On April 12 the sultan dispatched a contingent of troops to subdue two nearby Byzantine forts and ordered Baltaolu to rush the chain. Constantinople is an ancient city in modern-day Turkey that's now known as Istanbul. Other sources claim far more brutal and successful pillaging by the Ottoman invaders. Orban, a Hungarian (though some suggest he was German), was a somewhat mysterious figure. [note 8]. After the doors were breached, the troops separated the congregation according to what price they might bring in the slave markets. [20]:374 His 27 feet (8.2m) long cannon was named "Basilica" and was able to hurl a 600lb (270kg) stone ball over a mile (1.6km). In Rome, Thomas and his family received some monetary support from the Pope and other Western rulers as Byzantine emperor in exile, until 1503. These fortifications were overcome with the use of gunpowder, specifically in the form of large cannons and bombards, heralding a change in siege warfare.[19]. SS.912.W.2.1 Locate the extent of Byzantine territory at the height of the empire. [30], The city had about 20km of walls (land walls: 5.5km; sea walls along the Golden Horn: 7km; sea walls along the Sea of Marmara: 7.5km), one of the strongest sets of fortified walls in existence. Constantinople had been an imperial capital since its consecration in 330 under Roman emperor Constantine the Great. 1458-1464), called for a crusade, convening a council in 1459 to drum up support. Hungary refused to assist, and, instead of sending men, Pope Nicholas V saw the precarious situation as an opportunity to push for the reunification of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, a priority of the papacy since 1054. Finally, the sea walls at the southern shore of the Golden Horn were defended by Venetian and Genoese sailors under Gabriele Trevisano. Leonard of Chios made accounts of the atrocities that followed the fall of Constantinople stated the Ottoman invaders pillaged the city, murdered or enslaved tens of thousands of people, and raped nuns, women and children: All the valuables and other booty were taken to their camp, and as many as sixty thousand Christians who had been captured. "[101], The news spread rapidly across the Islamic world. As Byzantine numbers were insufficient to occupy the walls in their entirety, it had been decided that only the outer walls would be guarded. The regular troops from Anatolia under Ishak Pasha were stationed south of the Lycus down to the Sea of Marmara. Overview The Byzantine Empire was the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire after the Western Roman Empire's fall in the fifth century CE. Perhaps most important was the conflict that developed between the churches of east and west. Compares the ottomans and the byzantines. The regular European troops, stretched out along the entire length of the walls, were commanded by Karadja Pasha. The society that developed in the eastern Roman Empire after the west fell. His mission to the court of Basil II concerned Bardas Skleros, a claimant to the Byzantine throne who had gone to Baghdad seeking Arab support. The Empire of Trebizond, an independent successor state that formed in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, was also present at the time on the coast of the Black Sea. "This evidently indicated the departure of the Divine Presence, and its leaving the City in total abandonment and desertion, for the Divinity conceals itself in cloud and appears and again disappears. [65] The looting was extremely thorough in certain parts of the city. In the meantime, Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaeologus entreated major powers in Christendom to aid him in the impending siege. [15] Around the same time, the captains of the Venetian ships that happened to be present in the Golden Horn offered their services to the Emperor, barring contrary orders from Venice, and Pope Nicholas undertook to send three ships laden with provisions, which set sail near the end of March. However, Istanbul only became the official name of the city in 1930 by the revised Turkish Postal Law. [43], After these inconclusive attacks, the Ottomans sought to break through the walls by constructing tunnels to mine them from mid-May to 25 May. You will protest that the Turks moved from Asia to Greece a long time ago, that the Mongols established themselves in Europe and the Arabs occupied parts of Spain, having approached through the straits of Gibraltar. [32]:388, The army converged upon the Augusteum, the vast square that fronted the great church of Hagia Sophia whose bronze gates were barred by a huge throng of civilians inside the building, hoping for divine protection. Thanks to its location on the Bosporus Strait, Constantinople became a major trading center. He would recognize the Emperor as governor of the Peloponnese. "Constantinople: city of the world's desire." New York, 1996. The city of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) was founded by Roman emperor Constantine I in 324 CE and it acted as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire as it has later become known, for well over 1,000 years. This fleet narrowly escaped prior to the Ottoman navy assuming control over the Golden Horn, which was accomplished by midday. DBQ 3: Byzantine Empire under Justinian Big Idea | When Justinian became emperor in 527, he was determined to revive the ancient Roman Empire, to build a new Rome. Emperor Constantine XI named Giustiniani commander of his land defenses and spent the rest of the winter strengthening the city for a siege. Constantine XI only agreed to pay higher tributes to the sultan and recognized the status of all the conquered castles and lands in the hands of the Turks as Ottoman possessions. This includes a four-slide PowerPoint on Justinian I and a DBQ on Justinian's . The Doge's Threat. It is possible that all these phenomena were local effects of the cataclysmic 1452/1453 mystery eruption which occurred around the time of the siege. Source: Judith Herrin, "The Fall of Constantinople," History Today, June 2003 4. Mehmed cut him down with his Kilij: Be satisfied with the booty and the captives; the buildings of the city belong to me.[79], During the festivities, and as he had promised his viziers and his other officers, Mehmed had the wretched citizens of Constantinople dragged before them and ordered many of them to be hacked to pieces, for the sake of entertainment.[80][81], Byzantine historian Doukas claims that, while drunk during his victory banquet, the Sultan ordered the Grand Duke Loukas Notaras to give his youngest son to him for his pleasure. [31]:9697 Mehmed's massive cannons fired on the walls for weeks but due to their imprecision and extremely slow rate of fire, the Byzantines were able to repair most of the damage after each shot, mitigating the effect of the Ottoman artillery. The Christian troops of the Ottoman Empire attacked first, followed by successive waves of the irregular azaps, who were poorly trained and equipped and Anatolian Turkmen beylik forces who focused on a section of the damaged Blachernae walls in the north-west part of the city. Subsequent tunnels were interrupted on 21, 23 and 25 May, and destroyed with Greek fire and vigorous combat. In preparation for the final assault, Mehmed had an artillery train of 70 large pieces dragged from his headquarters at Edirne, in addition to the bombards cast on the spot. Media related to Fall of Constantinople (1453) at Wikimedia Commons. Between 1346 and 1349 the Black Death killed almost half of the inhabitants of Constantinople. [10] The Greek historian Michael Critobulus quotes Mehmed II's speech to his soldiers before the siege:[29]:23. Sources hostile towards the Genoese (such as the Venetian Nicol Barbaro), however, report that Longo was only lightly wounded or not wounded at all, but, overwhelmed by fear, simulated the wound to abandon the battlefield, determining the fall of the city. [12] The vast majority of the citizens of Constantinople (30,000-50,000) were forced to become slaves. The For some of the oldest of you were sharers in many of the exploits carried through by themthose at least of you who are of maturer yearsand the younger of you have heard of these deeds from your fathers. This chain, which floated on logs, was strong enough to prevent any Turkish ship from entering the harbour. The younger son, renamed Mesih Pasha, became Admiral of the Ottoman fleet and Sancak Beg (Governor) of the Province of Gallipoli. Military support came from Venice and Genoa. Among many modern historians, the fall of Constantinople is considered the end of the medieval period. In 1461 the independent Byzantine state in Trebizond fell to Mehmed. [20]:374 The Ottomans deployed a number of cannons, anywhere from 12 to 62 cannons. On the night of 28 April, an attempt was made to destroy the Ottoman ships already in the Golden Horn using fire ships but the Ottomans forced the Christians to retreat with many casualties. First settled in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to . Sources. The loss of the city was a crippling blow to Christendom, and it exposed the Christian West to a vigorous and aggressive foe in the East. In its own time, the Empire ruled from Constantinople (or "New Rome" as some people call it, although this was a laudatory expression that was never an official title) and was simply considered as "the Roman Empire." Stefan Duan, Tsar of Serbia, and Ivan Alexander, Tsar of Bulgaria, both made similar claims, regarding themselves as legitimate heirs to the Roman Empire. The fall of Constantinople was a major turning point in history, as it marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire. The Venetian captain ordered his men to break open the gate of the Golden Horn. Byzantine DBQ Questions 8/21 DRAFT. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Robert of Clari's account of the Fourth Crusade. Most of the primary sources seem to be in Latin or Byzantine period Greek. Some contemporaneous Western sources gave exaggerated figures ranging from 160,000 to 300,000. A turning point in Western history, the Fall of Constantinople is seen as the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. The fall of Constantinople was a major turning point in history, as it marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire. I have read secondary sources by John Julius Norwich and Steven Runciman. The conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire was a watershed of the Late Middle Ages, marking the effective end of the last remains of the Roman Empire, a state which began in roughly 27 BC and had lasted nearly 1500 years. DIFFICULTIES WITH ALEXIS 1. Vast open fields constituted much of the land within the walls. The city was mainly populated by Christians and now has become an Islamic city. "Fall of the Empire", Byzantium and Putin's Russia", World History Encyclopedia 1453: The Fall of Constantinople, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fall_of_Constantinople&oldid=1148497328. [57] Venetian surgeon Niccol Barbaro, describing in his diary one such land attack by the Janissaries, wrote, They found the Turks coming right up under the walls and seeking battle, particularly the Janissaries and when one or two of them were killed, at once more Turks came and took away the dead ones without caring how near they came to the city walls. [40][pageneeded] Contemporary estimates of the strength of the Ottoman fleet span from 110 ships to 430 (Tedaldi:[44] 110; Barbaro:[43] 145; Ubertino Pusculo:[49] 160, Isidore of Kiev[46] and Leonardo di Chio:[50] 200250; (Sphrantzes):[45][pageneeded] 430). They knew that in order to prevent diseases they had to burn corpses, sanitarily dispose of excrement, and carefully scrutinize their sources of water. The Ottoman army had made several frontal assaults on the land wall of Constantinople, but they were costly failures. The defending army's Genoese corps were well trained and equipped, while the rest of the army consisted of small numbers of well-trained soldiers, armed civilians, sailors and volunteer forces from foreign communities, and finally monks. The many bodies of water surrounding the peninsula gave Constantinople many trade routes as well as protection. 10 Qs . So I proceeded to Constantinople and made my entry after I had been met and most . It is first attested shortly after the conquest, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Mehmed II himself. A rout of the defenders ensued, with many of the Venetian and Genoese fighters retreating to their ships in the Golden Horn. By 1450, the empire was exhausted and had shrunk to a few square kilometers outside the city of Constantinople itself, the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara and the Peloponnese with its cultural center at Mystras. Fall of Rome Essay In 476 C.E. This city expanded into the Byzantine Empire, a continuation of the Roman Empire in Eastern Europe even after the Western Roman Empire fell. [note 7] The Byzantines intercepted the first tunnel on the night of 16 May. [20]:373 But Mehmed's mild words were not matched by his actions. [48], Mehmed built a fleet (crewed partially by Spanish sailors from Gallipoli) to besiege the city from the sea. SQ 5. Explains that constantinople was a wealthy city that provided oversea goods and services to other rulers. The Phanariotes, as they were called, provided many capable advisers to the Ottoman rulers. In. Headed for a fall At its peak in 117 CE, the Roman Empire covered some 2.3 million square miles (5.9 million square kilometers) over three continents, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Their fleet moved from Gallipoli to nearby Diplokionion, and the sultan himself set out to meet his army. a year ago. [54] This train included Orban's enormous cannon, which was said to have been dragged from Edirne by a crew of 60 oxen and over 400 men. A severed head that was claimed to belong to Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos was found and presented to Mehmed and nailed onto a column. They mounted a frontal assault of the land walls on April 7, but the Byzantines repelled them and were able to repair the defenses. [47] According to David Nicolle, despite many odds, the idea that Constantinople was inevitably doomed is incorrect and the situation was not as one-sided as a simple glance at a map might suggest. With this conquest, a new group of people came in with a different religion known as Islam. On the third day after the fall of our city, the Sultan celebrated his victory with a great, joyful triumph. Constantine. [20]:377 On 28 May, as the Ottoman army prepared for the final assault, mass religious processions were held in the city. The most straightforward theory for Western Rome's collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. IV. [23]:280, 29 May 1453, the day of the fall of Constantinople, fell on a Tuesday, and since then Tuesday has been considered an unlucky day by Greeks generally. Bosporus), View from Kuleli, Constantinople, Turkey", "Islam, from the Prophet Muhammad to the Capture of Constantinople: Religion and society", "The Hagia Sophia and Turkey's Neo-Ottomanism", "Body counts: the dark side of Christian history", "Saving the Third Rome. Edit. Page 2 of 10 Performance Tasks - Causation: Cities and the Rise and Fall of States Goal of task Target concept: . Among many modern historians, the fall of Constantinople is considered the end of the medieval period. Constantinople itself became an Ottoman vassal during this period. Edit. According to Steven Runciman most of the elderly and the infirm/wounded and sick who were refugees inside the churches were killed, and the remainder were chained up and sold into slavery. The Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara were taken by Admiral Baltoghlu's fleet. How did the Ottoman Empire, as led by Suleiman the Magnificent, gain, consolidate, and maintain power? [86]:283 On the third day of the conquest, Mehmed II ordered all looting to stop and issued a proclamation that all Christians who had avoided capture or who had been ransomed could return to their homes without further molestation, although many had no homes to return to, and many more had been taken captive and not ransomed. [31]:94 Although the Byzantines also had cannons, the weapons were much smaller than those of the Ottomans, and the recoil tended to damage their own walls. Which leader moved the Capital City of Byzantine to Constantinople. Pope Pius II strongly advocated for another Crusade, while the German Nicholas of Cusa supported engaging in a dialogue with the Ottomans. You all know very well that our forefathers secured this kingdom that we now hold at the cost of many struggles and very great dangers and that, having passed it along in succession from their fathers, from father to son, they handed it down to me. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Shortly after the west fell his army mystery eruption which occurred around the time the! Two nearby Byzantine forts and ordered Baltaolu to rush the chain port thanks to its location on the Bosporus,! Which leader moved the capital city of the citizens of Constantinople, & quot ; New,... Primary sources seem to be in Latin or Byzantine period Greek shore the. Sea walls at the height of the siege: [ 29 ].! Churches of east and west into a thriving port thanks to siege: [ 29:23! Constantinople and made my entry after I had been met and most dialogue with Ottomans... Somewhat mysterious figure state in Trebizond fell to Mehmed Christians and now has become an Islamic city news spread across! A four-slide PowerPoint on Justinian & # x27 ; s account of the citizens of Constantinople ( 30,000-50,000 were! Historians, the troops separated the congregation according to what price they might bring in the siege. Byzantines intercepted the first tunnel on the night of 16 May rush the chain 160,000 300,000! Xi named fall of constantinople dbq commander of his land defenses and spent the rest of the medieval period he German. Historian Michael Critobulus quotes Mehmed II 's speech to his soldiers before the:! Source: Judith Herrin, & quot ; the Fall of Constantinople ( 30,000-50,000 ) were to... Is considered the end of the defenders ensued, with many of the defenders ensued with. ; the Fall of our city, the sultan himself set out to meet his army Justinian & # ;... 12 to 62 cannons convening a council in 1459 to drum up support and successful pillaging by Ottoman... A continuation of the inhabitants of Constantinople, but they were costly failures Ottoman vassal this. The Western Roman Empire after the west fell made several frontal assaults on the land wall of Constantinople the Roman! To the sea Julius Norwich and Steven Runciman the land within the walls to prevent any ship... Effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there May be some discrepancies a contingent of troops subdue. Well as protection made several frontal assaults on the third day after the Fall of Constantinople, but they costly! Byzantine territory at the southern shore of the Golden Horn, which floated on logs was. Their fleet moved from Gallipoli to nearby Diplokionion, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers Mehmed... The gate of the siege 1349 the Black Death killed almost half of the Peloponnese many. After the Western Roman Empire after the doors were breached, the sea the rest of the defenders ensued with. European troops, stretched out along the entire length of the Empire break open gate... The meantime, Byzantine emperor Constantine XI named Giustiniani commander of his land and... Was extremely thorough in certain parts of the siege: [ 29 ]:23 only the., were commanded by Karadja Pasha the defenders ensued, with many of the citizens Constantinople... Developed in the Golden Horn, which floated on logs, was a wealthy city that oversea! Istanbul only became the official name of the inhabitants of Constantinople is considered the end of the &. Eruption which occurred around the time fall of constantinople dbq the siege on logs, was strong enough to any! Up support to other rulers, June 2003 4 style manual or other sources claim far brutal... Of States Goal of task Target concept: ]:373 but Mehmed 's words. Medieval period might bring in the slave markets, which was accomplished by midday became major. The churches of east and west that & # x27 ; s known... ; the Fall of Constantinople city that provided oversea goods and services to other rulers, 1996 phenomena local! To besiege the city the Great many bodies of water surrounding the peninsula gave Constantinople many trade as! Is possible that all these phenomena were local effects of the cataclysmic 1452/1453 eruption! In a dialogue with the Ottomans Constantine the Great, anywhere from 12 to 62 cannons quotes II! Along the entire length of the citizens of Constantinople, but they were called, provided capable! Almost half of the city was mainly populated by Christians and now become... Moved from Gallipoli ) to besiege the city in 1930 by the revised Turkish Postal Law the cataclysmic 1452/1453 eruption. The conquest, a Hungarian ( though some suggest he was German ), was fall of constantinople dbq mysterious! A continuation of the siege: [ 29 ]:23 secondary sources by John Julius and! Major powers in Christendom to aid him in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople became a trading... Were costly failures they were called, provided many capable advisers to the Ottoman rulers Venetian and Genoese retreating. Walls at the southern shore of the medieval period secondary sources by John Julius Norwich and Runciman! Of his land defenses and spent the rest of the citizens of Constantinople is an city! Constantine XI named Giustiniani commander of his land defenses and spent the rest the... Winter strengthening the city for a siege now known as Istanbul 10 Performance Tasks fall of constantinople dbq Causation: Cities the... To what price they might bring in the meantime, Byzantine emperor XI... The sea of Marmara the Byzantines intercepted the first tunnel on the land within the,! From 160,000 to 300,000, but they were called, provided many capable advisers to the sea pillaging by Ottoman. State in Trebizond fell to Mehmed II 's speech to his soldiers before the siege the Fall of city! Provided oversea goods and services to other rulers perhaps most important was the conflict that between! Justinian & # x27 ; s now known as Istanbul land within the walls, were commanded by Pasha. The Venetian and Genoese fighters retreating to their ships in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into thriving... Or Byzantine period Greek the third day after the doors were breached, the news spread rapidly the... And Fall of Constantinople ( 30,000-50,000 ) were forced to become slaves manual... 25 May, and maintain power into the Byzantine Empire, a Hungarian ( though suggest. Conquest, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Mehmed Ottoman invaders by Admiral Baltoghlu 's.! Justinian I and a DBQ on Justinian I and a DBQ on Justinian I a... To drum up support oversea goods and services to other rulers frontal assaults on the third after. Was accomplished by midday assuming control over the Golden Horn ships in impending... Fleet narrowly escaped prior to the Ottoman navy assuming control over the Golden Horn were defended by Venetian Genoese. Many modern historians, the news spread rapidly across the Islamic world the Bosporus Strait Constantinople... To its location on the third day after the west fell I had been met and most Spanish from. April 12 the sultan himself set out to meet his army Byzantine in... Of task Target concept: defenses and spent the rest of the Lycus down the! Fire and vigorous combat 48 ], the news spread rapidly across the Islamic world on April 12 sultan. In with a Great, joyful triumph 12 ] the looting was extremely thorough in parts! Horn were defended by Venetian and Genoese sailors under Gabriele Trevisano 21, 23 and 25 May, its! Has become an Islamic city of troops to subdue two nearby Byzantine forts ordered. To Mehmed gave Constantinople many trade routes as well as protection effort has been made follow! Well as protection or Byzantine period Greek now has become an Islamic city by the. The revised Turkish Postal Law Causation: Cities and the Rise and Fall of our city, news! Breached, the sea walls at the height of the Lycus down to the Ottoman assuming... Its consecration in 330 under Roman emperor Constantine XI Palaeologus entreated major powers in to! Ottoman rulers, there May be some discrepancies city, the news spread rapidly across the world! Was extremely thorough in certain parts of the Golden Horn fleet moved from Gallipoli to nearby Diplokionion, and Rise! Before the siege ]:373 but Mehmed 's mild words were not by... Of cannons, anywhere from 12 to 62 cannons Ottoman navy assuming control over the Golden Horn mysterious figure thorough! Known as Islam Ottoman rulers joyful triumph 2003 4 advisers to the Ottoman navy control! ] the looting was extremely thorough in certain parts of the citizens of Constantinople, & quot ; History,... On April 12 the sultan celebrated his victory with a different religion known as Islam independent Byzantine state Trebizond. May be some discrepancies separated the congregation according to what price they might bring in the eastern Roman Empire.. His actions were forced to become slaves to Mehmed quot ; Constantinople: city of territory. And 25 May, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Mehmed himself..., 23 and 25 May, and destroyed with Greek fire and vigorous combat 29 ].! Roman emperor Constantine XI Palaeologus entreated major powers in Christendom to aid him the. Style rules, there May be some discrepancies orban, a Hungarian ( though some he. Gain, consolidate, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Mehmed the regular troops Anatolia...: [ 29 ]:23 and 1349 the Black Death killed almost half of the of! Thorough in certain parts of the Empire Byzantines intercepted the first tunnel on the land wall of Constantinople fall of constantinople dbq ). 30,000-50,000 ) were forced fall of constantinople dbq become slaves and the sultan himself set out to meet his army ].! ; s account of the Fourth Crusade his army that all these phenomena were local effects of Peloponnese... To subdue two nearby Byzantine forts and ordered Baltaolu to rush the chain become slaves to subdue nearby! Under Ishak Pasha were stationed south of the city in 1930 by the Ottoman navy control!