Episode 325 - The Rise of the Ottomans, Part 1
Added 2025-05-09 20:57:45 +0000 UTCWe follow the last century of narrative from an Ottoman point of view.
Period: 1280-1371
Pic: Sultan Orhan (painted by Konstantin Kapıdağlı, 19th century)
Comments
It’s also ironic that Kantakouzenos played a role in the rise of the Ottomans, which led to the Roman downfall. In any event, it would’ve happened sooner or later with all the disparate forces in the region. Great episode Robin.
Richard Jack
2025-05-15 17:10:42 +0000 UTCIt's not hard to make but there is a sadness
Robin Pierson
2025-05-14 17:33:24 +0000 UTCThe Ottoman conquests of Thrace and Anatolia outside of Bithynia reminds me a bit of the Arab conquests in miniature. Like you said, tribal societies able to capitalize on the monetary advantages of settled society and the unique military effectiveness of war bands and recruiting based on taking loot/raiding. The Rashidun/Ummayid expansions seem to have had similar advantages
Noah Vasilakes
2025-05-13 17:26:19 +0000 UTCIt's so hard for me to even listen to this. Is it hard for you to make it? For me the attachment is just so damn strong 😭
Jimmy Fingus
2025-05-13 04:37:15 +0000 UTCHi Robin, Byzantium's history is closely linked to the Cruzades. So far you have discussed First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Cruzades. But there were more after. For example, there's the Sixth Cruzade of 1228-1229, the Baron's Crusade of 1239-1242, the Seventh Cruzade of 1248-1254. There's also the Eighth Crusade against Tunis, and the Ninth Crusade of 1271-1272. In between, there's the Mamluk takeover of Egypt and the Middle East and their victory over the Mongols at Ain Jalut. All these events surely had a effect on Constantinople. Hence we would love it if you could have special paying episodes of these other crusades and events and their importance in the larger picture of the Middle East, Europe & Byzantium. Thank you.
Luis A. Melendez Albizu
2025-05-12 17:35:23 +0000 UTCThey will feature in upcoming battles
Robin Pierson
2025-05-12 12:03:28 +0000 UTCI don't think so, I talk about it at the end of the next episode
Robin Pierson
2025-05-12 12:03:02 +0000 UTCI had not considered the role of the Iranian Mongols in setting the table for the rise of the beyliks and Ottomans. It is hard to wrap your head around the scale of impact that the Mongolian expansion had on world history!
Sean McNeill
2025-05-11 13:42:21 +0000 UTCPlease tell us that when you complete the final episode of the History of Byzantium you will launch the History of the Ottoman Empire podcast. Don't leave us hanging!
Bill Frezza
2025-05-11 13:17:57 +0000 UTCThis collapse of the previous powers in a region in that period (the romans, the seljuks and the mongols) and the rise of the ottomans reminds me of the 7th century war between the sasanids and the romans and how the arabs used that opportunity to carve an empire for themselves. The difference now is that there was no Heraclius to recognize the actual situation and establish a sound footing for the rump state. Even now if a person with actual strategic thinking remained some sort of roman state in the Balkans could have continued. In this paradigm the bosphorus seems even a greater border then the Taurus mountains.
Paul Astalas
2025-05-10 04:35:24 +0000 UTCI’m curious, when did gunpowder weapons start to become a significant feature of the ottoman military? The fact that cannons could blast through even the Theodosian Walls was a structural-military revolution that meant the defensive walls-based disposition that the empire had had since at least the crisis of the third century was no longer feasible, but I’m unaware of when guns became such a war-changing force
Liutprand
2025-05-10 00:06:50 +0000 UTCThough the Romans may be the stars, these episodes tend to be among my favorites, like the fall of the Abbasids, the rise of Bulgaria, etc. These smaller, faster jaunts through another state's history tend to be very fascinating, since we often already know the events but we don't know the reasons behind them. Looking forward to Part 2!
Che
2025-05-09 23:24:45 +0000 UTCHere we go. Getting close to the final siege. Where Istanbul will be born
Andre Siqueira
2025-05-09 20:58:55 +0000 UTC
