On May 29, 1453, after 49 days of consecutive cannon fire, the proud walls of the city of Constantinople were breached (Nardo 43; Corrick 98). Lead by Mehmed II, the Ottoman Turks of the Ottoman Empire poured into the city and claimed it as theirs (Corrick 98). The siege of Constantinople not only drastically affected the city itself, but also the group that took over the city. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 lead to political, religious, social, and economical changes within the city that would greatly benefit the Ottoman Empire.
The fall of Constantinople, although seen as the fall of an entire empire, would initiate the rise in power of a new group, the Ottomans. Constantinople was once the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Corrick 8-9). The Byzantine Empire at first did not considered themselves as Byzantines, instead they thought themselves as Romans of the Roman Empire (Nardo 7). During the decline of Rome in 476 AD, the Roman capital’s power and wealth shifted from the Roman Empire’s western half to its eastern half, the city of Constantinople (Beck 175). Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire now stood as the capital and center of the entire Eastern Roman Empire (Corrick 8-9). However when the Ottomans seized Constantinople in 1453, not only did they take over a city, they ended an empire. By conquering Constantinople, the Ottomans had conquered the last bits of the Byzantine Empire, thus when Constantinople fell, it was the end of the Byzantine Empire and also the Eastern Roman Empire (The Fall of Constantinople). With their newly conquered city, the Ottoman Empire established their new capital, Constantinople (Sizgorich) Since the city was the center of the Ottoman Empire, it allowed for easy trade and communication ...
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Roman Emperor Constantine I founded the Byzantine Empire in 330 CE as a continuation of the Roman Empire in the east. The characteristics of the empire led to the modern definition of “Byzantine,” which means “strangely complicated.” This was true, as in the Byzantine Empire was very chaotic, complex, and strange at times, but it was very massive and influential worldwide. The empire heavily influenced modern religion, laws, and engineering making it worthwhile learning about the empire.
Though one should consider the argument by some historians that the Byzantine Empire was really a continuation of the Roman empire and not in fact a new entity. The Byzantine Empire had been formed in Late Antiquity by the splitting of the Roman empire between the two heirs of Theodosius I. While the two halves retained some ties for all intents and purposes the two were independent entities after 395 CE. While the Western Empire continued to decline, the Byzantines actually flourished and by the 4th century included the Balkans, Greece, Anatolia (Asia Minor), the Levant, and parts of North Africa including Egypt. While Byzantium’s power fluctuated, especially during conflicts with the Islamic civilization and during internal wars, for the majority of its history the Byzantine Empire was a strong political, cultural and economic power in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Significant conflicts in the 11th century caused the Byzantine Empire to decline and this decline was made worse by the Sack of Constantinople in 1204 by the Venetian Crusaders. After this defeat, Byzantium was split into two portions and remained so until 1261 when it was reunified. However, the damage was done and internal conflict and civil war continued to plague the Empire until it ultimately was destroyed by the Ottoman Turks in
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They began to take rent from the people who lived there, place taxes on local markets and tollbooths were placed at the entrance to the cities. This all helped to create the fiscal-military state which made it possible for rulers to pay their armies and guards with cash. It was the conquering of the Byzantine Empire that helped to make money more accessible to the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire was part of the Roman Empire which was the longest lasting Empire and most likely more advance than some of the smaller Empires. Metals such as silver, lead, and iron were necessary to keep enough money to pay the armies their salaries. The Ottomans took over the silver, iron and lead mines in Serbia and Bosnia making them the masters of metal production. Both the Habsburgs and the Ottomans used large amounts of gold and silver to purchase firearms, cannons and ships to conquer the world.
...mpletely disappeared. The eastern half of the empire became the Byzantine Empire and it survived and flourished greatly. The Byzantine Empire retained the roman culture for another 1000 years. This empire continued to exist until 1453 when it fell to the Turks. Even though the political dynasty of the Roman Empire fell, the ideas and customs of the romans still influence the development of the western civilization until now.
Their power was immense. Their walls were up to 40 feet high, and their armies were feared. With the help of key allies like Venice and the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantines were able to accumulate wealth at an astonishing rate. The Byzantines were a gateway to the Middle East and India. They served as a blockage for the Turks and Egypt. The Byzantines were able to do more and be more because they had knowledge that most of Europe did not have. The Byzantines went through many rules, each better than the last. The Byzantines didn’t allow armies to march onto their cities until the eventual sack of Constantinople. The Byzantines are a rule that will be remembered for
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During the early 700s, the Byzantine Empire was in turmoil and chaos. As Leo III took power, Constantinople was being attacked by Avars, Bulgarians, and Arabs. The Arabs from the Middle East were a main concern for Leo III because of their large conquests in the Asia Minor. The Arabs advanced to spread their faith of Islam and control resources. The Arabs slowly acquired land until their siege on Constantinople itself. Leo III made brilliant defense moves to stop the invaders. His military forces attacked the Arabs from the rear successfully while naval forces were repelled with Greek Fire. Greek Fire was the empire's secret weapon that may have saved them from the Arab siege. Arab ships would burst into flames from contact with the "liquid fire." Fighting continued for a year until the Arabs retreated. Constantinople was defended successfully, but the empire suffered heavy losses and continued to loose land.
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Much like that of the Byzantines before them, the Ottoman Empire served as a link between Europe and Asia, and greatly benefited from the profits of the exchange that was perennially flowing over these geographic boundaries; this era came to be known as the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Although there can be many identifications and definitions for the means by which the Ottoman Empire was able to exert such a powerful degree of influence, military right, and cultural dynamism. It will be the purpose of this analysis to discuss and analyze the means by which a continual process of centralization can ultimately be understood as one defining force, that allowed the Ottoman Empire to thrive throughout this period of the “Golden Age.”
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