the last crusade – Nicopolis 1396 pdf download

The last crusade – Nicopolis 1396

THE LAST CRUSADE – NICOPOLIS 1396

The background to the Nicopolis Crusade is to be found in the rapid spread of Ottoman Turkish conquests, particularly in the southern Balkans during the second half of the 14th century. More specifically, an Ottoman threat to Hungary following the failure of a Hungarian attempt 10 promote an uprising against Ottoman domination in Bulgaria, provoked action.

At this time the Byzantine Empire consisted of Constantinople (with some adjoining coastal areas), southern Greece, and some northern Aegean islands. 1.julle was left of the Crusader States in Greece while Bulgaria had fragmented into smaller kingdoms which soon fell under Ottoman domination.

The fragile Serbian Empire bad similarly fragmented as the Ottomans Utrust inte the heart of the Balkans. Il proved almost impossible for the Orthodox Christian Balkan states to join forces with the Catholics to the north. Although the ruling elite often looked northward for help, most ordinary people seemingly