Greece and the Balkans 1453 CE

What is happening in Greece and the Balkans in 1453CE

The northern Balkans were ravaged by the Mongols in the mid-13th century, with Hungary and Bulgaria being particularly hard hit. Then, in the 14^th century, the Muslim power of the Ottoman Turks began spreading through the region.

The Byzantines, who had regained their capital of Constantinople and partially restored their empire in the late 13^th century, were the first to feel the Ottoman onslaught. Although they retained Constantinople, they lost much territory to the Ottomans, who then turned north and conquered the Bulgarians and the Serbs. In this year, 1453, the Ottomans succeed in capturing Constantinople. They now pose an even graver threat to the independence of the remaining Christian states in the Balkans, and beyond.

Next map, Greece and the Balkans in 1648