1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 100: The Waves Stop the Boat
Constantinople, Lycus Valley.

After the construction of the Cutthroat Fort, Constantine XI realized that there was no room for maneuver for either side and the only option was to fight to the death and defeat the enemy.

He set up his main camp in the Lycus Valley, near the Theodosian Walls, against the Ottoman first line.

The soldiers patrolling on the Theodosian city walls could see the emperor's camp on the east side of the city wall as long as they turned their heads. They always felt inexplicably reassured when they saw Constantine's eagle flag still there.

In February 1453, before the north wind arrived, Isaac successfully transported all the reinforcements to Constantinople.

Following Isaac's advice, Constantine XI established the Second Legion of the Purple Guard based on Prince Orhan's troops, with a full strength of 1,000 and currently 500.

At this point, the regular army guarding Constantinople had exceeded 5,000 people.

The three legions of the Praetorian Guard totaled more than 3,000 people, the two legions of the Purple Guard totaled more than 1,500 people, and the royal guard of Constantine XI had more than 500 people.

In addition, Constantinople urgently mobilized more than 3,000 militiamen, plus more than 800 holy warriors from Western Europe, infantry knights and sergeants of the Knights of St. Simon, and guards of the churches and bishops in the city, for a total garrison of more than 9,000 people.

The quality of the reinforcements coming from Europe was mixed. Some were mercenary groups from France and Italy, some were jihadists from the Iberian Peninsula and Germany, and some lower-level knights directly held up their family flags, put on their ancestors' armor, and came to Constantinople alone to participate in the war.

It is worth mentioning that among Isaac's relatives, King Afonso of Aragon sent his Catalan Guard of more than 100 people to support the war. Although the King of Portugal was unable to send troops due to domestic pressure, he promised to protect Isaac's western trade route from being harassed.

To be honest, what Isaac was most worried about in this war was his long trade routes.

A large part of Isaac's war funds came from ocean trade from West Africa to Europe. This trade route runs from Port Queen's and Port St. William in the Gulf of Guinea to Birinci, spanning half of the African coast and is quite long.

Before the Battle of Constantinople, Isaac's Mediterranean Fleet was basically scattered in various sea areas, cooperating with the fleet of the Monferrato Trading Company to escort merchant fleets, prevent possible attacks by North African pirates, and occasionally rob along the way.

Now, the entire fleet gathered in the Golden Horn, and his own trade routes were unprecedentedly weak, almost entirely relying on the fleets of his allies and Christian pirates loyal to Isaac, which made Isaac very worried.

The reason why European countries respected him was not because of his title as Roman emperor, but because of his impressive record of successive victories and strong military strength.

Money is the eye of the beholder, and interests are the driving force of one's heart. If he were caught in a war with the Ottoman Empire, would the major maritime powers that he was usually wary of take action against his trade routes?

There is no doubt that the Venetians will be the first hungry wolves to come and divide the territory, and then countries along the Mediterranean coast will flock in.

The rest of the countries might still be wary of the church's ideas and would not personally intervene, but would only arrange for pirates to take advantage of the situation.

The Venetians were even more unscrupulous, and these merchants would pray hypocritically for war with Constantinople while ordering their privateers to divide up Isaac's share of trade.

When that day comes, Isaac will have to retreat no matter what the battle situation is.

If the trade interests in West Africa were lost, all efforts would be wasted. Not only would it be impossible to continue defending Constantinople, but even the family business in North Africa would be difficult to preserve.

In the Lycus River Valley, Constantine and Giovanni were discussing garrison matters in the camp. Isaac sat aside and did not want to disturb them.

"Your Majesty, we have lost all of our territory outside the city. The Ottomans have begun to gradually enter the siege camp and are expected to launch a general attack in the next few months."

"Their vanguard forces total more than 50,000 people."

Constantine nodded, thinking silently.

"Giovanni, how is the restoration of the exterior wall going?"

"Not good, Your Majesty."

Giovanni said bluntly.

"The exterior walls were already badly damaged, with some sections having large gaps. It was impossible to repair them to their original strength in a short period of time."

"Although we have renovated this place ahead of time with God's blessing, it is certainly not comparable to the efforts of the previous emperors for dozens or even hundreds of years."

"I suggest that we use the towers on the outer wall as defensive fulcrums to wear down the enemy's morale. Once the enemy's army is approaching, we can gradually withdraw to the inner wall."

"Besides, it's time to install the Golden Horn chain so that we can save the troops defending the Golden Horn sea wall."

"Let's do it this way. I will hold a city defense meeting tomorrow and make clear arrangements for the defense of each district."

Constantine nodded, his eyes were bloodshot but still bright.

For the past two years, Giovanni has been staying in Constantinople, supervising the restoration of the city wall. He has visited every corner of the Theodosian Wall and knows the wall like the back of his hand.

While in charge of the restoration of the city wall, Constantine XI and Commander Giovanni hit it off at first sight. The two sides felt like they had known each other for a long time and quickly developed a good friendship.

"Your Majesty, I will take care of the inspection tonight. You should also rest. God will surely give you a good dream."

Seeing that it was getting late, Giovanni stood up, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and prepared to preside over the camp's dinner and night patrol.

He looked at Constantine XI, whose eyes showed only a little tiredness, and felt some admiration in his heart.

In the past few days, Constantine XI traveled around, meeting with every team willing to stay and fight against the Ottomans. He went to the Theodosian Walls, asked about the soldiers' well-being and encouraged their courage.

In a sense, compared to Isaac, who was kind to him, Giovanni preferred an emperor like Constantine XI in his heart.

Enthusiastic and cheerful, pious and firm, bright and upright, he can hold up a torch and walk alone in the darkest night, and he can draw his sword and ride a horse and charge forward in the tide when everyone is retreating.

He is more like an indomitable warrior, a lone defender, and a high-spirited jihadist.

This is very similar to Giovanni.

Isaac, on the other hand, is more like a cunning diplomat and politician who is well-planned, full of ingenious ideas, and always puts interests first.

Not only Giovanni, but all the soldiers who participated in defending the city could clearly notice the difference between the father and son of the Palaeologus family.

Isaac was able to convince the soldiers that by following him they would surely achieve victory and gain wealth, fame and fortune.

Constantine was able to convince his soldiers that by following him, even if they were defeated or died in battle, they would be honored.

"Isaac, do you have anything to add?"

Constantine turned his head and looked at Isaac beside him.

"No, you guys can arrange it."

This time, Isaac decided to leave the specific matters of defending the city to the two of them, and he would only be responsible for external liaison and military supplies.

As a time traveler, Isaac's greatest advantage is his control over the general trend of history and his understanding of historical figures. He has a great advantage in strategy, but his tactics are just barely adequate. Giovanni is a veteran who has been through many battles, familiar with land and sea warfare. He knows how to evaluate and compensate for the obvious weaknesses of fortifications, how to use defensive weapons such as catapults and muskets most effectively, and how to maximize the effectiveness of limited forces.

It can be said that it was the complex and brutal wars between Italian city-states that created talented tacticians and technical mercenaries like Giustitiani, who studied city defense as a science and art.

Professional matters should be left to professionals.

As the sun sets, military bugles sound, wisps of smoke rise, and the aroma of food arouses the soldiers' appetite.

Giovanni left, leaving only the father and son in the camp.

"Thank you very much this time."

Constantine XI looked into Isaac's eyes and said seriously.

In a sense, Isaac could have just left Constantinople alone, just as the Eastern Roman Empire turned a blind eye to the destruction of the Western Roman Empire and simply found an excuse such as "invasion by neighboring Muslims" to cover it up.

At that time, there was no concept of a country, and the subjects were only loyal to the monarch. After the two sides divided the sphere of rule, the interests of the ruling classes on both sides were no longer completely consistent.

However, knowing that this war would consume a great deal of national strength, and would probably make nearly a decade of hard work come to naught, and would hardly bring any substantial benefits, Isaac still took most of his family assets and stood by his side without hesitation.

"You came to support me with your army, but my empire is in tatters and I have nothing to repay you with."

"I am also the emperor of Rome and the Romans, a man of God, and the sworn enemy of Mehmed II."

"I will fight alongside you, until the end, until nothing can be done."

……

When it moves forward, its spears are like a forest; when it stops, its tents cover the earth.

In Edirne, a large army is gathering.

In early 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, Hafsid Caliph Yahya, and Egyptian and Syrian Sultan Chakmak issued a joint statement announcing a jihad against the remnants of the Eastern Roman Empire and calling on the entire Muslim world to unite and fight for the glory of Allah.

Mehmed II issued a call for all his territories in the Balkans and Anatolia, erected his horsetail banner in the palace courtyard, and announced a campaign against Constantinople.

For a time, the entire empire was mobilized. From the Adriatic coast to the Black Sea, from the edge of the Carpathians to the Pontic Mountains, countless Muslims spontaneously put on armor and swords and went to recruiting points to be selected by officers.

Within a month, the recruitment quota set by the Sultan was full. People were enthusiastic and rushed to sign up, arguing with their neighbors for a place in the service. Those who went to the battlefield were full of joy, while those who stayed at home felt that they had suffered injustice.

"They were so active and quick, it was like they were invited to a wedding."

Some European Christians who remained in the Ottoman Empire were stunned by this.

When the Ottoman Muslims heard that the campaign would be an attack on Constantinople, they all, from young children to the elderly, were filled with passion and flocked to the battle.

The Ahli Brotherhood and the Bektashi Order, loyal to the Ottoman Sultan, used trade routes and mosques throughout the empire to preach jihad and the virtue and bravery of Mehmed II.

Muslims sang loudly about Osman's dream and recited aloud the prophet's prophecies.

They believe that Osman I once dreamed that this huge city would fall into the hands of Osman's descendants.

They believe that the Prophet Muhammad had promised that this huge city would be the home of believers.

People flocked from all over the Balkans and Anatolia. Edirne, Bursa, Gallipoli... several important cities were packed with jihadist fighters who came to join the war, even some of whom were not on the Sultan's conscription list.

The Ach Brotherhood provided them with military supplies, the Venetians handed over the military defense map of Constantinople, Italian engineers provided them with artillery and muskets, and the Christian vassals of Serbia and Bulgaria obediently delivered the troops requested by the Sultan to the outskirts of Constantinople.

In just two months, the Ottomans had organized an army of more than 200,000 people, and the number was still increasing rapidly.

In the south, Toulahan Bey led his army to the Isthmus of Corinth and fought a bloody battle with Grand Duke Thomas, who was in charge of the defense of Morea, forcing him to abandon his plan to support Constantinople.

In the north, Karaga Bey was ordered to sweep the territories around Constantinople and capture as slaves the Greek people who did not have time to escape to Constantinople.

In the west, the small number of Ottoman troops left kept an eye on the movements of the Hungarian-Albanian alliance, but their vigilance was obviously unnecessary.

In the east, jihadist warriors who heard the news from traditional Islamic territories formed long lines and marched westward from the edge of the Pontic Mountains, scaring the Komnenos family of Trebizond into retreating into the city.

Friday, March 1453, 3, is a holy day for Muslims.

The young Mehmed II rode on his horse, holding high the golden and red flag, looking full of vigor and vitality.

Around him, the ulema, sheikhs and imams chanted prayers for him;

At his side, the Sharif, the Pasha, and the Emir held the sword for him;

Beside him, Italian and Hungarian gunsmiths shouted loudly, ordering the laborers to hang the huge cannons on the ox carts;
Beside him, the Slavic barbarians, the Magyar cavalry, and the Caucasian slaves followed closely, shedding tears as they walked step by step towards their holy land.

It seemed that around Mehmed II there were warriors from all corners of the world, including Turks, Turkmen, Greeks, Latins, Germans, Russians, Persians... Whether they were willing or not, they had to obey the Sultan's orders and sacrifice their lives for his desires.

Around Constantinople, Ottoman tents gathered more and more, like countless grains of sand, covering the area between the two coasts.

On April 1453, 4, the Sultan's golden and red tent appeared on Mount Maltepe, overlooking the huge city.

On the same day, after many years, the three-crescent flag of the Ottoman fleet appeared on the Sea of ​​Marmara, exposed to the sight of the people of Constantinople.

The oars are densely packed, the masts block out the sky, and the whole sea is covered with mighty power.

Mehmed II assembled all his naval forces, including 24 large and medium-sized galleys, 85 smaller first galleys, 25 heavy armed barges, dozens of small schooners and small messenger ships, totaling more than ships and more than sailors.

This huge fleet circled the city, showing off its might, and headed northward to the Port of the Two Pillars, leaving all the citizens of Constantinople stunned and speechless.

On April 1453, 4, the Easter bells rang in Constantinople, but they did not bring any festive signs.

On this day, the envoy sent by Mehmed II into the city to persuade the country to surrender had his hair cut off and was forced to leave Constantinople in disgrace.

On this day, hundreds of Ottoman artillery roared in unison, opening the curtain of the war.

On this day, the last war in medieval Europe officially began.

(End of this chapter)