It was limited mainly to the area around Constantinople and some scattered areas, such as the Despotate of Mistra. Religious strife, civil conflicts, crusades, the prevalence of feudalism and the emergence of many dangerous enemies on its borders had made the erstwhile Empire a "ghost" of its glorious past.
At that critical moment in its history, with the Ottoman horde at its gates, Byzantium could only hope for help from Catholic Europe, which was hated by the inhabitants of Constantinople. The existence of "Unitarians" and "Antinomians" divided the Byzantines. However, Constantine Palaiologus made a desperate attempt, sending an embassy to Pope Nicholas V to ask for help. The Pope again made the union of the Churches a condition, but accepted the Emperor's request to send priests to Constantinople to convince the people of the necessity of the union.
The Last Siege of Constantinople (French miniature, 15th century)The Pope's envoys, Cardinal Isidore and Archbishop Leonard of Mytilene, officiated at Hagia Sophia, causing the reaction of the people, who poured into the streets and filled the churches where the anti-Unionists led by the later Patriarch Gennadius Scholarios were ministering. The dominant slogan was 'We need neither help nor union from the Latins. Let the worship of the Azimos fall away from us."
The hatred of the Latins did not only stem from doctrinal reasons. The popular soul had not forgotten the barbarity shown by the Crusaders in the First Fall of Constantinople in 1204, while it reacted to the economic penetration of Venice and Genoa, which had brought the inhabitants of the Empire to the brink of poverty, and to the oppression of the Orthodox in areas dominated by Catholics.
In contrast, the Ottomans seem to have treated Christians better. Many Christians held high positions in the Ottoman administration, even in the military, and dominated trade. The peasants paid less taxes and lived safely. Thus, a portion in Constantinople had formed that was favorable to the Ottomans. This faction was expressed by Loukas Notaras in the phrase "It is better to see in the middle of the city a Turkish king or a Latin hut."
From the beginning of 1453, Muhammad was preparing to take Constantinople. Based in Andrianople, he assembled an army of 150,000 men and a navy of 400 ships. His artillery, which was state-of-the-art for the time, stood out, especially his huge siege cannon, built by Saxon craftsmen. On 7 April, the sultan pitched his tent in front of St. Roman's Gate and officially declared the siege of Constantinople.
The entry of Mohammed II into Constantinople (Jean-Joseph Benzamen Constant, 19th century)The battle was an unequal one for the Byzantines, who had only 7 to contend with.The battle was fought with only 7,000 men, 2,000 of whom were mercenaries, mostly Venetians and Genoese, while the city was left with about 50,000 inhabitants with food shortages.
The basilica was surrounded on land by a double wall and moat. This wall, which for 1,000 years had helped Constantinople to victoriously repel all attacks by its enemies, was now at the mercy of the sultan's artillery, which from 12 April began daily cannonading.
The Turks tried several times to break the chain that blocked the Keratian Gulf and protected the eastern side of Constantinople. On 20 April a flotilla with supplies under Captain Flandanella managed to break through the Turkish cordon after a terrible naval battle and entered the Keratius, raising the hopes of the besieged.
Muhammad immediately realized that his artillery alone would not be enough to sack the City, as long as the Keratius remained unassailable. With the help of an Italian engineer, he built a two-hulled boat, and on the night of 21-22 April, some 70 ships crawled from the Bosphorus to Keratius. The situation for the besiegers now became desperate, as they had to extract forces from the walls to protect the city on the Keratius side, where there were no walls.
The final Ottoman assault took place on the morning of 29 May 1453. By the thousands, Muhammad's soldiers stormed the almost defenseless city and captured it within hours. The Emperor Constantine Palaiologos, who had earlier proudly rebuffed Muhammad's capitulation proposals, fell heroically in battle. After slaughtering the defenders of Constantinople, the Ottoman Turks engaged in extensive looting and pillaging. In the evening, Muhammad the Conqueror solemnly entered the Hagia Sophia and prayed to Allah "anabash on the Holy Table", as the chroniclers of the time report.
Source: sansimera.gr
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