Siege of Thessalonica (1422–1430)

Siege of Thessalonica (1422–1430)

The Siege of Thessalonica took place between 1422 and 1430. The city was captured by the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Murad II. It remained in Ottoman hands for the next five centuries, until it became part of the Kingdom of Greece in 1912. It is now the seat of the Greek parliament and the Assembly of the Republic.

About Siege of Thessalonica (1422–1430) in brief

Summary Siege of Thessalonica (1422–1430)The siege of Thessalonica between 1422 and 1430 saw the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Murad II capture the city. It remained in Ottoman hands for the next five centuries, until it became part of the Kingdom of Greece in 1912. In the 14th century, the nascent Ottoman Empire were a rising power in the Near East. In 1369 the Ottomans were able to capture Adrianople, the third-most important city of the Byzantine Empire after its capital Constantinople and Thesalonica. The city was ruled by the Byzantine prince and future emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, itself surrendered in 1387 after a lengthy siege, along with the cities of Christopolis and Chrysopolis. Following the death of Manuel II, Manuel went to Constantinople where he was crowned emperor. This angered Sultan Bayezid I, who laid waste to the remaining Byzantine territories, and then turned on Chrysopolis, which was captured by storm and largely destroyed by Süleyman Süman. In 1403, when Emperor Manuel II’s eldest son sided with the Ottoman side, the city was brought under full Ottoman control, although it was treated more leniently after possibly a brief period of resistance. In 1913, when the Ottoman empire was overthrown, it was returned to the hands of the Greeks, and the city remained under their control until the end of the First World War in 1945. It was later taken over by the Greek state of Peloponnese, which remained under Ottoman control for the rest of the 20th century.

It is now the seat of the Greek parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, and of the Hellenic Republic. ThessAlonica was once the most important city in the region, with a population of around 40,000 people. It has been the scene of several major battles between the Ottoman and Venetian empires, including the Siege of Gallipoli and the Battle of the Dardanelles in 1422. The Siege of Thesalsalonica took place from 1422 to 1430, and saw the city reduced to a shadow of its former self, from perhaps as many as 40,00 inhabitants to c. 2,000, and necessitated large-scale resettlement in the following years. It also led to the formation of a pro-surrender party within the city, which gained strength among the inhabitants. By 1426, with Venice’s inability to secure peace on its own terms evident, a majority of the local population had come to prefer a surrender to avoid the pillage that would accompany a forcible conquest. After years of inconclusive exchanges, the two sides prepared for a final confrontation in 1429. Murad was able to concentrate his forces against the city and took it by storm on 29 March 1430. In July 1429, Venice concluded a peace treaty with the Sultan in July, recognizing the new status quo. Over the next few decades, the antagonism between Venice and theOttomans morphed into a rivalry over control of Albania.