1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 284 Chalcedon
The sun was hanging in the sky, the breeze was blowing gently over the earth, the ocean was lazily rolling over waves, and under the reflection of the sun, a piece of broken gold was rolled up.

Outside the ancient seaside town, groups of fleets were cruising on the sea, lined up in a long line, with their broadside guns firing.

Among the fleet, small paddle boats rushed towards the shore fearlessly, and the slave rowers rowed the heavy wooden oars desperately.

This is Chalcedon, an ancient town in western Anatolia.

Chalcedon is located on the eastern bank of the Bosphorus, facing Constantinople across a narrow strait.

Chalcedon is older than Constantinople. Long before the establishment of Byzantium, Chalcedon had become a famous ancient Greek city-state on the Marmara Coast and a famous trading port.

However, although both cities are located on the shores of the Bosphorus, the geographical conditions and port conditions of the ancient city of Byzantium were far ahead of Chalcedon, and it soon left its twin brother across the sea far behind.

Later, Byzantium was established as the capital by Constantine the Great and renamed Constantinople. The city quickly became the absolute center of politics, economy, culture and religion of the Eastern Empire, and its rapid development left Chalcedon far behind.

Of course, the religious value of the city of Chalcedon cannot be underestimated. It was not only an important hub for the spread of early Christianity, but also the site of the famous Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, which established the two-nature theory of Christ and denounced the monophysitism as heresy.

However, with the prosperity of Constantinople, Chalcedon, which was nearby, was inevitably squeezed out and lost in the dust of history, evolving from a trading port into a small town mainly engaged in agricultural production and fishing.

By the beginning of the 15th century, Chalcedon could no longer even be considered a "city". It had a sparse population and almost no industry or commerce. Villagers carried water and farmed among the ruins of ancient relics, while pigs, horses, cattle and sheep grazed beside collapsed stone statues.

However, the village of Chalcedon was one of the last territories lost by the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman emperor retained the taxation rights of the village of Chalcedon until 1453, and the people here still belonged to ancient Rome.

Seventeen years ago, on the eve of the Battle of Constantinople, Isaac ordered the abandonment of all scattered territories except Constantinople and Peloponnese, and the relocation of the remaining people to Constantinople for protection to prevent them from being attacked by the Ottomans. Chalcedon was officially abandoned.

Later, the Ottoman Empire lost the Balkans, and many Turks fled from the Balkans to Anatolia. Many of them were settled by Mehmed II near Chalcedon and Anatolian fortresses, allowing these hateful people to build the first line of defense for him.

Since Chalcedon's geographical location was not very good, in the Aegean Fortress Plan, the Anatolian fortress not far away received a lot of resources, but Chalcedon only built a small wooden fortress without even artillery.

In a way, the Ottoman Empire's decision was understandable. With such a long coastline and limited funding, it was impossible for them to install cannons on every stretch of coast.

Moreover, Chalcedon is not an ideal landing site. The coastal lowlands here are relatively narrow and the ocean currents are relatively turbulent. It is difficult for the landing army to land at the same location and they may be swept in all directions by the ocean currents.

Moreover, the Anatolian Fortress is just to the north, and there are many troops stationed around the fortress. The cavalry will conduct routine patrols on the coast every day. Once the enemy's traces are found, the mobile troops around the fortress will be able to rush here quickly and quickly eliminate the scattered enemies.

In fact, although the Bosphorus Strait is short and narrow, the sea current here is not calm. The most suitable area for landing is the small sea area between Cutthroat Fort and Anatolian Fortress. The most suitable place to build a temporary floating bridge is also the straight line connecting the two fortresses.

Elsewhere, even if the Eastern Roman Empire succeeded in seizing the beach, it could not bypass the sturdy Anatolian fortresses and had to capture them completely before it could transport a large number of soldiers and various heavy weapons to Asia via pontoon bridges.

During the siege, the Ottoman mobile forces would have sufficient time to assemble and reorganize, and with the cooperation of the defenders, they could push the unstable Eastern Roman army into the sea.

As for the equally narrow but longer Dardanelles, the ocean currents there are even more turbulent. With the local fortresses strictly guarding the area, continued harassment is acceptable, but a large-scale landing would be tantamount to seeking death.

Of course, the western coastline of Ottoman Turkey is really long. Apart from these two straits, the other waters of the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Aegean Sea are quiet and gentle. Many places still have the potential for large-scale landings, so the Ottoman Empire's army must be dispersed for defense.

There has never been a fortress without loopholes. The purpose of a fortress is to maximize the difficulty of a large-scale landing, so as to complete the defense of the entire coast with far fewer mobile forces than the enemy, achieving "one to defend ten".

With the arrival of summer, the landing plan of the Eastern Roman Empire officially began. More than 100,000 troops gathered in Constantinople, Gallipoli and Lemnos Island. More than 100 ships of various types were also stationed in various ports, continuously harassing the Ottoman coast.

The large warships were divided into several groups and took turns to bombard and blockade the important castles of the Aegean Wall, delaying their troops, wearing down their morale, and crushing their spirit.

The rest of the small warships avoided these large fortresses equipped with coastal defense artillery, and launched small-scale invasions at various places on the coast from time to time. They never went deep inland and were always active around the coast. When the enemy came, they immediately fled by boat. If the enemy did not come, they would set up camp on the spot and continue to increase their troops until the enemy could no longer bear it.

After months of frequent harassment, the Ottoman army gradually showed signs of fatigue. They felt very uncomfortable putting out fires everywhere, and even more uncomfortable with the lack of military supplies. The one-sided situation on the Eastern Front and the looting attacks by the plateau tribes made them demoralized. They rushed to the battlefield slower and slower, and no longer pursued the small groups of troops that landed on the coast as they had done at the beginning of the war. Instead, they began to drive them away and watched them climb onto the ships indifferently.

They just stayed on the shore. They couldn't catch up with them or kill them all anyway, so they might as well save some energy and eat less food.

In contrast, since the Eastern Roman Empire had absolute control of the sea, the initiative of the war was in their hands. When and where to attack was entirely decided by the attacking party, and the Ottomans could only passively defend.

Under repeated small-scale invasions and continuous harassment, the "lower limit" of the Ottoman army was rapidly lowered.

At the beginning of the war, a hundred-man Eastern Roman army landed on the coast in the morning, but was driven into the sea by nearby Ottoman cavalry before noon.

After the war lasted for three months, an army of 300 people landed on the coast in the morning. They were able to have a meal and smoke a cigarette in the afterglow of the sunset. Only then did they see the cavalry approaching in the distance.

Up to now, the number of landings of the Eastern Roman Empire has increased from a few to a large number, the length of stay has increased from a short time to a long time, and the main landing force has also changed from pirate sailors to archers, and then to elite large phalanxes.

Some elite soldiers were able to use their muskets and spears to make the Ottoman cavalry hesitate and dare not advance, so they could only ask for more reinforcements from nearby fortresses and cities. Only then would they have enough strength to drive the invading Eastern Roman army into the sea.

The current Ottoman Empire is like a clumsy brown bear hiding in a cave, lifting stones to block the entrance of the cave, thinking that its golden city is forever impregnable.

The Eastern Roman Empire was a swift and ferocious wolf, which would occasionally stretch its claws into the gap of the cave entrance, grab the brown bear's body with its claws, repeatedly test its bottom line, gradually wearing away its will, and draining its blood drop by drop.

I admit that your fortress is very good, but if I show absolute control of the sea, absolute military suppression, absolute economic crushing and absolute strategic advantage, how will you respond?

On the wide observation deck of the Cairo Star, Isaac looked up from under the telescope and smiled slightly.

"It's ready. Let them retreat. Remember to provide cover with the naval guns."

"Yes, I'll give the order right away."

Admiral Fidel nodded and found the flag officer.

The Cairo Star sent out flag signals, and the surrounding ships followed closely. The landing ships that were still halfway slowed down and turned back, and the soldiers who had already landed on the shore swaggered and boarded the ships docked on the shore one after another.

Not far away, Ottoman cavalry gathered more and more, ready to charge, but with no intention of doing so.

Chalcedon did not have many coastal defense artillery, and although the Eastern Roman naval guns had a touching hit rate, their number was huge after all, and they were unwilling to suffer unnecessary losses.

"Chalcedon is indeed not suitable for landing. More than a dozen landing craft set out together, but only a few actually reached the designated beach, and their distribution was very scattered. If they dare to charge, our army will probably suffer heavy losses."

The emperor's younger brother Manuel narrowed his eyes and looked at the beach in the distance.

"It's okay, just put pressure on them."

Isaac said calmly.

"They know this place is not suitable for landing, but they still dare not take the risk. They have to mobilize troops from all over to defend it."

"If we scare them from time to time, their tense nerves will gradually relax. When we really start to land in large numbers, they will be at a loss as to what to do."

"As for the losses, this is just a feint attack anyway, and all the troops sent out are conscripted shooters, so we won't feel bad about the losses."

Isaac chuckled.

"It's not like we haven't failed before. There are still capable people in the Ottoman high command. Several small-scale landings resulted in complete annihilation."

"However, most of the people they killed or injured were slave soldiers and pirate sailors. They were short of food and could not afford to feed these people. They did not dare to let them join the defense of the city. They could only kill the prisoners. This led to the landing troops fighting to the death and exchanging their lives."

"Anyway, my fleet can be replenished all the time, and my conscripts are still being shipped in from North Africa. I have an endless supply of soldiers, but the Ottomans are getting fewer and fewer, and their morale is getting lower and lower."

"My brother is really smart. If I were to command the Ottoman army, I would have no idea how to break the impasse."

Manuel laughed.

"It's not that he's smart, it's just using his power to overwhelm others."

Isaac shook his head.

"The Ottomans have been expecting us to land in large numbers since the beginning of the war. They have been thinking about having a decisive battle with us on the mainland and gambling on the fate of their country."

"But I won't give them this opportunity. I want to overwhelm them with my overwhelming national strength and bring them down."

"Anatolia has indeed suffered from drought. If this continues, they will have civil unrest themselves."

"When we really start to land in large numbers, the forces they can muster will be greatly reduced, and the chances of a comeback will be almost zero."

Manuel nodded and thought about it.

"You are making a fuss all over the coast, but where exactly are you planning to land?"

Isaac was silent for a moment and pointed to the strait in the north.

"I still plan to take the Bosphorus. That fortress must be captured as soon as possible."

"If we take Romulus Castle, we can build a temporary floating bridge at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus and transport the army from Romulus Castle to Romulus Castle."

The names given by the Ottomans were too random. Under Isaac's instructions, the Eastern Roman Empire had already given new names to the two twin castles guarding the Bosphorus Strait. The Cutthroat Castle on the European side was renamed Romulus Castle, and the Anatolian Fortress on the Asian side was renamed Remus Castle, hoping that these two mythical founders of Rome could guard Constantinople for generations. "Remus Castle is not easy to attack."

Manuel said.

"That's fine. We'll take our time. We'll launch feint attacks on the north and south sides of Remusburg from time to time to confuse them."

"We definitely can't launch a landing directly from Remusburg. It would be best to launch a surprise attack in the Marmara Sea or the Black Sea where the current is gentle. We can send some elite troops to the coast before their army arrives, and then set up a battle formation to wait for the army to land."

Isaac paused.

"The Ottomans have stationed an army of more than 10,000 people in Izmit, and they can also call up another 5,000 conscripts in times of emergency. They are our main opponent."

"In order to prevent reinforcements from other troops, the attacks and feints in the south cannot be stopped, but the elite troops must be secretly transferred to Constantinople to wait."

"Yeah, that sounds feasible."

Manuel said.

"What about the time? Your previous planning and strategy have been largely realized. When will you launch a full-scale attack?"

"We must complete the first phase of the campaign before winter comes. Remusberg must be won, and Izmit has to be fought for."

Isaac pointed to the harbor to the southeast.

"If we can capture Izmit before the heavy snow falls, our recovery plan will be greatly accelerated."

"The war is really expensive. After half a year of fighting, my war reserve fund has been reduced by a quarter."

Isaac sighed.

"When the next batch of East India merchant ships return, we can launch another large-scale campaign."

"In a year, we have only conquered a small peninsula. We may not even be able to capture the only big city. Isn't this too slow?"

Manuel asked carefully.

"It's okay, I'll gradually speed up in the future."

Isaac comforted.

"The Ottoman war potential has begun to decline rapidly. If there is another heavy snowfall, their economy will completely collapse, and uprisings and rebellions will emerge one after another."

"According to my estimation, as long as the plan goes smoothly, we can recover Izmit, Nicaea, Bursa and other major cities in the northwest of Asia Minor within three years, and then gradually pacify the entire eastern coast of the Aegean Sea through a long battle."

"As for the Anatolian Plateau, it will probably take a long time."

Isaac shrugged.

"We can't do anything. The terrain is too complicated, there are too many Turks, and the weather is bad. We can't send troops for half a year."

Isaac looked at Manuel who was in deep thought and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your soldiers have performed well. Once we finish the first phase of the war, you can take them back to rest for a while."

"Your daughter has just been born, and you can't stay away all year round."

Just recently, Manuel's wife Anna gave birth to a baby girl for him in the city of St. Helena. The Serbian Archbishop baptized her and named her Irina.

"I have prepared a gift, and it is probably on the way now."

"Thank you, my royal brother. When the child grows up, I will bring her to see you."

Manuel bowed.

"It's too early to talk about this now."

Isaac smiled and nodded.

"Let's go. It looks like the Ottomans are already very tired. The purpose of this feint attack has basically been achieved."

"Chalcedon is actually a good place. When it is back in my hands, I plan to make administrative adjustments and place Chalcedon and Remusburg under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. Constantinople will be made a direct jurisdiction of the emperor, and the capital of the Thrace region will be Adrianople."

"What do you think of this idea?"

"That's great. In this way, Constantinople will be the only city in the world that spans two continents. It will surely develop further."

Manuel expressed his support.

"Well, I hope that before I die, Constantinople can fully recover its former glory, at least to a population of 500,000."

Isaac smiled.

“The title of the largest city in the Mediterranean cannot always be occupied by the Egyptians.”

The fleet began to return, and Isaac and Manuel walked down from the lookout and onto the spacious deck.

As they were walking, Captain Fidel hurried forward and handed Isaac a letter.

"A letter from Constantinople, from Vizier Isurte."

Fidel said simply.

Isaac opened the envelope, took out the letter and glanced at it.

"Brother Imperial, what's wrong?"

Manuel asked.

"That Ishak Bey of Karaman is getting a little impatient and wants to borrow troops from us."

Isaac folded the letter.

"Aries King Uzon Hasan seemed ready to support his brother and son, but never seemed to have the intention of reaching out to him."

"Do you want to take care of it?"

Manuel asked.

"We can't control it for now. We can let him stay in Cyprus first, give him some money, and see how many of his old subordinates he can win over."

"However, he has converted to Orthodoxy, so he may not be able to attract many people."

Isaac thought about it.

"Iseult said he also brought me a guest."

"Guest? Who?"

Manuel asked doubtfully.

"This man's name is Mesud, and he claims to be the last descendant of the royal family of the Germyanbeyi Kingdom."

Isaac's eyes flickered.

"Germiyan? Didn't they die out more than forty years ago?"

Manuel curled his lips.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. As long as someone believes it, that's fine."

"Go back, our fleet and soldiers need to rest, come back in a few days."

Constantinople was so close to Chalcedon that Isaac could already see the citizens on the coast, cheering and waving.

(End of this chapter)