04- The West abandons Byzantium

To save his capital, Dragases can only count on European aid. But, for decades, the Greek sovereigns have tried in vain to reach an agreement with the Western powers. This requires an agreement with Rome, that is to say, a return to religious union and therefore, in fact, recognition of the spiritual predominance of the pope. Greek monks, sent to a council held in Ferrara then in Florence, in 1438-1439, finally resolved to do so. In vain:neither the population of Constantinople nor the Orthodox world as a whole, Greek and Slavic, accepted these decisions. In 1453, the West therefore abandoned the old state to its destiny. At the news of the imminence of the siege, Genoa and Venice, whose interests were directly threatened, sent rare ships and a few hundred soldiers that the valiant Giovanni Giustiniani - a Venetian - commanded during the assault. But that is all the help provided.

03- Prelude to disaster

05- The disaster

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