Mehmed II

Mehmed II led the Ottoman army in a 53-day siege of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The city fell on May 29, 1453, after Ottoman forces breached the walls. This conquest ended the Byzantine Empire and established Constantinople as the Ottoman capital, later renamed Istanbul.

Mehmed II led a large Ottoman army to besiege Belgrade, a key Hungarian fortress. The siege was broken by a Christian relief force led by John Hunyadi. The Ottoman army suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat. This defeat halted Ottoman expansion into Hungary for decades.

Mehmed II led a military campaign against the Empire of Trebizond, the last major Byzantine Greek successor state. After a siege of the capital, Emperor David Megas Komnenos surrendered. This conquest eliminated the final remnant of Byzantine authority in Anatolia.

Mehmed II issued the Kanunname, a comprehensive legal code that systematized Ottoman criminal, administrative, and land law. This code defined the powers of the sultan, the structure of the bureaucracy, and the rights of subjects. It provided a legal framework for the expanding empire.

Mehmed II ordered an Ottoman fleet to invade the Italian city of Otranto. Ottoman forces captured the city and massacred many inhabitants. This invasion established a temporary Ottoman foothold in Italy, causing alarm among Italian states. The occupation ended after Mehmed's death.