The fall of Constantinople marks the end of the Middle Ages . When Constantinople is taken, the trade and cultural link between Asia and Europe is severed, beginning a shortage of many necessary products. With this, it gives rise to the search for new commercial routes, thus causing the discovery of America and beginning the Modern Age.
The Turks
While the Byzantine Empire was in full decline, a new empire began to form in Asia Minor:the Empire of the Turks .
The Turks were related to the Mongols and came from Turkestan in Central Asia. Ruled by sovereigns called Sultans, they had a fearsome army of janissaries , brutal soldiers, educated from childhood to go to war, wielding curved swords called scimitars .
In the year 1296 the Turks separated from other tribes of Turkestan and under the command of their leader Otmán or Osmán, advanced towards Asia Minor and seized some territories. Since then they were called Ottomans .
The Turks thus constituted a permanent threat to the Byzantine Empire.
One of the Sultans who achieved the greatest territorial conquests was Amurates I (1360-1389), as he advanced on the Balkan peninsula and seized the Byzantine city of Andrinopolis, making it the Turkish capital. In this way, Byzantium's land communications with Europe were cut off. Amurates I, defeated the Serbs, but was killed in the Battle of Kossova (1389) by a soldier named Milosh.
Bayaceto, The Lightning
The conquest of the Turks was already irrepressible. Amurates's successor, Sultan Bayezid, El Rayo, was a fearsome warrior, expert in surprise attacks and fast marches. At the head of the Turkish army he advanced in the direction of Constantinople and caused a stir among the Christian peoples, because they saw their culture and religion threatened.
The sovereign Manuel II In the name of orthodox Christianity, he issued a general appeal to the Christian peoples of Europe to organize a crusade against the Turks. Manuel II went to Paris, London, Milan and Genoa to revive faith and awaken enthusiasm. Then came the Emperor of Germany Sigismund, who sought an alliance with the Duke of Burgundy, John Fearless . Eight thousand men marched to the Balkans to fight the invaders.
Bayezid, I wait for you and started the battle of Nicopolis (1396). He divided his army into three parts and hid the main one behind a hill. The French, possessed of great enthusiasm, launched into the attack without waiting for the order of their commanders and overwhelmed the two wings of the Turkish army; but at that moment Bayezid appeared with the third body, which was hidden and went straight towards the Christian soldiers; almost all were left dead on the battlefield.
Triumphant Bayezid advanced on Constantinople, but he did not count that behind his back through Asia Minor, the army of Tamerlane.
Tamerlane
His name was properly Timur, but because he was lame in combat, he was called Timur Lenk or Timur the Lame. From this name was derived that of Tamerlane.
His bloodthirsty fame was universal. As ruler of the Mongol and Tartar tribes, he was declared an enemy of the Christians and had resolved to invade Europe. His feat of having erected in the Persian capital a pyramid with seventy thousand human heads and another in Baghdad with ninety thousand heads, gave him tragic fame.
He showed up with 800 thousand men, Bayezid only had 150 thousand soldiers. Between both armies the battle of Ancyra began (1402) in which the Turkish army was cut to pieces. Bayezid was taken prisoner and by order of the Mongol chief, he was locked in an iron cage.
Tamerlane advanced over all of Asia Minor, but stopped at the sea, because before undertaking the conquest of Byzantium, he resolved to launch a campaign against the Chinese in the East. On the way he died (1405). His huge empire quickly disintegrated.
Fall of Constantinople
The fall of Constantinople was executed by Mohamed II , who conquered all of Byzantium and entered Constantinople on May 29, 1453 . Emperor Constantine Dracoses had fortified the city. He had gathered supplies to resist the siege and had more than 5,000 soldiers armed. But the rest of the population, influenced by the Mohammedan religion, favored the sultan's plans.
When the Turkish forces attacked on May 29, the Christians answered with cannons. Constantine himself, after taking communion, rushed among the assailants and died.
Mohammed II and his soldiers entered Constantinople and for two days there were massacres and robberies. The Turkish crescent was placed on the dome of the cathedral, instead of the Christian cross.