After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Ottoman sultan Mehmed II was rallying his resources in order to subjugate Hungary. His immediate objective was Belgrade, which at the time was a Hungarian végvár (border fort) of Nándorfehérvár, today's Belgrade. János (John) Hunyadi, a Hungarian nobleman and warlord from a Wallachian (Romanian) lineage who fought many battles against the Ottomans in the previous two decades, expected just such an attack. The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499) The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of that Greek city by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul (Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 6. ... Mehmed II Mehmed II, also known as Muhammed II (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481; also known as el-Fatih, the Conqueror) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Belgrade (Serbian, Београд, Beograd  listen), is the capital (2003–) of Serbia and Montenegro and Yugoslavia (1918–2003). ... John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Ioannes Corvinus in Latin, Johann Hunyadi in German, Hunyadi/Hunyady János in Hungarian, Iancu (or Ioan Corvin) de Hunedoara in Romanian, Ján Huňadi in Slovak, Sibinjanin Janko in Serbian) (c. ...

Preparations

At the end of 1455, after a public reconciliation with all his enemies, he began preparations. At his own expense he provisioned and armed the fortress, and leaving in it a strong garrison under the command of his brother-in-law Mihály Szilágyi and his own eldest son László, he proceeded to form a relief army and a fleet of two hundred corvettes. As no other baron was willing to help (fearing Hunyadi's gorwing power more than the Ottoman threat), he was left entirely to his own resources. Events February 9 - Wars of the Roses: Richard, Duke of York dismissed as Protector February 23 - Johannes Gutenberg prints the first Bible on a printing press May 22 - Wars of the Roses: First Battle of St Albans - Richard, Duke of York and his ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick defeat... László Hunyadi (1433 – 1457) was a Hungarian statesman and warrior. ... For the automobile, see Chevrolet Corvette. ...

His one ally was the Franciscan friar, Giovanni da Capistrano, who preached a crusade so effectually that the peasants and yeomanry, ill-armed (most of them had but slings and scythes) but full of enthusiasm, flocked to the standard of Hunyadi, the kernel of whose host consisted of a small band of seasoned mercenaries and a few banderia of noble horsemen. All in all, Hunyadi could build a force of 25-30,000 men. The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Saint Giovanni da Capistrano (English:John Capistrano, June 24, 1386 – October 23, 1456), Italian friar, theologian and inquisitor, was born in the village of Capistrano, in the diocese of Sulmona in the Abruzzi. ...

Siege

However, before these forces could have been assembled, Mehmet II's invasion army (160,000 men in early accounts, 60-70,000 according to newer research) arrived at Nándorfehérvár. On July 4, 1456, the siege began. Szilágyi could only rely on a force of 5-7,000 men in the castle. Mehmed II Mehmed II (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481; nicknamed el-Fatih, the Conqueror) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... Events July 7 - Joan of Arc acquitted (but she had already been executed). ...

On the 14th of July 1456 Hunyadi arrived with his flotilla on the Danube, and destroyed the Sultan's fleet. The fort's defense could be reinforced. But after a week of heavy bombardement, on the 21st the besieging army flooded the city, and then started its assault on the fort. But Szilágyi's soldiers beat off a fierce assault. When a Turkish soldier almost managed to pin the Sultan's flag on top of a bastion, a soldier named Titus Dugović (Dugovics Titusz in Hungarian) grabbed him and together they plunged from the wall. (For this heroism John Hunyadi's son, Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus made Titus's son a nobleman three years later.) July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... Events July 7 - Joan of Arc acquitted (but she had already been executed). ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... Matthias Corvinus (Mátyás in Hungarian), (February 23, 1443 (?) - April 6, 1490) was one of the greatest Kings of Hungary, ruling between 1458 and 1490. ...

In the second day of the onslaught, Capistrano led his crusaders to the Turkish rear army across the Sava river. At the same time, Hunyadi started a desperate charge out of the fort to take the cannon positions in the Turkish camp. (By some accounts, the peasant crusaders started their action spontaneously on their own, and Capistrano and Hunyadi only made use of the situation). The surprise attacks caused heavy losses and much disarray, thus during the night Mehmed withdrew his remaining forces and returned to Constantinople (now Istanbul). Sava also Save (German Save, Hungarian Száva) is a river in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, a right side tributary of Danube at Belgrade. ... This article is about the city. ...

Aftermath

The Magyars had, however, to pay dearly for this victory, as plague broke out in the camp, in which John Hunyadi himself died three weeks later (11th August 1456). John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Ioannes Corvinus in Latin, Johann Hunyadi in German, Hunyadi/Hunyady János in Hungarian, Iancu (or Ioan Corvin) de Hunedoara in Romanian, Ján Huňadi in Slovak, Sibinjanin Janko in Serbian) (c. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events July 7 - Joan of Arc acquitted (but she had already been executed). ...

Follow Up

The victory stopped the Ottoman Turkish advance towards Catholic Europe for 70 years, though they made other incursions such as the taking of Otranto in 1480-1481 and the raid of Croatia and Styria in 1493. The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul (Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 6. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Otranto is a seaport and archiepiscopal see of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Lecce, from which it is 291 miles southeast by rail, 49 ft. ... Styria was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, and a crownland of Austria-Hungary until it dissolved in 1918. ...

During the siege, Pope Callixtus III ordered the noon bell, to call believers to pray for the defenders - but as in many places the news of victory arrived later than the order, it transformed into the commemoration of the victory, and the Pope didn't withdraw the order. Hence the noon bell is still rung to this day. Callixtus III, né Alphonso de Borgia (December 31, 1378 - August 6, 1458) was born in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain and was pope from April 8, 1455 to August 6, 1458. ...