Ottomans Capture Constantinople Ending Byzantine Empire
By the mid-15th century, the once-vast Byzantine Empire had shrunk to little more than the city of Constantinople itself, surrounded by Ottoman territories after decades of expansion under sultans like Murad II. Sultan Mehmed II, determined to claim the strategic city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, assembled a massive army and navy and launched a siege in April 1453 that lasted nearly two months. Ottoman forces employed innovative siege cannons, including massive bombards designed by Hungarian engineer Orban, to batter the ancient Theodosian Walls. On May 29, after a final assault that breached the defenses, Ottoman troops overwhelmed the city despite fierce resistance led by Emperor Constantine XI. The emperor perished in the fighting, and the Ottomans looted...