the trade route between Europe and Asia. Name Over the years, many other attempts had been made to capture Constantinople; however, they had The Fall of Constantinople not been successful. Other parts of the Byzantine By Sharon Fabian Empire had been less fortunate. By the 1400s, the Byzantine Empire had shrunk from a once mighty The battle for the city of empire to a small kingdom with Constantinople at Constantinople was a its center. If Constantinople fell, it would mark the turning point. It was the end of the empire as well. final stand for medieval style warfare. It was the The final assault on Constantinople was made in final stand for the 1453 by the Ottoman Turks, under the leadership of ancient Roman Empire Sultan Mehmed II. as well. Once Constantinople had Constantinople would not be an easy city to take. It fallen, there was no was surrounded on three sides by water. On the doubt about it " the Middle Ages were over, and it fourth side, a series of high walls and deep ditches was the time of the Renaissance. protected the city. However, the Byzantine forces were small, totaling less that 10,000 men. Constantinople, once named Byzantium, was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine The Ottoman forces, on the other hand, were huge. Empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire Estimates place the troop strength of the Ottomans that had continued on after the Roman Empire in at about 100,000. The Ottoman attack forces Europe had fallen. Constantinople had been its included not only foot soldiers, but also troops on capital for about 1,000 years, except for a short horseback and troops on warships. time after the 4th Crusade when it had been taken over by the Crusaders. For the rest of that 1,000 Sultan Mehmed had also hired a military engineer years, Constantinople had been the center of the to build cannons. Cannons were still new and kingdom that was the successor to the great Roman frightening weapons at the time, and Mehmed's Empire. cannons were huge. One cannon was 27 feet long. It fired a 1,200 pound cannonball with a range of Byzantium was an important kingdom for another up to one mile. This cannon was not very accurate, reason too. It was located at a strategic point along and it took about three hours to reload, but it was Ottoman Empire for many years. Name Much later, after World War I, Istanbul became the capital of the new country of Turkey. still a fearsome weapon.

Constantinople put up a good fight. For many The Fall of Constantinople days, Mehmed could not win, but he continued the assault. He led direct attacks on the city walls, and Questions he led attempts to enter the city by water. The people of Constantinople, led by Constantine XI, 1. The fall of Constantinople occurred ______. resisted every attempt, but their defenses became A. during World War I weaker and weaker. B. in the year 1000 C. in the year 1453 The final assault came on May 29, 1453. D. in the late Renaissance period Mehmed's forces broke through the city walls. Constantine led his forces in person for their final 2. The attack on Constantinople was led by stand. He died in battle with his troops as ______. Mehmed's forces won the battle. A. Mehmed II When Constantinople fell, the last of the Roman B. Istanbul Empire disappeared. When Mehmed's cannons C. Constantine XI defeated the medieval fortifications of D. Byzantium Constantinople, the Middle Ages ended as well. 3. The defense of Constantinople was led by The Ottoman Turks had succeeded in taking ______. control of the great city of Constantinople. After A. Byzantium the battle, days of looting followed. Many B. Constantine XI Byzantine residents of the city were taken into C. Istanbul slavery. Then, Mehmed put an end to the looting D. Mehmed II and took over the city as his new capital.

The ancient city of Constantinople was renamed Istanbul and served as the new capital of the 8. After its defeat, Constantinople ______. Name A. was completely destroyed B. once again became capital of the Byzantine Empire 4. Constantinople is located between the C. became the capital of the Ottoman Empire continents of ______. D. was divided into smaller cities A. Europe and Asia B. Asia and North America C. Europe and Australia Give two reasons why the battle of Constantinople is often considered D. Asia and Africa the event that brought the Middle Ages to an end. 5. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the ______. A. Colonial Period B. Middle Ages C. Baroque Era D. Renaissance 6. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the ______. A. Turkish Empire B. Ottoman Empire C. Eastern Roman Empire D. British Empire 7. The new weapon that helped Mehmed II win the battle of Constantinople was a ______. A. crossbow B. cannon C. warship D. suit of armor