The Fall of Constantinople

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At the end of the middle ages two great empires competed for dominance in Eastern Europe.

More than a thousand years old Byzantine Empire (also known as Eastern Roman Empire) was in a period of deterioration.

The Turkish Ottoman Empire took the advantage of the byzantine weakness. Since 1326 Ottomans have been expanding on expense of byzantine territory. Until 1450 they took away the huge part of Greece, Albania, Bosnia and Bulgaria.

By some historical resources Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror took about 150 000 soldiers in final assault on byzantine capital. That number of soldiers was probably “slightly” exaggerated. The more accurate number would be between 50 and 80 thousand soldiers.

Constantinople was defended with only 15 000 soldiers under the leadership of the last byzantine emperor Constantine XI. Palaiologos.

The city was the center of once great Byzantine Empire and often called “the second Rome”. After the fall of Rome and Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D. Constantinople was considered its successor and protector of Christianity and Roman civilization on East.

The capital was located on well protected peninsula. West side was facing the ground and has been protected with moat and triple wall. South side was facing Sea of Marmara and north one the “Golden Horn” which was the anchorage protected with chains. Golden Horn was really a sea strait which was passing trough Constantinople. Because of that it was considered a very important strategic position.

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Partition wall which protected the southern and northern side was defended by forces combined from Venetian and Genoese sailors, Greek monks and Turkish renegades.

Although the city was well fortified its artillery couldn’t measure with the Turkish heavy cannons. Ottomans even had one cannon that weighted seventeen tons with one mile range.

The heavy bombardment of Constantinople began on April 6 parallel with attacks on Golden Horn chain barricade. After the first attacks were unsuccessful on April 11 Turks began even heavier artillery assault.

On the night of April 18 Sultan ordered an attack on Mesoteichion fort which was stretched across the Lycus River on Golden Horn. There was camp of the emperor Constantine and his finest Greek military units.

When Turkish offensive failed again Sultan Mehmed decided to try another tactic. Unfortunately for defenders on April 22 Turks have managed to transfer 70 war galleys by land into the Golden Horn.

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However, the Byzantines were still stubbornly defending Constantinople although their food supply was getting lower. Moral of soldiers was falling down on both sides.

Sultan was seriously thinking about aborting the siege and leaving the battlefield but his generals managed to convince him to attack the one last time.

The final attack started early in the morning on May 28 and it was conducted in three waves.

The first wave was consisted of mercenaries attracted with big loot and wealth in Constantinople. Those irregular units were multinational (Italians, Slaves, Germans, Greeks and Turks). Their attack lasted for two hours and exhausted the defenders.

Second wave was carried out by regular troops from Anatolia immediately after the first wave. Although on the edge of their forces, Byzantines were still holding the city.

The last wave of assault on Constantinople was carried out by Janissary. They were the elite units of the Ottoman Empire.

After one hour of fighting the commander of Genoese sailors Giustiniani was badly injured.

Because of that his scared men had withdrew from the battle. Confusion started to spread among the tired defenders and Turks managed to take some parts of the city walls.

When Constantine saw that the end is near he bravely went on to attack enemy with the rest of his soldiers and died like a hero.

Around noon on May 28 Sultan Mehmed II. The Conqueror has victoriously entered the Constantinople and achieved his lifetime goal. Fall of Constantinople marked the end of thousand years old Byzantium Empire and the birth of new Ottoman capital Istanbul.

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