A Study Of Alexius’s Diplomacy Policy

The Byzantine Empire had particular geographic and strategic positions, whichdetermined its frequent and complicated diplomacy activities. When AlexiusComnenus seized the throne in1081, the empire was in the critical times. Duringthirty-seven years on the throne, he implemented series domestic reforms and foughtagainst foreign enemies, which revived the stabilization and vitality of the empire.The reigning of Alexius was the base of the Comnenus dynasty that reined the empirefor one century and influenced deeply the development of the later Byzantine Empire.In the reigning of Alexius I, the major foreign-affairs objects of ByzantineEmpire include the Normans, the Pechenegs, the Turks, the Venice and the firstcrusaders. The emperor chose different diplomacy strategy depending on the differentcharacteristics of foreign-affairs objects and their serious degree, which revealed theflexibility, conservatism and practicability of his diplomacy principle and methods.The unique style of Alexius’s diplomacy rooted in the temporal conditions, traditionalideas and the Christianity of Byzantine Empire, meanwhile, it was closely associatedwith the individual experience of him. Alexius I managed to recover the lost groundand reestablish the imperial defense system by implementing these diplomacypolicies. His diplomacy policies are successful attempts that fitting the specialhistory period and international circumstance, but they also bring some negativeinfluences on the later Byzantine Empire.The theme of this thesis is “the diplomacy of Byzantine empire during1081-1118”. The content includes the military and diplomacy activities in Alexius’sreign, and the causes, the common means, the influences and the characteristics of hisdiplomacy policies.