The Fall of Constantinople: The Brutal End of the Byzantine Empire
By 50 minutes
5/5
()
About this ebook
50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the Fall of Constantinople. In May 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottomans after a 53-day siege. This conquest marked the end of the mighty Roman Empire and a key point in the Ottoman advance to the West. The collapse of the Byzantine Empire is a major event in European history, and is seen by some as signalling the end of the Middle Ages in Europe.
In just 50 minutes you will:
• Understand the historical, political and social context of mid-15th century Europe
• Identify the two forces in the battle and their reasons for fighting
• Analyse the outcome of the battle and its role in the end of the Byzantine Empire and the golden age of the Ottomans
ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM | History & Culture
50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery.
Read more from 50 Minutes
Book Review
Related to The Fall of Constantinople
Related ebooks
The Dark Ages Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fourth Crusade 1202–04: The betrayal of Byzantium Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsItaly and Her Invaders: Volume I - The Visigothic Invasions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ottoman Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legends of the Middle Ages: The First Crusade Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHoly Roman Empire Power Politics Papacy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Shield and the Sword Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Life in the Middle Ages Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeace Won by the Saber: The Crimean War, 1853-1856: Great Wars of the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsByzantium Triumphant: The Military History of the Byzantines 959–1025 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAugustus Cæsar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Betrayal: The Great Siege of Constantinople Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wars of the Barbary Pirates: To the shores of Tripoli: the rise of the US Navy and Marines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Antiochus the Great Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Caesar's Commentaries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Memoirs of the life, exile, and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon, by the Count de Las Cases - Vol. III Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Short History of Italy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Voice of a Great - Selections from the Proclamations, Speeches and Correspondence of Napoleon Bonaparte Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJulius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thermopylae: The Battle for the West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crusader States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A History of Charlemagne Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Crusades Controversy: Setting the Record Straight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Legacy of Rome: How the Roman Empire Shaped the Modern World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Roman Republic Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Spartan Army Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans: Volume 4 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frederick the Great and the Rise of Prussia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
History For You
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Richest Man in Babylon: The most inspiring book on wealth ever written Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret History of the World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gulag Archipelago [Volume 1]: An Experiment in Literary Investigation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5100 Things You're Not Supposed to Know: Secrets, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, and Absurdities Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The ZERO Percent: Secrets of the United States, the Power of Trust, Nationality, Banking and ZERO TAXES! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Library Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5100 Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Awakening: Defeating the Globalists and Launching the Next Great Renaissance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whore Stories: A Revealing History of the World's Oldest Profession Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Lessons of History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters--And How to Get It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Fall of Constantinople
2 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Fall of Constantinople - 50 minutes
The Fall of Constantinople
Key information
When: 6 April-29 May 1453
Where: In Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (now Istanbul)
Context: The Ottoman expansion (14th - 17th century)
Belligerents: The Byzantine Empire against the Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders:
Constantine XI, Byzantine emperor (1403-1453)
Mehmet II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1432-1481)
Outcome: Ottoman victory
Victims:
Byzantine camp: approximately 4 000 dead and 50 000 taken prisoner
Ottoman camp: figure unknown, but losses were significant
Introduction
A major turning point in European history, the fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Eastern Roman Empire (commonly called the Byzantine Empire) in favor of the Ottoman Empire. According to many historians, this event precipitated the end of the Middle Ages and marked the entry of Western Europe into modern times.
The fight for Constantinople began on 6 April 1453. The attack was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, who wanted to bring an end to the Byzantine presence on the Bosphorus. The stakes were high: taking possession of Constantinople would not only ensure the control of commercial links between the East and the West, but would also end the last Christian stronghold in the East. The Ottomans, aware of this issue, therefore undertook the siege of the city, seeking to seize it by progressively weakening it through a series of offensive attacks, but also through a blockade intending to isolate and deprive it of any external help.
The Byzantine Empire that tried to resist the attack was declining. Behind the impressive ramparts of Constantinople, the emperor Constantine XI managed to keep the Turks at bay for more than 50 days. Nevertheless, given the successive assaults, the city finally fell on 29 May 1453, sealing the fate of the two Empires, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the dawn of the Ottoman Empire.
Political and social context
Byzantium: an empire in agony
A milestone in the history of the 15th