The Fall of Constantinople

A detailed Summary of The Fall of Constantinople


THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE

On Tuesday, May 29 1453 the last bastion on Christianity in the East, Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Mehmet ( also called Mahomet ). This ended the 1100 year reign of the Byzantium Empire and gave the Ottomans a new capital. One of the most famous churches in history, the Church of Holy Wisdom ( also known as the Hagia Sophia ) was converted into a Mosque. The Turks used a revolutionary weapon in the siege - the cannon. Though the cannon had been in Europe for over a century, this was one of the first times they were used effectively.

The Turkish army would not have been able to capture Constantinople had they not had the great cannon with them, had the Byzantinians not been so isolated from the West and had the Turkish soldiers not been so devoted.

The cannon was essential in the capture of Constantinople. The walls of the city were massive, and had repulsed invaders since 330 A.D. It would have taken the Turks a lot longer to breech the walls


As you can see, the three main factors that led the Turks to capture Constantinople were, the devotion of their troops, the isolation of the City ( both physically and spiritually ) and their innovative use of the cannon, a new weapon. This shows us that new weapons have a great power to change the world ( Airplanes, Tanks and Nuclear Missiles all have ) and that fanaticism is a grave danger that society as a whole must try to stop. If men are willing to die to establish fundamentalist states and theocracies how are we to stop them?

if they did not have the great cannon, and aid from the West would have arrived. The cannon had a long range, and it was used to block access to Constantinople by sea. The very presence of the cannon was very demoralizing for the defenders of the city, "Once more the bells of the churches rang to sound the alarm, but the noise was drowned out by the roar from the great cannon," " the reverberations could be heard for a hundred stadia after it fired."Imagine standing on a wall having cannon balls we

Some common words found in the essay are:
Glory Prince, AD Turks, Janissaries Christian, Mosque Turks, Pius II, Nuclear Missiles, West Turkish, Sultan God, Constantinople Russia, Eastern Western, capture constantinople, fall constantinople, turks capture, turkish soldiers, fiercely loyal, own deal, capture city, union churches,

Approximate Word count = 697
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Renaisance ... Others would assert major historical events such as the fall of Constantinople in 1453 caused movement in Europe, moving people of like ideas together. ... 821 words
  • Humanism and Classicism ... The movement was further stimulated by the influx of Byzantine scholars who came to Italy after the fall of Constantinople presentday Istanbul to the Turks ... 2814 words
  • CRUSADES ... leading to the fall of the Byzantine Empire. The Venetians greatly benefited from the fall of Constantinople and the surrounding area. ... 482 words
  • Crusades ... leading to the fall of the Byzantine Empire. The Venetians greatly benefited from the fall of Constantinople and the surrounding area. ... 482 words
  • The Fall of the Roman Empire ... service. In addition to these changes, he also established Constantinople, formerly Byzantium, as the new capital in the East. His ... 1443 words

Professional Essays

  • The Renaissance ... But it was also given needed impetus by the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Although it is of course an oversimplification of history ... 1003 words
  • Mehmed The Conqueror This paper will examine the ... common soldier. With the fall of Constantinople, Mehmed turned to the task of reorganizing his government and army. Just days after ... 3780 words
  • Byzantium ... ideology. During the 11th century, the Franks overran the Greek lands and the Fourth Crusade would see the fall of Constantinople. The ... 2524 words
  • The Hagia Sophia ... years, 532 to 537, as the New Cathedral of Constantinople by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque at the Fall of Constantinople to the ... 666 words
  • Diaspora of the Jewish People ... After the fall of Constantinople, another dispersion occurred, notably in Italy, and Greek colonies thereafter survived until quite recently in Asia Minor. ... 1889 words
  • Altarpieces of Renaissance Venice ... between East and West, possessing a model constitution to which other states looked with envy and admiration.ampquot However, the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and ... 2226 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.