Why was the Fall of Constantinople a turning point in history

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Constantinople was one of the last remnants of the ever-glorious Roman Empire. It was ruled by Constantine XI, the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire. The city had a mixed population of Greeks, Slavic, Hungarians and the people answered to the Patriarch of Constantinople and not the Holy Roman Church. The city of Constantinople was an important trade route for the European countries and allowed access to the Black Sea. The city served as a link for goods to be transported from the Silk Route.

The fall of the city was the result of the attack of the Ottomans. The city was not able to guard itself because of several reasons that led to the fall of the city. The fall of Constantinople had far-reaching effects.

Causes of the Fall of Constantinople

There were several causes for the fall of the city. Some of these included:

The Byzantine Empire had a very small population and army that could not put up a fight against the Ottomans. Most of the population of the empire had been lost to the Fourth Crusade and the Black Plague. Additionally, the number of ships to block the Turkish navy was only 26. In essence, neither the army nor the navy of the Byzantine Empire was strong enough to prevent the fall of Constantinople. On the other hand, the Ottomans had a very large army as well as a large fleet of ships.

The people of Constantinople were answerable to Patriarch and not the Holy Roman Church. Therefore, the plea for help to the Holy Roman Church fell on deaf ears.

The Byzantines also depended on the walls that surrounded the city to hold off the enemies. These walls were the primary defense of the city against all invaders and enemies.

The Ottomans were easily able to defeat the Byzantines and the fall of Constantinople also had various impacts.

Effects of the Fall of Constantinople

The Ottomans were the followers of the caliphate. Therefore, the major impact of the fall of Constantinople was the change in the religious state. A church called Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and this had a huge impact on Christianity and led to the rise of Islam. Islam soon spread to North Africa as well.

The name of the capital was changed from Constantinople to Istanbul to reflect the political as well as cultural changes in the empire. The Turks were able to gain a foothold on European soil and slowly established their base in the European countries. The trade was also affected, especially the trade links between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Even the European countries lost a lot of trade opportunities who depended on the route to trade with China and the East.

Greek Christians from Turkey moved to Italy and brought their culture and knowledge to Italy. This also sparked what is known as the Renaissance. The fall of the city of Constantinople led to the closure of the Silk Route and marked the beginning of the Age of Discovery and the end of the Middle Ages. Many explorers were encouraged to voyage and discover new places. John Cabot found the New World and this also led explorers like Christopher Columbus to find countries like India and new trade routes.

Thus, the city of Constantinople, once a glorified city was now ruled by the Turks.

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Fall of Constantinople

Eun Young Shin

Background

As Sultan Mehmed II became the leader of the Ottoman Empire in 1451 and made a promise to respect the Byzantine territory, the Christians didn't have much fear that the Byzantine Empire would be attacked by the Ottomans.[1] However, his words weren't proven to be true as the Sultan started to order large troops and situate them near the borders and prepared an assault on the capital city of Constantinople.

Turning Point

The fall of Constantinople was the capture of the Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire through a siege which started on April 6, 1453 by the Ottomans.[2] The Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire ordered his army to surround the city and sent out a final message to Emperor Constantine XI under a flag of truce with the promise of the citizens' safety if the city would surrender, in agreement to the Islamic law.[3] The rejection of the proposition started the heavy bombardment of the city's walls by the Ottomans. After the first day of the siege, the Sultan stopped the bombing to wait for reinforcements and on April 11, started the bombardment for the next forty-eight days.[4] The continuous attack on the walls didn't destroy them completely but were weakening the foundations which Mehmed II took advantage of. On May 26, Mehmed II held a council of war by calling out for the end of the siege and an assault to be planned out.[5] The news of Venice's fleet sent out to help the Byzantium Empire urged the Ottomans to speed up their attack as they knew from previous battles how their warships were no match to the Christians.[6] After the meeting, Mehmed II announced to his men that the assault on Constantinople would be on the early morning of May 29 and the Ottomans made final preparations for the attack.[7] Within the capital city, church bells rang and the people, including Emperor Constantine, gathered at the Church of the Holy Wisdom of St. Sophia. Around noon, the Ottomans started their attack and the church bells rang once more to inform the people of the final battle.[8] The Ottomans eventually managed to force open the gate and this allowed the remaining soldiers to storm into the city to kill and loot the city. "When they had massacred and there was no longer any resistance, they were intent on pillage and roamed through the town stealing, disrobing, pillaging, killing, raping, taking captive men, women, children, old men, young men, monks, priests, people of all sorts and conditions."[9] Constantinople came under the Ottomans on May 29, 1453.

Effect

The fall of Constantinople and its siege by the Ottomans ended the Byzantine Empire which had endured for more than a 1,000 years. Constantinople was set up as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. As a trading center connecting Europe and Asia Minor, the Ottomans gained control of the route, allowed Islamic forces to enter into Europe by the Ottoman Empire's expansion in the future, and diversified the population in the area. Also, the surviving Greek scholars moved to Italy, where they influenced the start of the Renaissance.[10]

[1] Runciman, Steven. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. 1964. 60.
[2] Runciman. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. 87.
[3] Runciman. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. 95-96.
[4] Norwich, John J. A Short History of Byzantium. 1997. 375-376.
[5] Norwich. A Short History of Byzantium. 378.
[6] Runciman. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. 125.
[7] Norwich. A Short History of Byzantium. 378.
[8] Runciman. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. 133.
[9] Routh, C.R.N. They Saw It Happen in Europe: An Anthology of Eyewitnesses' Accounts of Events in European History, 1450 - 1600. 1965. 387.
[10] "The Fall of Constantinople," 23 Dec. 1999, The Economist, 5 April 2013 <http://www.economist.com/node/346800>.

Bibliography

Runciman, Steven. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. Cambridge: University Press, 1965: 60, 87, 95-96, 125, 133.

Norwich, John J, and John J. Norwich. A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Knopf, 1997: 375-376, 378.

Routh, C R. N. They Saw It Happen in Europe: An Anthology of Eyewitnesses' Accounts of Events in European History, 1450-1600. Oxford: Blackwell, 1965: 387.
"The Fall of Constantinople." The Economist. n.p. 23, Dec 1999. Web. 5 April 2013.