ABSTRACT
Shortly before and after the year 1200, the balance of power in the Balkan peninsula shifted dramatically. The fragmentation of imperial authority, the most evident manifestation of which was the conquest of Constantinople by the Western crusaders in 1204, and the establishment of the so-called, and short-lived, Latin Empire of Constantinople, created a political vacuum that was exploited by various powers that vied for regional supremacy, as well the imperial legacy. Most active in this struggle, which extended well into the 14th century, were the kingdoms of Bulgaria and Serbia. In the late 12th century, both were able to assert, or re-assert, their independence.
