Episodes
The Sultan's Faith: Mehmed II and the Church of the Apostles
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known chapter of Mehmed the Conqueror's reign: his relationship with the Greek Orthodox Church after the fall of Constantinople. They discuss how Mehmed appointed Gennadios Scholarios as patriarch, granted the Church privileges, and even engaged in theological debates. The episode centers on the Church of the Holy Apostles, which Mehmed initially granted to the Patriarchate but later converted into a mosque, a decision that reveals the delicate…
Mehmed II's Palace School: The Making of an Ottoman Elite
In the decades after the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II built an institution that would shape the Ottoman Empire for centuries: the Enderun, the palace school. This episode explores how the Conqueror took the ancient practice of devshirme — the levy of Christian boys — and turned it into a rigorous academy for statesmen, generals, and administrators. We follow the journey of a boy from the Balkans, his conversion and training, his education in languages, law, and military arts…
Mehmed II's Navy: The Admiral Who Built an Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the naval side of Mehmed the Conqueror's reign, focusing on the transformation of the Ottoman fleet from a modest force into a dominant Mediterranean power. They discuss the crucial role of Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey, the admiral who led the navy during the siege of Constantinople, and his controversial failure at the Chain of Galata. The conversation then shifts to the shipbuilding program at the new Tersane-i Amire, the role of Greek shipwrights like the…
The Hidden Science: Mehmed II's Observatory and Astronomy
In Episode 202 of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known facet of Mehmed the Conqueror: his passion for astronomy. From a young age, Mehmed was tutored by the greatest minds of his era, and as sultan, he patronized scholars and built an observatory in the heart of Constantinople. This episode uncovers the story of Ali Qushji, the Timurid astronomer who brought the Samarkand school to the Ottoman court, and how Mehmed's interest in the stars influenced his military planning, from…
The Conquest of Trebizond: Mehmed's Last Byzantine Prize
In 1461, eight years after Constantinople fell, the last independent Byzantine Greek state vanished. Trebizond, a remote empire on the Black Sea coast, had survived for over two centuries thanks to its mountain defenses, its diplomacy, and the rivalry between Ottomans and their enemies. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Mehmed II, the Conqueror, finally brought Trebizond into the fold. They follow the dramatic march across Anatolia, the role of the Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha, the…
Mehmed II and the Ottoman Renaissance Man
In our 200th episode on Mehmed the Conqueror, we step away from the battlefield to explore his intellectual side. Forget the cannons and the siege for a moment — as the poet Avni, Mehmed wrote verses that still resonate. But his cultural ambition went deeper: he commissioned a portrait from the Venetian artist Gentile Bellini, invited scholars from across the world to his court, and built a palace library that housed Greek, Persian, and Arabic works. We discuss how Mehmed saw himself as a new…
Mehmed II's Post-Conquest Islamization of Constantinople
In the years after 1453, Sultan Mehmed II transformed the conquered city of Constantinople into the Ottoman capital, Istanbul. This episode digs into the gritty mechanics of that transformation — the forced deportations (sürgün) that repopulated the empty streets, the conversion of churches into mosques, the establishment of Muslim quarters and the great medreses, and the delicate balancing act with the newly installed Greek Orthodox Patriarch. We follow the fortunes of the Ayasofya and the…
The Sultan's New Language: Mehmed II and the Turkish Renaissance
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising chapter in the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror: his efforts to forge a new Ottoman literary language. After taking Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed II—himself a poet writing under the pen name Avni—set out to create a Turkish that could rival Persian and Arabic as a language of high culture. We look at how he gathered poets and scholars at his court, from the Persian master Cemali to the Byzantine-trained Greek literati, and…
The Conqueror's Shadow: Mehmed II's Secret Police
Every empire needs eyes and ears. For Mehmed the Conqueror, that meant a shadowy network of informants, spies, and enforcers who reported directly to the sultan. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Fatih built his intelligence apparatus—from the çavuş, who carried the sultan's orders and watched his governors, to the oda, the sultan's inner chamber where loyalty was tested and secrets died. We trace the network's roots in earlier Islamic and Byzantine practice, see how it meshed…
The Janissary Revolt of 1446: Mehmed II's First Lesson
Before he conquered Constantinople, Mehmed II faced a humiliating setback: the Janissary revolt of 1446. This episode unpacks the intricate politics of the Ottoman court, where a child sultan, a powerful grand vizier, and a restless army collided. We trace the origins of the Janissary corps, the devşirme system that recruited them, and the economic crisis — triggered by a debased currency — that pushed them to mutiny. When the Janissaries marched on Edirne, they didn't just demand their pay…
Mehmed II's New Rome: The Rebuilding of Constantinople
After the conquest of 1453, Mehmed II faced a ruined city. This episode explores how the Conqueror repopulated and rebuilt Constantinople, turning a desolate Byzantine ghost town into the bustling Ottoman capital. Lucas and Luna discuss the sürgün forced resettlement policy, tax incentives, the construction of the Grand Bazaar and Topkapı Palace, and Mehmed's vision of himself as Kayser-i Rûm, the new Roman emperor. They also examine the controversial conversion of Hagia Sophia and the fate of…
Mehmed II's Ottoman Reform: The Kanunname of 1478
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Mehmed II's legal reforms and the Kanunname of 1478, the first comprehensive Ottoman law code. They discuss the sultan's efforts to centralize authority, the role of the devşirme, the codification of taxes and criminal law, and the influence of Islamic jurisprudence. The episode also covers the creation of the imperial council (divan), the establishment of the janissary corps as a standing army, and the lasting impact of these reforms on the Ottoman…
Mehmed II's Secret Topkapi Library and the Lost Codex
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known corner of Mehmed the Conqueror's legacy: his secret library in Topkapi Palace, where the sultan amassed Greek, Latin, Persian, and Arabic manuscripts—including a mysterious codex that may have been a lost work of Ptolemy. We trace the library's creation, its chief librarian, the Italian humanist Gian Maria Angiolello, and the famous 'Trabzon Greek' story. We also look at the fate of the library after Mehmed's death and the modern discovery…
The Sultan's Secret Weapon: Mehmed II's Bodyguard Corps
In the aftermath of Constantinople's fall, Mehmed II built more than a new capital—he built a new kind of ruler. This episode digs into the shadowy institution that made his power possible: the sultan's personal bodyguard corps, the peyk and solak. These were no ordinary guards. Recruited through the devşirme, trained in silence, and bound by an oath of utter loyalty, they were the sultan's shadow in battle and the enforcers of his will in the palace. We trace their origins in the Janissary…
Mehmed II's Venetian Spy: The Secret Diary of a Bailo
In 1463, Venice's new bailo to Constantinople, Giovanni Emo, walked into a city still scarred from the 1453 sack. His secret reports—decoded in the Venetian archives—give us a rare street-level view of Mehmed the Conqueror's capital: the bustle of the Grand Bazaar, Greek notables speaking Turkish, the sultan's obsession with the ancient cisterns, and the quiet dread of a war with Venice that would devastate the Aegean. We follow Emo's three years in the city, from his tense audience with Mehmed…
The Fall of Çandarlı Halil: Mehmed II's First Political Execution
After taking Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II didn't just conquer a city — he shattered the old Ottoman order. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the dramatic rise and fall of Çandarlı Halil Pasha, the grand vizier from a distinguished Turkish family who had served two sultans, opposed the great siege, and paid for it with his life. We explore the dynastic power plays, the role of devşirme-born rivals like Zaganos Pasha and Mahmud Pasha, and how Halil's execution remade the Ottoman…
Mehmed the Conqueror as Avni: The Sultan Who Wrote Poetry
When Mehmed II wasn't conquering empires, he was writing verses. Under the pen name Avni, the same hand that ordered the conquest of Constantinople also composed ghazals in Persian and Turkish. This episode dives into Mehmed's education under Molla Hüsrev and Ali Qushji, his patronage of poets like Ahmet Pasha, and the themes of his divan—power, love, mortality, and his vision of himself as a universal sovereign (Kayser-i Rum). We examine a few of his poems in translation, explore how his…
Mehmed II vs Skanderbeg: The Albanian Eagle
In the decades after conquering Constantinople, Mehmed II turned his attention to a stubborn foe in the Albanian highlands: Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg. A former janissary who defected to lead a rebellion, Skanderbeg held off Ottoman armies for over two decades. This episode traces Mehmed's campaigns against the League of Lezhë, the key sieges of Krujë, and the guerrilla warfare that frustrated the sultan's ambitions. We explore how Skanderbeg's rising drained Ottoman resources, the…
The Siege of Rhodes 1480: Mehmed II's Great Defeat
In 1480, Sultan Mehmed II — fresh from conquering Constantinople and expanding Ottoman power across the Aegean — turned his sights on the island fortress of Rhodes, held by the Knights Hospitaller. This episode dives into the two-month-long siege, the massive Ottoman assault involving tens of thousands of troops and heavy artillery, and the surprisingly resilient defense led by Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson. We explore the tactics of blockade and mining, the pivotal counterattack that…
Mehmed II and the Fall of Mystras: The Last Byzantine Despotate
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Mehmed the Conqueror's campaigns against the Despotate of Morea, the final Byzantine stronghold in Greece. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the despotate was ruled by the feuding brothers Demetrios and Thomas Palaiologos. Mehmed exploited their divisions, first subjugating the region in 1458 and then completing the conquest in 1460. We delve into the capture of the city of Mystras, the fate of the Palaiologoi—Demetrios became…
Mehmed II vs Uzun Hasan: The Battle of Otlukbeli 1473
After conquering Constantinople and crushing the Karamanids, Sultan Mehmed II faced his most dangerous eastern rival: Uzun Hasan of the Akkoyunlu confederation. In 1473, Uzun Hasan allied with the Karamanids and Venice, threatening Ottoman control of Anatolia. Mehmed marched east with a massive army, including new field artillery and disciplined Janissaries. The two forces met at Otlukbeli, near Erzincan. Lucas and Luna dive into the strategies, the clash of cavalry and gunpowder, and the…
Mehmed II's Otranto Campaign: The Unfinished Conquest
In 1480, eight years after his conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II launched an audacious invasion of Italy. An Ottoman fleet under Gedik Ahmed Pasha crossed the Adriatic and besieged the city of Otranto in Apulia. The siege lasted two weeks, ending with a massacre that shocked Christendom and created martyrs venerated to this day. This episode explores Mehmed's grand ambition to capture Rome, the strategic context of Italian politics, the brutal fall of Otranto, and the sudden…
Mehmed II and the Orthodox Patriarch: Birth of the Millet System
In 1454, just a year after the Fall of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II did something unexpected: he personally appointed a new Ecumenical Patriarch. The man he chose was Gennadius Scholarius, a fierce anti-unionist theologian who had openly preferred Ottoman rule to Catholic subjugation. This episode explores Mehmed's strategy of using the Orthodox Church as a tool of governance—a pragmatic move that gave Christians limited autonomy under the sultan's absolute authority. We walk through the…
Mehmed II's Naval War: The Siege of Negroponte (1470)
In 1470, Sultan Mehmed II launched the largest Ottoman naval expedition yet against the Venetian stronghold of Negroponte (modern Chalkis) on the island of Euboea. This episode chronicles the siege—the massive fleet of 200 ships, the artillery bombardment from sea and land, the desperate defence by Venetian captain Girolamo Loredan, and the final assault by Janissaries. We explore how Mehmed built his navy from scratch after conquering Constantinople, how this victory opened the Aegean to…
Urban's Great Bombard: The Cannon That Conquered Constantinople
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the pivotal role of the Hungarian engineer Urban and his massive bombard in Mehmed II's conquest of Constantinople in 1453. They explore Urban's initial offer to the Byzantine emperor Constantine XI, his rejection, and his subsequent defection to the Ottoman camp. The discussion covers the construction of Rumeli Hisari, the casting of the giant cannon known as the Şahi, its transportation to Constantinople, and its devastating impact on the Theodosian…
Mehmed II's Siege of Belgrade 1456
In July 1456, just three years after conquering Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II suffered a crushing defeat at the gates of Belgrade. This episode examines the siege, the relief army led by the legendary Hungarian commander John Hunyadi, and the role of Pope Callixtus III, whose call for a crusade gave birth to the tradition of the noon bell. We explore the tactics on the Danube, the pivotal naval battle, and the aftermath that humbled the Conqueror. Along the way, we consider how this failure…
Mehmed the Conqueror and the Astronomer from Samarkand
This episode of Fexingo History explores a lesser-known side of Mehmed II: his passion for astronomy and science. When the Conqueror of Constantinople wasn't besieging cities or codifying laws, he was debating celestial mechanics with scholars from across the Islamic world. We focus on his invitation to the famed astronomer Ali Qushji from Samarkand, who brought the latest astronomical models to the Ottoman court and helped establish the Sahn-ı Seman medreses. Lucas and Luna discuss how…
Mehmed II and Gentile Bellini: The Sultan Who Commissioned a Renaissance Portrait
In 1479, a Venetian painter named Gentile Bellini arrived in Constantinople at the invitation of Sultan Mehmed II. Over the next sixteen months, Bellini produced some of the most famous images of the Ottoman ruler, including a bronze medal and a portrait that would become iconic. But why would a Muslim sultan, conqueror of Constantinople, want a Renaissance portrait? And what does this artistic exchange reveal about Mehmed's broader cultural ambitions? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore…
Mehmed II and the Conquest of Trebizond
In this episode, we explore Mehmed II's 1461 campaign against the Empire of Trebizond, the last Byzantine Greek successor state. Lucas and Luna discuss the strategic brilliance of the campaign, the role of Mahmud Pasha, and the fate of Emperor David Komnenos. They delve into the diplomatic maneuvering with Uzun Hasan of the Akkoyunlu, the siege of Sinop, and the bloodless surrender of Trebizond. The episode also examines the aftermath: the conversion of Trebizond into an Ottoman province, the…
Mehmed II's Greek Chronicler Kritovoulos of Imbros
Mehmed the Conqueror wasn't just a warrior and lawgiver—he was a patron of history who commissioned his own story from a Greek islander. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and work of Kritovoulos of Imbros, the Ottoman Greek bureaucrat and historian whose 'History of Mehmed the Conqueror' survives as a unique propaganda portrait. We trace his origins on the Aegean island of Imbros (modern Gökçeada), his role as a local administrator under the Ottomans, and how he deliberately…
Mehmed II's Tax Revolt: The 1473 Karaman Uprising
In 1473, Mehmed II faced one of the most serious internal challenges of his reign: a massive tax revolt in the newly conquered Karaman region. This episode dives into the little-known Karaman uprising of 1473, sparked by the sultan's heavy wartime levies to fund his campaign against the Akkoyunlu confederation under Uzun Hasan. We explore the role of the Karamanid prince Pir Ahmed, who returned from exile to lead the rebellion; the brutal suppression by the grand vizier Mahmud Pasha; and the…
Mehmed II's Persian Bridge: The Sultan Who Courted the Safavids
Long before the Ottoman–Safavid rivalry exploded into open war, Mehmed the Conqueror saw Persia not as an enemy but as an opportunity. This episode explores the sultan's diplomatic overtures to the emerging Safavid order under Sheikh Junayd and his son Haydar. Lucas and Luna unpack the tangled web of religious politics, trade routes, and military necessity that drove Mehmed to seek alliance with the very movement that would later become his dynasty's greatest foe. They trace how the Safavids…
Mehmed II's Master of the Horse: The Unlikely Vizier
In the early years after the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II relied on a trusted inner circle to govern his expanding empire. Among them was a man who began as a simple stable master — the imrahor — and rose to become grand vizier. This episode tells the story of Ishak Pasha, a figure whose origins remain shadowy but whose career shaped Ottoman policy in Anatolia and the Balkans. From leading campaigns against the Karamanid beylik to overseeing the sürgün that repopulated Istanbul…
Mehmed II's Architect: Atik Sinan and the Building of a Capital
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the career of Atik Sinan, the Greek-born architect who rose from a devşirme recruit to become Mehmed the Conqueror's master builder. They discuss his early training in the Ottoman imperial workshops, his role in designing the Fatih Külliyesi—the first great mosque complex of Istanbul—and the challenges of constructing on the ruins of the Church of the Holy Apostles. The conversation also touches on the broader context of Ottoman architecture: how Sinan…
Mehmed II's Secret Greek Chronicler Laonikos Chalkokondyles
This episode explores Laonikos Chalkokondyles, a Greek historian living under Ottoman rule who wrote a comprehensive history of the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottomans. Lucas and Luna discuss Chalkokondyles' unique perspective — a proud Greek who admired Mehmed II's statecraft while mourning Constantinople's fall. They examine his work's structure, his use of Herodotus as a model, and his surprisingly balanced view of the sultan. The episode also touches on the…
Mehmed II and the Conquest of Trebizond
In 1461, Mehmed the Conqueror turned his gaze east to the last bastion of Byzantine legitimacy: the Empire of Trebizond. This episode follows the campaign that crushed the Komnenoi dynasty and brought the Black Sea coast under Ottoman control. We trace the diplomacy and betrayal that isolated Emperor David Komnenos, the role of Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha, and the fall of the seemingly impregnable city. We also explore the fate of the imperial family, the absorption of Trebizond's scholars and…
Mehmed II's Codification of Ottoman Law
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Mehmed the Conqueror's transformative legal legacy: the codification of the Kanunname, or Ottoman law code. They discuss how Mehmed II, after conquering Constantinople, sought to centralize and standardize the empire's diverse legal traditions, blending Islamic sharia with secular kanun. The conversation covers the role of the grand mufti and the secular judges (kadi), the influence of the Byzantine and Persian legal systems, and the controversial Law of…
Mehmed II's Wallachian Campaign: The Real Dracula
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Mehmed II's campaigns against Vlad III of Wallachia, better known as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula. They delve into Vlad's brutal tactics, his imprisonment by the Ottomans, and his ongoing war of attrition against the sultan's forces. The conversation covers the Night Attack at Târgoviște in 1462, where Vlad's forces nearly killed Mehmed, and the subsequent Ottoman campaign that installed Radu cel Frumos on the Wallachian throne. They also discuss the…
Mehmed II's Akıncı Raids: The Shock Troops of the Ottoman Frontier
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the akıncı, the irregular light cavalry that formed the shock troops of the Ottoman frontier under Mehmed II. Unlike the disciplined Janissaries, the akıncı were semi-nomadic raiders who lived off plunder and played a crucial role in destabilizing enemy territories before major campaigns. Lucas explains how they operated, their unique organizational structure under frontier lords like the Mihaloğlu family, and their fearsome reputation in the…
Mehmed II's Albanian Campaign: The Balkan Eagle That Defied the Sultan
In 1466, Mehmed the Conqueror turned his armies toward the mountains of Albania, where a lone chieftain named George Kastrioti Skanderbeg had held out for over two decades against Ottoman expansion. This episode explores the Ottoman-Albanian wars through the lens of Skanderbeg's guerrilla tactics, the siege of Krujë, and Mehmed's personal involvement in the campaign. We examine the role of the League of Lezhë, the shifting allegiances of local lords, and the logistical nightmare of fighting in…
Mehmed the Conqueror and the Karamanid Resistance
This episode dives into Mehmed II's relentless campaigns against the Karamanid beylik in south-central Anatolia—a decades-long struggle that tested Ottoman military might and political cunning. Lucas and Luna examine key figures like Ibrahim Bey and Pir Ahmed, the strategic importance of cities like Konya and Ermenek, and the brutal sürgün (forced resettlement) policies that reshaped the region. They explore how the Karamanids allied with the Akkoyunlu under Uzun Hasan and the Mamluks, only to…
Mehmed II's Greek Admiral: The Conversion of Has Yunus
After conquering Constantinople, Mehmed II faced a challenge on the seas: the last remaining Greek pirate fleet under Has Yunus, a former Byzantine naval commander turned corsair. This episode traces the sultan's strategic use of conversion and patronage to turn a fierce enemy into the Kaptan-ı Derya, the supreme admiral of the Ottoman navy. We follow Has Yunus from his base at Cephalonia, through his defeat at Lepanto (1477), to his surrender and conversion to Islam. Lucas and Luna explore how…
Mehmed II's Conqueror's Mosque: Building the Fatih Külliyesi
Mehmed the Conqueror didn't just take Constantinople—he rebuilt it. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the creation of the Fatih Külliyesi, the sprawling mosque complex that became the heart of the new Ottoman capital. They uncover the story of its architect, Atik Sinan, who designed the first great imperial mosque; the political symbolism of building on the site of the Church of the Holy Apostles; the network of medreses, hospitals, and soup kitchens that made it a self-sustaining city…
Mehmed II's Endowment Wars: The Vakıf That Reshaped Istanbul
After conquering Constantinople, Mehmed the Conqueror didn't just rebuild the city—he reshaped its soul through a vast network of pious endowments called vakıfs. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace how the sultan used these Islamic charitable trusts to finance mosques, schools, hospitals, and public kitchens, while deliberately marginalizing the old Byzantine aristocracy and concentrating wealth in the hands of the Ottoman state and its religious class. They explore the founding of the Fatih…
Mehmed II's Law of Fratricide: The Bloody Cost of Ottoman Succession
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most controversial policies of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror: the Law of Fratricide. After his own son Cem's rebellion nearly tore the empire apart, Mehmed codified in his Kanunname that a sultan could legally execute his brothers to prevent civil war. They trace the origins of this brutal logic back to the chaos of fratricidal struggles among earlier Turkish beyliks, and discuss how Mehmed's own father Murad II avoided bloodshed by abdicating…
Mehmed II's Cem Sultan: The Brother Who Divided the Empire
After conquering Constantinople and forging an empire, Mehmed II faced a threat from within: his own son, Cem Sultan. This episode dives into the bitter fratricidal struggle that erupted after Mehmed's death in 1481. We trace Cem's early life as governor of Kastamonu, his rivalry with his older brother Bayezid, and the civil war that followed their father's sudden death. Cem's claim to the throne led to a dramatic escape to the Mamluk Sultanate, then to the Knights of St. John on Rhodes, and…
Mehmed II's Siege of Constantinople: The Guns That Broke the Walls
In 1453, Mehmed II shattered the walls of Constantinople with the largest bombard the world had ever seen. But the story of that siege is more than just a story of big guns. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the master Hungarian cannon founder Urban, who first offered his services to the Byzantines before being turned away; the 27-foot-long monster bombard that could fire a 1,200-pound stone ball over a mile; and the ingenious Ottoman tactics that combined siege towers, mines, and a chain…
Mehmed II's Otranto Invasion: The Ottoman Gateway to Italy
In 1480, just one year before his death, Mehmed the Conqueror launched an audacious amphibious invasion of the Italian peninsula. An Ottoman fleet under Gedik Ahmed Pasha crossed the Adriatic and captured the city of Otranto, sending shockwaves through Christendom. This episode explores the strategic calculus behind the campaign, the brutal sack of the city, the fortress of Otranto's brief life as an Ottoman base, and the desperate counteroffensive led by King Ferrante of Naples and the Papal…
Mehmed II's Karaman Campaigns: The Sultan Who Crushed the Beys
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Mehmed the Conqueror's relentless campaigns against the Karamanid beylik in Anatolia. After taking Constantinople, Mehmed turned east to consolidate Ottoman rule over the Turkish beyliks that had survived since the decline of the Seljuks. We follow the rise of the Karamanids under Ibrahim Bey, their alliance with the Venetian and Akkoyunlu enemies of Mehmed, and the brutal sieges of Konya and Ermenek. We meet the rebellious prince Cem…
Mehmed the Conqueror and the Siege That Never Happened
In 1462, Mehmed II marched his army into Wallachia to crush Vlad III, the Impaler. But the campaign didn't go as planned — Vlad used scorched earth and night raids to stall the Ottoman advance. This episode dives into the guerrilla warfare, the failed siege of Târgoviște, and the political aftermath that ended with Vlad's capture and death. We explore the shifting alliances, the role of the Wallachian boyars, and how Mehmed's obsession with Vlad shaped Ottoman-Hungarian relations. Along the…
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