The Ottomans and The Fall of Constantinople

The Ottoman Empire emerged in the 13th century in northwestern Anatolia. They were one of many Turkic principalities that had formed in the region in the wake of the Mongol invasions. So by the mid-15th century, the Ottomans had defeated and incorporated most of the Muslim Turkic emirates into their empire. They had also crossed into Europe and subdued the Orthodox Christian Slavic states of the Balkans. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, the capital of the thousand-year-old Eastern Roman Empire. Mehmed II's conquest was one of the utmost historical significance. From an Ottoman perspective, the conquest eliminated a hostile wedge that separated the Sultan's European and Asian provinces. It also allowed a commanding position over trade routes between Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. Mehmed II also gained a large amount of prestige in the Muslim and Christian world. He was now the conqueror, the first Muslim ruler to accomplish the old dream of the Muslims, who first besieged the city in 674. Now it should be noted that Constantinople was besieged and sacked in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. The city was looted, the empire's territories were divided amongst the crusaders, the Eastern Roman Empire was pretty much screwed over by the crusaders. In 1261, the city was recaptured and the empire was restored, but not like the Justinian way. They never managed to reclaim its lost territory or economic strength. The Fourth Crusade pretty much opened the door for the Ottomans and the conquest of the city. Mehmed II made Constantinople the capital of his empire and considered himself Caesar, the heir to the Byzantine emperors. He repopulated the city, mostly through forcery settlement. However, he built new commercial and residential quarters, grouped around mosques and markets. Mehmed continued his expansion and cemented rule over Serbia, Albania. He eradicated the Genoese trading colonies in Crimea and established control over the Black Sea. He did meet some failures, such as the unsuccessful siege of Belgrade and a campaign in southern Italy. The Sultan's continued wars, the expansion of the standing army, as well as ambitious building projects definitely strained the empire's resources. In order to meet these expenses, he resorted to unpopular measures, including devaluating Ottoman silver coinage and seizing private lands. But the empire he controlled would continue and even expand following his death, and it would last all the way up until World War I. Thank you for watching and a special thanks to Jimmy Alexander for supporting the creation of this video. If you would like to help me create more videos like these, as well as more in-depth videos, please consider supporting me through Patreon.