Netflix: Rise of Empires, Ottoman

Constantinople was a pitiful depopulated remnant in 1453 with the population growing its food inside the city walls. Never stood a chance.
And contrary to the first 2 minutes of the series ...Constantinople was of course conquered and sacked previously by the fourth crusade.
 
Actually not that bad. The essence of the story as known is told. I loved the cannons.
Considering that they have various Professors commenting in between they could have added more background on:
How did the byzantines manage the turks and the west the last 100 years.
The Venetians used the fourth crusade to set up their own mediterrranean empire.
The Genoese on the other hand bet on byzantium, hence also their role in the the 1453 defense.

I also think there could have been more on the fact that all factions inside the wall (the greek nobles, the italian city states, the populace) except maybe the emperor could have adjusted to surrendering quite easily.
What does seem to be correct ist that although constantinople was financially weak, the walls were in good repair before the siege.

BTW there is a great list of all 24 sieges of constantinople on wikipedia.

I wasn´t able to really research this in detail, but the 4 genoese ships that break through the ottoman blockade look more like 17th century merchantmen.
In the series they are referred to as galleons, though maybe they meant galleys which i believe would have been correct.
After all the battle of lepanto was fought with oared galleys and that was 1571.
I couldn´t find any reference for italian galleons at that time, but maybe I looked in the wrong place.
 
jby said:
Actually not that bad. The essence of the story as known is told. I loved the cannons.
Considering that they have various Professors commenting in between they could have added more background on:
How did the byzantines manage the turks and the west the last 100 years.
The Venetians used the fourth crusade to set up their own mediterrranean empire.
The Genoese on the other hand bet on byzantium, hence also their role in the the 1453 defense.

I also think there could have been more on the fact that all factions inside the wall (the greek nobles, the italian city states, the populace) except maybe the emperor could have adjusted to surrendering quite easily.
What does seem to be correct ist that although constantinople was financially weak, the walls were in good repair before the siege.

BTW there is a great list of all 24 sieges of constantinople on wikipedia.

I wasn´t able to really research this in detail, but the 4 genoese ships that break through the ottoman blockade look more like 17th century merchantmen.
In the series they are referred to as galleons, though maybe they meant galleys which i believe would have been correct.
After all the battle of lepanto was fought with oared galleys and that was 1571.
I couldn´t find any reference for italian galleons at that time, but maybe I looked in the wrong place.
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I started watching it and its good (first two episodes down). There are a few other broad brush statements made by the academics that stir my blood but you have to look past them (Ottoman's had the first standing army in European history, for example).

I have only read one account of the siege before and it was mostly from the Roman side and concentrated on the Emperor (from Ancient Warfare Magazine). Supposedly the was quite the hero while this series seems to focus strongly on the Genoese bloke from the Roman side. It also sparks my interest in the Ottoman's.
 
Hardradi said:
I started watching it and its good (first two episodes down). There are a few other broad brush statements made by the academics that stir my blood but you have to look past them (Ottoman's had the first standing army in European history, for example).
<snipped>
Click to expand...

How unusual that Revisionist hyperbole might dismiss the legacies of Rome . . . :censored:
 
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