"Ottoman & Byzantine Military Postures April 2, 1453" The Conquest of Constantinople Part 2: Episode 25 (Companion Blog to podcast)

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(Source: Theodore Agallianos: “Dialogue Avec Un Moine Contres Les Latins (1442)” Paris: Publications of the Sorbonne, 2013.) 

Known during his day as Theophanes of Media (pictured above), he was a Byzantine official and writer. Born in 1400, he passed away in 1474. He lived during some of the most pivotal moments in Ottoman & Byzantine history. He chronicled the Crusade of Varna, the disastrous defeat of the Crusaders at the Second Battle of Kosovo, and gives modern day historians and “inside” view of the court at Constantinople during it’s last years before the Conquest. Noted theologian of Eastern Christian Orthodoxy.

In part 2 of The Conquest series we cover the political, diplomatic, and strategic situation of the Byzantines from August 1452 till the Ottomans showed up at the Golden Gate of Constantinople in April 6, of 1453.

Author, creator, and absolute master of audio narration Soren Narnia (you'll find a link to Soren's material in the show notes for this podcast episode), read an account from Theodore Agallianos in the beginning of the episode details a short military expedition by Sultan Mehmed II as he probed Constantinople’s defenses while on his way up from the fortress erected at Rumeli Hisar.

The fear, agony, and psychological impact the citizens of the Great City must have felt comes through in Soren’s voice as he outlines the absolute horror of the Ottoman army destroying the outlying districts of Constantinople, and the Emperor powerless to stop him.

During that raid the Ottomans carried off captives to be sold as slaves in the Arab market, burned vineyards, and the Turkish cavalry must have taken note of the poor dilapidated stated of the the Inner Walls and the still imposing Theodosian Outer Walled system. 

(Theodosian Outer Walls)

The Byzantine Empire in 1453 was a shadow of it’s former self. The Emperor of the Eastern Romans once ruled an area stretching from the Balkans, Mesopotamia, Levant, and all of North Africa.

(Layout of the Theodosian Walled System)

During Mehmed’s day, the Empire had shrunk down to the walls of Constantinople, a few colonies scattered about the Black Sea coastline, and a few holdouts in Greece.

(Ottoman Empire, 1453-on the eve of the Conquest of Constantinople) 

Their was no hope for the Queen of Cities when the Ottomans came a knocking in April of 1453. As you can see from the map above, the Turks had them surrounded on all sides. If you zoom in on Constantinople itself, you an observe the exposed position Constantine XI found himself in.

(Last Emperor of the Byzantines, Constantine Palaiologos XI)

Sultan Mehmed II took his good sweet time marching from the Bosporus in August of 1452. He took a meandering route through, first Gallipoli, then swung down and dished out some hate in Anatolia. Only in November did he return to Edrine to issue the final call to muster his massive army.

(Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II)

The Ottoman army that showed up outside of Constantinople was composed of several different combat and logistical support units. In the episode I talk about the Kapikulu.

(Sipahi cavalry, the full-time warrior horsemen of the Ottoman Sultan. During the siege of Constantinople they played a blocking action or police role. Rounding up deserters and executing them and otherwise instilling order in the Ottoman camp.)

The Kapikulu is covered in details in Part 2 of the Conquest. I talk about the Sappers, Orducus, Janissaries, and other various technical support units.

I also get into the actual numbers Mehmed brought with him. Most historians of the past put the Ottoman army during the siege at around 150-200,000 +

However, we now realize that the Ottoman logistical support system, although the best during it’s day, was inadequate to maintain such numbers of men in the field for so long (the siege was over 50 days). My calculations put the Ottoman army of fighting men only between 100,000 or perhaps 118,000.

I hope you’ll listen and join me on Part 2 of the Conquest series. Please subscribe wherever your favorite podcasts are dropped.