The History of the Ottoman Empire

After conquering this imperial city, the Ottomans set about rebuilding it.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

Stepping away from the main narrative to share things that I find interesting but that are only tangentially related, I bring you the story of the Fourth Crusade, aka that time they set out to capture Jerusalem and ended up sacking the biggest city in Christendom.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

As Mehmed II took the throne at the tender age of eighteen, he knew he had to prove to all those dusty old men at court that he was worthy of the position. So he made a simple plan: conquer Constantinople.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

A new challenger takes the stage. The Ottoman Empire squares up against medieval powerhouse Hungary, led by brilliant strategist and national hero John Hunyadi. How will they fare against this new threat?Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

We take a break from the narrative to explore what the Ottoman state actually looks like right now- the administration, the society, the political system. Then we dive back into the life of Murad II and the re-stabilization and expansion.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

In this episode, we see our nascent state lurch from one crisis to another, with its leaders selflessly putting their own interests before anyone else's. Will it collapse from civil war? Peasant uprising? Who knows?Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

This episode takes us from the highs of the Battle of Kosovo to the lows of the Battle of Ankara. The mercurial figure of Bayezid "The Thunderbolt" is a study in the value of humility, and the trouble you can get into by being overconfident. He was winning everything, right up until he wasn't. Lots of battles in this one, because frankly, that's all Bayezid did. I realize it's pretty long, but think of it as making up for my extended absence.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

Under Murad, the Ottoman enterprise began to take the form that it would hold for the next 200 years. The unique, interfaith society that would so define it started taking shape even during the constant warfare and conquest of Murad's reign.Support the show

We move on to examine the next Ottoman ruler, Orhan, son of Osman. It was under Orhan that the Ottomans transitioned from a local emirate to a state- and a regional power. The moment the Ottomans entered Europe was a watershed in history, and it is worth exploring.Map:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orhan#/media/File:Orhan_I_area_map.pngSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)

We know very little about Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. But perhaps by examining the legends surrounding him we can discern the shape of the truth.Osman's conquests:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_I#/media/File:Osman_I_area_map.PNGBithynia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithynia_and_Pontus#/media/File:Roman_Empire_-_Bythinia_et_Pontus_(125_AD).svgSultanate of Rum:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seljuk_Sultanate_of_Rum_1190_Locator_Map-pt.svgSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historyoftheottomanempire)