History

Inexorable progression of Ottomans and military actions.
The conquest of The Balkans (1362-1451) then
incorporated in the empire (of the end of XV century-beginning XVI century).

In essence, the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans (except the littoral) continued for a very long time, almost one hundred years (1362 to 1451) up to the day before the fall of Constantinople. This conquest generally proceeded in two phases. The first phase left in place the sovereign who overcome or refusing to fight, was placed in the position of vassal of the Ottoman Empire. It takes place essentially during the XIV century, between the years 1362 and 1394. The second phase, mainly in the XV century, is characterised by the disappearance of the "local" sovereign and the transformation of the conquered territory or under "influence" into provinces of the Empire. The Adriatic coast, essential for trade, was conquered by Venice after the fall of Constantinople in the beginning of the XVI century ( Note : the installation of the Slavic emigrants with San Felice dates from the beginning of the XVI century).

The input of the Ottomans in Europe (1354) : when the arguments over two small drainage canals benefit a third...
In 1346, the problems of Byzantium affects the head of the empire in the form of a rivalry between the Cantacuzènes and the Paleologists. The former require the assistance of the Ottomans troops to fight the latter. This armed force fulfilled its contract and crosses the Bosphorus after having installed the Cantacuzènes with the head of the empire. But the same problem remains in 1352. This time, after having again consolidated Cantacuzènes in power, the Ottomans troops decide to settle in Thrace (1354). This time, the Ottomans have both feet in Europe, which they will not leave until our days. The year 1354 marks the beginning of the invasion of the Ottomans.
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Murad I (1361-1389) : Murad is the second son of Orkhan. It takes the succession of his father in the conquest of Thrace and installs Turkish colonists after having displaced the autochtones. It establishes the brightest symbol of the will of the final installation of the Ottomans West of the Bosphorus: It transfers its capital to Andrinople, an old city of the Roman empire.
In September 1371, the Serbo-Hungarian troops are defeated by the Ottomans at Cernomen. That has as a consequence Serb principalities which must recognise the sovereignty of the Ottomans, followed in 1372 by the basileus Jean V Paleologist and the Bulgarian Tsar Sisman. This is only one respite and from new military campaigns the Ottomans will spread in 1383 into Bulgarian. The Serb force will be broken on June 15, 1389 in the plains of Kosovo (Kosovo polje, the field of the blackbirds) although this battle also leads to the death of Murad I (see a card on the Serb empire coming from the Universalis encyclopaedia).
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Bayezid I or lightning (1389-1402)
Bayezid, the junior son of Murad, gains the succession to power and becomes Bayezid I of Serbia in Kosovo and must reaffirm its position of vassal (girl of Serb Étienne is given to the harem of the sultan). In Constantinople, the successor of Jean V is his son Manuel II who seems to want to give fresh impulse to the fight against the sultan. The answer is an attempt at blockade of Constantinople during the winter of 1393.
As from this date, to the indirect sovereignty by vassalage, starts to succeed the incorporation (or the attempt for Constantinople) of the territories in the ottoman empire. One of the explanations of this development, which has very often serious for the local people, is to be be able to fight more effectively against the Hungarian power, only remaining power after the fall of the Serbians and Bulgarian (1393). One should not forget however the dream "of world hegemony" which temptation represents to reconstitute the prestige of the Roman empire in a Ottoman form this time.
The Ottoman danger is taken seriously by the Westerners who send a crusade in 1396 but which ends in failure. Only the defeat against the Mongolian troops in 1402 and the death of the sultan Bayezid the following year, will allow the survival of Constantinople, small Byzantine island in an Ottoman sea, for another half-century.
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Mehmed I (1413-1421)
With the death of Bayezid, a crisis of succession appears between his four sons which will last until 1413. During this crisis, the Ottoman Empire will be somewhat weakened. These successions were always one of the weak points of the Empire. With time, the radical solution was found: the desire to keep power must mean to kill the other rival. In this small plot, it is Mehmed who is victorious. During his short reign, one will retain that he restored the Empire to its former conquests.
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Murad II (1421-1444)
Thirty years of reign of this sultan will enable him to be the great conqueror of Balkans and to break the crusades definitively.
But Byzance will always hold in spite of a new seat in 1422, which will be followed by a treaty in 1424 with a heavy price to pay with the Ottomans. The sultan will have more success in Anatolia which passes under its domination.
Great actions are also led to the West of Balkans. Indeed, so that certain areas were declared vassal of the sultan, they negotiate in secrecy of alliances with king Sigismond of Hungary to secure its protection. It is the case of Serbia and Albania which find themselves between cross-fires. The wars thus begin again in Serbia in 1428 and is balanced once again by the renewal of the vassalage to the sultan. On the other hand, central Albania is purely annexed in the provinces of the empire. From these wars, from these reversals of alliances, a small revolt is detached from George Kastriote (Skanderberg) in Albania which will be the only one to hold head with the Ottomans of 1443 until 1468 with his death.
In Byzance, the basileus Jean VIII once again seeks the assistance of the monarchs of Europe and tries the union of the churches both catholic and orthodox. This union (1439), carried out on most levels, will meet only the rejection of the Byzantine population. The latter cannot forget the exactions of Latin at the time of the crusade of 1204 and takes refuge in a religious fanaticism misfit with the requirements of the military situation. The step of Jean VIII will also run up against the egoism and the duplicity of Europeans more occupied by their internal quarrels. In this way, the crusade of 1443-1444 failed. It will be the last crusade and will ring the knell of Constantinople.
With the death of Murad II in 1451, the Ottoman Empire is almost at its apogee. It still consists however, of provinces and vassal states.
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Mehmed II (1444-1481)
n 1444, Murad II abdicates in favour of his/her son Mehmed II. The long anguish of Constantinople will end after the crowning of the last emperor of the East Constantin XI Dragasès in 1449. Indeed the fall of the city, abandoned by the West, occurs on the 29 of May 1453. The city is then ransacked for 3 days by the troops of Mehmed and the Sainte-Sophie cathedral becomes a mosque. This date is highly symbolic and is generally considered by historians as being the date between the medieval time and the modern era.
At that time, all the Balkans are not yet under Ottoman domination. Thus Albania still resists with the legendary figure of Skanderberg but also part of Serbia with George Brankovic and Jean Hunyadi with Bosnia, Croatia and Dalmatia.
The conquests of the Ottomans move more and more towards the Adriatic coast and this is not by chance. Indeed, the control of the sea routes of the Mediterranean constitutes an economic and strategic stake. Consequently, the confrontation of the Ottomans with the maritime power that is Venice is inescapable.
Initially, there are military activities in Bosnia and Croatia in the years 1461-1463. Venice answers while trying to reconquer Morée (Peloponnese) in 1463 with the aim of protecting its trade on islands within the Mediterranean. In 1465 Bosnia is conquered. The attenuation of Venice continues after the loss of the town of Négrepont in 1469. The death of Skanderberg in 1468 will ring the knell of Albania. In 1474 the citadel of Croja is taken by the Ottomans but they fail in front of the town of Scutari on the Adriatic coast. The latter will fall despite everything in 1478.
The influence of the Ottomans on the Balkans is such that skirmishes take place as far as Istria and the Friuli at the gates of Venice. A peace treaty is finally signed between Venice and the Ottomans in 1479.
Mehmet II dies in 1481. It will have assured outlets on the Adriatic littoral and given leeway to the economic potential of Venice.
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