~ Final Episode-
assault Constantinople Turks (Stock Denizclik Osmanli - 190
Muhteşem Courtesy Denizcilik Tarihimiz
Besitkas, Istanbul-Türkiye )
As seen, Constantinople was fought several times definitely have fallen before 1453, but this time, despite having been eliminated virtually discrepancies between Orthodox and Catholics, now allies against a common enemy Ottoman was not spared. For years it was clear the rise of the Turks who had conquered much of the Balkans, sometimes aided by the Byzantines themselves, who now saw their empire had been losing territory to be reduced, after falling in 1430 Thessaloniki , a small portion around the capital and the area of \u200b\u200bthe Peloponnese. Bayac I, around 1392, had ordered the construction of a fortress on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, called in Turkish Anadolu Hisari . In the spring of 1452, his grandson Mehmet II ordered the construction of another, the Hisari Rumeli, on the European side, just across from Anadolu Hisano, making control of the canal was secured (1) .
Rumeli Hisari Stock Kartpostal Osmanli - 244
( Muhteşem Courtesy Denizcilik Tarihimiz
Besitkas, l- Istambu Türkiye )
When the building was finished, and in late summer, Constantine XI wrote to the Pope said he would do his utmost to implement the Union agreed between the two churches, with hope of help from Western Europe in case of (imminent) Turkish attack. Anyway, Pope Nicholas V had no infuence on states such as the Byzantines thought Ocidental, some of whom were opposed to his authority, when not involved in different conflicts, whether they had been weakened, or did they invest enormous resources that they imposibillitaban address other issues (2) . Although some troops came from commercial cities of Genoa and Venice, both with possessions and interests in the area, and some individuals who came on their own, Western aid was not far from adequate to cope with an enemy like the Turkish (3) .
gathered in the city about 7,000 soldiers, 2,000 of whom were foreigners, willing to defend their approximately 20 kms. of solid walls, against which the armies camped Mehmet II on April 2, 1453. Apart from the already known Janissaries and tanned in countless other units battle, the Turks had a new weapon against the Byzantine walls, the artillery.
bombing the walls of Constantinople
digital Recreation Total War II
bombing the walls of Constantinople digital Recreation Total War II
had already been used in other campaigns, but this time the size, size and scope of the pieces was larger than usual at the time, still today a subject of discussion and research on how the Turks had made progress so far and so quickly in the construction of heavy artillery. The defenders knew the danger of artillery Turkish, but never imagined their power, which far exceeded any expectations that had been raised . Specifically, among the various artillery pieces, the Turks had a huge barrel of hitherto unknown dimensions (4) . Although historians agree on the number of troops, it is estimated that the Turks put at stake to about 80 or 90,000 men. Some historians of the era, emphasizing the power of the sultan, exaggerated figures saying that the Ottomans were many more, in any case, a number that far exceeded that of defenders (5) . Likewise, the Turks had a fleet on which we also get different data depending on the source (6) .
Map of Constantinople walls The first part of the plan was to attack Turkish Wall of Theodosius in the west of the city, the only one not surrounded by the sea. The sultan himself came on 5 April. Before starting the site, removed some pockets of Byzantine provoked resistance outside the walls and on April 7 with a shot of the great cannon at the Gate of San Romano, began the siege of the city itself. The walls were not prepared to resist attacks by artillery and began to give way before the first week. However, the defenders took advantage of the night to repair or reinforce what they could, holding back the Ottoman advance, this was possible because the structure of the defenses, with three walled rings separated by deep trenches, in places up to 70 meters and the reluctance of the Turks to attack the city by sea-walls had towers and artillery fire Greek (7) , from which the enemy ships were very vulnerable, which helped the Byzantines to raise cash and labor in the one against the siege.
After winning a couple of defenders, rejecting two separate attacks by sea and by land, arrived some troops sent by Pope and boatloads of grain sent by the Genoese, getting circumvent the Turkish naval blockade, which cost the head Admiral Baltoghlu, publicly executed by the sultan. The balance had tilted on the side of defenders in the first 15 days, but Mehmet was not ready to retire, knowing his superiority. Unable to cross its fleet Golden Horn inlet closed by a thick chain, a general tiurco, Zagano Pasha, he devised a system to carry the boats overland to the other side of the barrier and thus be able to attack the east wall, opening a new front that divided the forces of the defenders, who had to deal now plugging new gaps in the sidewall.
fra Maometto II transports you imbarcazioni
(1902) Fausto Zonar
Dolmabahçe Saray - Istanbul , Türkiye
After a month of siege, the defenders were exhausted and the attackers had not managed to break its forces in line with expectations, so Mehmet was the problem of maintaining and supplying its huge army longer than desired, so we decided to launch an ultimatum to the Byzantines, if they surrendered, spare the lives of all Christians and let the emperor's government in Mistra, Morea - but Constantine would become vassal and have to pay tax, something that the emperor was not willing, partly because city coffers were empty.
Given the refusal of Constantine, the Turks were prepared for what should be the final assault. On May 29, the first waves of mercenaries attacked west wall up to the Lycos River (see map above) previously punished enough by artillery and full of patches for which the attackers tried to break through, initially, were repulsed. However, when the battle was concentrated at that point, a door in the northwest, apparently Kerkaporta (see map) that had been poorly monitored, entered a detachment of Janissaries.
To the great misfortune of the Byzantines, the head of the Genoese, Giovanni Giustiniani Longo, fell mortally wounded, causing demoralization and desertion of most of the troops under his command, just as the Turks threatened to exceed the defenses. Constantine himself died in the walls and in the afternoon, the Ottoman vanguard had reached the streets of the forum. Which has been called by some second fall of Rome (8) was a fact and the Ottoman Empire would begin to know the period of its heyday at the expense of cultural heritage which had hitherto been the world's oldest empire . While
Mehmet, although at first he could not stop the looting, then banned it and rushed to respect and maintain the position d Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch, Scholari Gennadios -Γεώργιος Κουρτέσιος Σχολάριος-in order to impress upon the Christian population of its intention to respect and avoid their rout. Also appointed patriarch ethnarch-εθνάρχης-(ie, ceded power civil and ecclesiastical) of millet (9) . Despite these measures, many residents left the city.
Stories about the fate of the military leaders included Constantine himself, mingle with the legends, killing many people during the siege and the survivors, executed (10) .
The two last bastions Byzantines, the despot of Morea and the Empire of Trebizond, would fall in 1460, causing the flight of the Greco-Roman past to Europe, mostly to Italy, where its cultural influence led to the early Renaissance.
Maometto II enters
Constantinopoli (undated) Fausto Zonar (1854-1929)
Dolmabahçe Saray - Istanbul, Türkiye
(Continued next post)
Cervantes Virtual Link-
After winning a couple of defenders, rejecting two separate attacks by sea and by land, arrived some troops sent by Pope and boatloads of grain sent by the Genoese, getting circumvent the Turkish naval blockade, which cost the head Admiral Baltoghlu, publicly executed by the sultan. The balance had tilted on the side of defenders in the first 15 days, but Mehmet was not ready to retire, knowing his superiority. Unable to cross its fleet Golden Horn inlet closed by a thick chain, a general tiurco, Zagano Pasha, he devised a system to carry the boats overland to the other side of the barrier and thus be able to attack the east wall, opening a new front that divided the forces of the defenders, who had to deal now plugging new gaps in the sidewall.
fra Maometto II transports you imbarcazioni (1902) Fausto Zonar
Dolmabahçe Saray - Istanbul , Türkiye
After a month of siege, the defenders were exhausted and the attackers had not managed to break its forces in line with expectations, so Mehmet was the problem of maintaining and supplying its huge army longer than desired, so we decided to launch an ultimatum to the Byzantines, if they surrendered, spare the lives of all Christians and let the emperor's government in Mistra, Morea - but Constantine would become vassal and have to pay tax, something that the emperor was not willing, partly because city coffers were empty.
Given the refusal of Constantine, the Turks were prepared for what should be the final assault. On May 29, the first waves of mercenaries attacked west wall up to the Lycos River (see map above) previously punished enough by artillery and full of patches for which the attackers tried to break through, initially, were repulsed. However, when the battle was concentrated at that point, a door in the northwest, apparently Kerkaporta (see map) that had been poorly monitored, entered a detachment of Janissaries.
To the great misfortune of the Byzantines, the head of the Genoese, Giovanni Giustiniani Longo, fell mortally wounded, causing demoralization and desertion of most of the troops under his command, just as the Turks threatened to exceed the defenses. Constantine himself died in the walls and in the afternoon, the Ottoman vanguard had reached the streets of the forum. Which has been called by some second fall of Rome (8) was a fact and the Ottoman Empire would begin to know the period of its heyday at the expense of cultural heritage which had hitherto been the world's oldest empire . While
Mehmet, although at first he could not stop the looting, then banned it and rushed to respect and maintain the position d Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch, Scholari Gennadios -Γεώργιος Κουρτέσιος Σχολάριος-in order to impress upon the Christian population of its intention to respect and avoid their rout. Also appointed patriarch ethnarch-εθνάρχης-(ie, ceded power civil and ecclesiastical) of millet (9) . Despite these measures, many residents left the city.
Stories about the fate of the military leaders included Constantine himself, mingle with the legends, killing many people during the siege and the survivors, executed (10) .
The two last bastions Byzantines, the despot of Morea and the Empire of Trebizond, would fall in 1460, causing the flight of the Greco-Roman past to Europe, mostly to Italy, where its cultural influence led to the early Renaissance.
Maometto II enters Constantinopoli (undated) Fausto Zonar (1854-1929)
Dolmabahçe Saray - Istanbul, Türkiye
Cervantes Virtual Link-
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