there were moments of peace especially when a foreign aggressor
threatened the lands of both realms.
Chill the fuck out and speak with facts and not emotion and wewuzry, that's why people here don't like us.

>or later during the time of the Byzantine Empire

The Latin Empire I meant

Well for example because Tervel the guy who helped them got the title Caesar (kaisar) from Justinian II.

>spergautist cant recognize when someone is memeing

well, also, mudslimes were a huge mance back than too, rulers realized that if they manage to overtake Byzantium, they will try to conquer the northern countries too