▁ru ins . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 4 1 – 1 3 4 7 ▁conflict , ▁John ▁VI ▁Kant ak ou zen os ▁had ▁established ▁himself ▁as ▁senior ▁em peror ▁and ▁t utor ▁over ▁the ▁young ▁John ▁V ▁Pal ai olog os . ▁This ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁however ▁was ▁not ▁dest ined ▁to ▁last ; ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Pal ai olog oi ▁still ▁dist r usted ▁him , ▁while ▁his ▁own ▁part is ans ▁would ▁have ▁preferred ▁to ▁dep ose ▁the ▁Pal ai olog oi ▁out right ▁and ▁install ▁the ▁Kant ak ou zen oi ▁as ▁the ▁reign ing ▁dynast y . ▁Kant ak ou zen os ' ▁el dest ▁son , ▁Matthew , ▁also ▁res ented ▁being ▁passed ▁over ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁John ▁V , ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁pla c ated ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁semi - aut onom ous ▁app an age ▁covering ▁much ▁of ▁western ▁Th race , ▁which ▁double d ▁as ▁a ▁march ▁against ▁the ▁new ▁Ser bian ▁Empire ▁of ▁Stephen ▁D ush an . ▁ ▁Ste ad ily ▁d eter ior ating ▁relations ▁between ▁Matthew ▁Kant ak ou zen os , ▁who ▁now ▁ruled ▁eastern ▁Th race , ▁and ▁John ▁V ▁Pal ai olog os , ▁who ▁res ided ▁in ▁western ▁Th race , ▁sow ed ▁the ▁se eds ▁for ▁the ▁res umption ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁war . ▁ ▁The ▁war ▁ ▁Open ▁war fare ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 3 5 2 , ▁when ▁John