In early October 1468, at the height of harvest season, the largest siege in the entire medieval period officially began.
Compared to the war that destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire more than a decade ago, this time the Western allied forces were even stronger than the Ottomans of that era, numbering an astonishing 100,000 or more.
The Ottomans defending Constantinople were also far superior in strength to the Eastern Roman Empire of that time; they had a garrison of over 20,000 men to defend the vast Constantinople.
These troops were spread out along the more than 5,000-meter-long wall stretching from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara, engaged in an extremely fierce offensive and defensive battle.
Laszlo set his main command post on a small hill directly opposite the Gate of Charisius. Because Mehmed II entered Constantinople through this gate when the city was breached last time, the Ottomans now called it the Gate of Edirne.
Coincidentally, Bayezid, the Ottoman Prince and commander-in-chief of the defending army, also set his command post near this gate. He established a new defensive command post where Constantine XI had once commanded his troops to resist the Ottoman attack.
There was a reason they both chose this location: this gate was a crucial junction connecting the northern and central sections of the wall, and both sections were undoubtedly key targets for the attacking army in both the previous and current sieges.
A significant portion of the Blachernae Walls in the north was built more than three hundred years ago and was much more fragile than the meticulously designed and constructed Theodosian Walls.
In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, the Crusaders, instigated by the Venetians, breached Constantinople from here.
And in the previous siege, the Ottoman Empire's army initially broke into the city from here, only to be pushed back by the Eastern Roman defenders.
The central section of the wall, being in a low-lying area, had its strength somewhat compromised. Furthermore, the besiegers could find excellent artillery positions higher than the wall in front of this section. Therefore, more than a decade ago, the Ottoman Empire's heavy artillery bombarded this section of the wall for several weeks, destroying many parts of it.
Now, the Ottomans had to pay for their past actions. Although the newly repaired wall, hastily constructed, had some strength, it was still much more fragile than before.
Given that both sections of the wall could hardly withstand continuous artillery bombardment, both sides focused their offensive and defensive efforts on these two parts of the wall. This was also why Laszlo and Bayezid both set their command posts near the Gate of Charisius, the heart of the battlefield.
At this moment, inside the Ottoman defending army's command post, Bayezid and Jaffar Pasha stood on the tower of the Gate of Charisius, observing the battlefield situation.
This gate was located at the highest point of Constantinople's old city, offering the most expansive view, allowing them to gather as much intelligence on the battlefield as possible through observation.
The young Prince looked out, and outside the city, he could still only see the busy figures of the Crusader engineers, who were directing soldiers in the final preparations for the siege.
A large number of ladders and catapults were designed and built, along with some siege towers. However, Constantinople's multi-layered walls meant that mobile towers were less effective than simple ladders.
On the high ground directly opposite the central section of the wall, a series of thunderous roars could be heard every half an hour or so. The Ottomans were all too familiar with this sound: it was the sound of heavy artillery.
The Crusader artillerymen had set up their cannons in the same place where the Ottoman Empire had previously deployed its artillery, and they began a fierce bombardment of the central section of the wall.
"Their artillery fire is no more intense than ours was back then, but unfortunately, the wall still cannot withstand it. Parts of both the inner and outer walls in the central section have collapsed.
However, thanks to the excellent design of the Eastern Romans, the outer wall has a two-meter-high outer rampart at its base. This ensures that our soldiers still hold the advantage of higher ground even after the wall collapses, allowing them to easily kill enemy troops attempting to rush into the breach."
Jaffar's expression looked much more relaxed than Bayezid's.
As a participant in the previous siege of Constantinople, he had never been as grateful as he was now that the Eastern Romans possessed such superb wall-building techniques.
The inner and outer walls and the towering inner and outer ramparts, which had once caused so much suffering for the Ottoman besieging army, now greatly alleviated their pressure.
It was only because the Crusaders had not yet launched a formal attack; otherwise, they would experience what true despair was like.
After finally filling the twenty-meter-wide, nearly ten-meter-deep moat, they would first have to face a 1.5-meter-high low wall with firing slits. Handpicked, fearless Ottoman warriors would be stationed here to prevent the enemy from ascending the inner rampart.
Past the inner rampart, the attacking army would face a five-meter-high outer wall built on a two-meter-high outer rampart. Even if the wall was destroyed by artillery, they would still need to climb a slope several meters high, which would be enough for the defenders on the outer wall to slaughter them completely.
After finally capturing the outer wall and ascending the outer rampart, they would be met by a more than ten-meter-high inner wall, the last safeguard of Constantinople and its most formidable line of defense.
There was only one way to overcome these numerous obstacles: to fill it with human lives.
Mehmed II had sacrificed tens of thousands of men back then, almost leading to the collapse of his army. Jaffar was very curious how many men the Roman Emperor and his motley crew would be able to sacrifice this time.
"Perhaps their target is not the central section of the wall. In the past few days, the Galata direction has suffered extremely fierce attacks from the enemy. I expect they want to unblock the chain sealing the Golden Horn, allowing their massive fleet to enter the Golden Horn and attack the Blachernae Walls from both sea and land."
Bayezid turned his gaze northward; fighting had already broken out on the northern shore of the Golden Horn.
He had stationed a garrison of three thousand men there, who were now struggling to resist the Italian army's attack.
Unfortunately for the Ottomans, the Genoese, as the builders of all of Galata, knew the weaknesses of this subsidiary city better than anyone. They launched a fierce attack on Galata's northeast corner from both land and sea.
The defenders, caught between two fires, had to withstand pressure from multiple directions, and their casualty numbers were increasing daily.
The Crusader Fleet, blockading Constantinople, in addition to assisting the land-based Crusaders in the siege, also undertook an even more arduous task: to break through the barrier or chain stretched between Galata and Constantinople.
The Ottomans had few ships left usable within Constantinople, so they could only watch helplessly as Crusader sailors repeatedly attempted to cut, burn, or ram the chain with large ships.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the Crusader warriors finally determined that they could not destroy these obstacles and instead launched an even fiercer attack on Galata.
As long as they captured the tower, they could unblock the chain from the shore, and then a large number of Crusader ships could sail directly into Constantinople's inner harbor, bombarding the city's weak sea walls from the water.
Reluctantly, Bayezid could only dispatch a small contingent of troops to support the north, but he had to lead the bulk of the defenders to the west to defend against the main Crusader force, and thus was unwilling to commit too many resources to defending Galata.
"It seems they want to imitate the tactics the Crusaders used when they captured Constantinople in 1204, but this time they will be mistaken."
Jaffar had anticipated all sorts of tactics the Crusaders might employ, so he did not appear flustered.
Compared to Constantinople's rather diminutive city defense force during the Eastern Roman Empire, the Ottoman garrison was much larger.
Therefore, their forces were sufficient to defend against attacks from both sea and land simultaneously, unlike the former Eastern Romans who were thrown into disarray by a two-pronged attack.
"Let them come. Allah will protect us, and I will wash away the humiliation my father suffered here."
Although Bayezid did not much care for his father, in the face of national and familial vengeance, their personal grievances were temporarily set aside.
Bayezid was always praised for his righteousness and peacefulness, but his ambition to expand and revitalize the Ottoman Empire was no less than his father's.
Moreover, at this moment, he also harbored a faint hope: if he could defeat the Roman Emperor here, perhaps his father would not continue to pour most of his love and affection onto his younger brother Mustafa, nor would he constantly discuss dangerous topics like appointing a new heir with those in the court.
Jaffar saw the confidence of the eldest Prince he supported, and his heart settled.
A calm commander could undoubtedly soothe the emotions of the soldiers. At present, the city was already in a state of panic due to the approaching enemy army. If Bayezid, as the Imperial Prince and commander-in-chief of the defense, was also constantly shrouded in worry and fear, then everything would be over.
He was about to speak when suddenly there was some commotion outside the city.
The distant horn calls sounded somewhat indistinct, but after a new round of bombardment, a large number of Crusaders poured out of the siege camps and, under the command of their generals, began to approach the city walls.
Bayezid and Jaffar exchanged glances, their expressions becoming serious. The two then separated; Bayezid continued to command the central section of the wall, confronting the army personally led by the Emperor, while Jaffar went to the northern section of the wall to defend against the Hungarian army's attack.
A large number of laborers and auxiliary troops, composed of volunteers from various European countries, slowly advanced towards the moat under the cover of a special type of siege engine.
This siege engine used a solid wooden frame as its perimeter, had four wheels at the bottom, and a roof-like top covered with raw oxhide to resist projectiles. The central space could be fitted with a giant log for use as a battering ram, or used to carry supplies, or even hide soldiers.
This was one type of the many siege engines the Crusaders had built these days, specifically designed to protect soldiers as they filled the moat.
Although Laszlo considered himself ruthless enough to sacrifice lives, he still did not want to see these volunteers who had come with him needlessly die under the defenders' arrows and artillery fire, so he made special preparations for this.
In addition to these soldiers responsible for filling the moat, some archers provided them with long-range fire support.
As the Crusaders gradually approached, the cannons positioned on the city walls began to roar. On the opposite bank of the moat, Ottoman archers and musketeers on the breastworks, outer walls, and towers began to unleash a barrage of fire downwards.
Most of the arrow volleys were blocked by the siege engines' roofs, but many unfortunate souls were still struck and fell.
The threat posed by Ottoman artillery was still considerable. Although their accuracy, like all artillery of this period, was not great, they compensated with their sheer number—over a hundred cannons. In multiple rounds of bombardment, some shells inevitably hit their advancing targets.
After witnessing cannonballs destroy a nearby siege engine and mercilessly claim the lives of their comrades, some volunteers who had never experienced a battlefield were momentarily engulfed by fear.
Fortunately, some experienced veterans took the lead. They pushed the siege engines, enduring artillery fire and the constant rain of arrows from the front, until they reached the edge of the moat.
They then began to fill the moat with large quantities of rocks and mud. This process incurred particularly heavy casualties, as the soldiers performing the siege work were only twenty meters away from the enemy on the opposite bank. Ottoman archers began to use their bows to precisely snipe through the firing slits.
During ten days of continuous action, the Crusaders left over a thousand bodies by the moat. These bodies were subsequently used by their comrades as filling material, thrown into the moat, their blood staining the water crimson.
The Ottomans had destroyed all the bridges over the moat, so they could only harass from a distance, but the trench was eventually filled by the Crusaders.
Subsequently, the battle entered a more intense second phase.
Artillery once again began its daily task of bombardment, creating more breaches before the Ottomans could complete repairs to the walls.
The main army began a full-scale advance from all sections of the wall, with auxiliary troops leading the charge, pushing various siege engines to resist fire from the walls.
Arrows flew back and forth in the sky, and people were constantly struck and fell, letting out painful wails, but these were quickly drowned out by the roars of the warriors.
Bloody struggles for control continually unfolded at the breaches in the wall. Everyone wanted to be the first "divinely favored one" to break into the city, so they climbed the earthen slopes of the breaches, shields raised, facing the dense spears of the Ottomans.
Other soldiers, carrying ladders, sought out weakly defended positions on the wall, propped up their ladders, and then scaled the wall to defeat the defenders stationed there.
Soldiers operating hundreds of various siege engines constantly looked for opportunities to clear defenders from the battlements, ram the walls, and some experienced miners even hid beneath the battering rams to begin digging at the wall's foundations, hoping to cause an entire section of the wall to collapse.
The Ottomans fiercely resisted, inflicting heavy casualties on the Crusaders, who attacked the outer wall like ants, with arrows, muskets, and stones.
For the siege engines providing cover for the attacking soldiers below the city, they attempted to destroy them with oil and torches.
The first round of fierce offensive and defensive combat lasted for three full days. After the auxiliary troops suffered heavy casualties, the true elite forces were dispatched to launch a new assault on Constantinople's sturdy outer wall.
The outer wall was breached in multiple places by the besieging army, and both sides engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat on the walls, in the towers, and at the breaches.
Unfortunately, the Ottomans had ample reserve forces. They were stationed within the inner wall, ready to support the outer wall defenders who were at a disadvantage—a very rare arrangement for Constantinople's past defenses.
Because in the past, the Eastern Roman Empire, as per custom, only maintained a small number of elite city defense troops within Constantinople, they couldn't even fully man the outer wall's defenses before field armies arrived as reinforcements.
Whether it was in 1204 or during Constantine XI's time, the Eastern Romans could only commit all their forces to defending the outer wall, making the inner wall almost decorative.
The Ottoman garrison, however, was relatively abundant. They had enough troops not only to defend the inner wall but also to divide their forces to defend Galata and the sea walls.
Thus, after suffering thousands of casualties, the Crusaders' first full-scale offensive met with a painful setback.
Of course, the Ottomans were not faring much better. They were constantly annoyed by the Crusaders' endless array of siege engines and suffered nearly a thousand casualties in the process.
Outside the Gate of Charisius, Crusader siege camp.
Laszlo, protected by several Guards, entered the field hospital temporarily set up by the Knights Hospitaller, where many Crusader warriors lay, unfortunately wounded in the siege and fortunately rescued during the friendly forces' retreat.
Although the Knights Hospitaller had been reorganized into a powerful military Order centuries ago, they had not abandoned their original profession to this day.
Accompanying the Grand Master were not only hundreds of Knights and sergeants from Rhodes, but also many doctors with decent medical skills and compassionate monks.
The doctors treated the wounded in the hospital, saving many lives, while the monks spiritually comforted the tormented souls of the injured.
The tent was dimly lit, and groans rose and fell.
Seeing the Emperor arrive, everyone's gaze converged on him.
Because Laszlo had frequently appeared in the army before, coupled with his astonishing prestige, many people could easily recognize their Emperor.
Of course, many also identified the Emperor's appearance from his portrait on the imperial groschen.
Given that the Emperor always kept a thick head of golden long hair and had a distinctive face, those who had seen him were deeply impressed.
The Emperor's sudden visit was unexpected. Lying on a straw mat near the tent entrance was a young soldier whose calf had been pierced by an arrow in the previous battle, and he had narrowly escaped death thanks to the help of his comrades.
At this moment, he was trembling, biting on a wooden stick. The doctor had already extracted the arrow using the most primitive method, and after cleaning the wound, he completed the bandaging.
As for whether he would survive afterward, that depended entirely on his luck.
Even though he was enduring immense pain, he struggled to get up and bow to the Emperor, but Laszlo promptly stopped him and the other wounded soldiers.
"Warriors blessed by God, you have proven your courage in facing death, and I am deeply comforted by this.
Although we have suffered a temporary setback, those wicked infidels will ultimately suffer an irreversible defeat; this is the blessing and revelation given to me by God."
Laszlo's gaze swept across the faces of the wounded soldiers, some in pain, others numb. The faint firelight illuminated their various expressions. They were clearly not very receptive to Laszlo's long-used rhetoric.
"I know what you are thinking; you think this war is difficult, and we may not be able to fulfill the mission of the holy war.
But I want to tell you that the battle on the north bank of the Golden Horn is progressing smoothly, and our massive fleet is about to launch a surprise attack from behind the Ottomans; they will never be able to withstand attacks from two directions."
"Emperor, we, of course, believe you can achieve final victory, but we can no longer continue to fight the infidels for you..." an old soldier with a severed arm said hoarsely and dejectedly.
As a Swabian, he initially joined the Emperor's army as a professional mercenary, earning a salary that was not high but sufficient to live comfortably.
In these years, he had followed the Emperor on campaigns with his comrades and had also received several land grants in the Venetian State for his military achievements.
These assets, coupled with the savings accumulated over many years of serving the Emperor, were enough for him to live out his remaining years in peace.
However, he was deeply frustrated by his inability to continue serving the Emperor.
"You have already sacrificed much for faith and honor; now, rest assured and recover. I guarantee that you will personally witness the army breaking through this great city.
Nor do you need to worry about your future. I swear in the Emperor's name that I will abide by the contract made with all of you warriors participating in the holy war: families who lose loved ones in this war will receive a generous pension, and their merits and honor will be remembered by the world; all soldiers wounded and disabled will henceforth be exempt from all taxes; the Church will offer you blessings, and your souls will gain salvation and sublimation in this holy war; all sacrifices have meaning."
Laszlo made this solemn declaration. In fact, these were all things that had been decided before the Crusaders set out, and he was merely emphasizing them again.
Speaking of these practical things often easily touches a person's heart.
Many of the originally dejected wounded soldiers now had light in their eyes again. Material compensation and spiritual solace made the physical pain seem no longer so unbearable.
They all cast grateful, even fervent, gazes at the Emperor. Undoubtedly, the Emperor was a benevolent monarch, which made them all feel incredibly fortunate.
After comforting the emotional wounded soldiers, Laszlo emerged from the makeshift hospital, just as he met Giovanni da Orsini, the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
At this moment, Laszlo was still savoring the soldiers' reverence and praise for him. The most frequent word he heard from them was 'benevolence.'
Was he really that benevolent? To implement such a pension system, which was unlikely to exist in the Crusades, one could imagine how high the morale of the Austrian and Bohemia soldiers would be afterward.
Everyone had originally 'voluntarily' come to participate in the Crusade for faith and the Emperor's call. Now, not only was there a possibility of sharing land and wealth in the East, but there were even more guarantees to alleviate their worries.
Even if they died in this cruel war, their families would receive a pension, and their souls, if the Pope's words were true, would ascend directly to heaven.
Anyone would probably shout "Long live the Emperor!" and then charge onto the walls of Constantinople to fight the infidels to the death.
"Emperor, seeing you treat your soldiers so kindly, I now have even greater confidence in this war," Giovanni complimented Laszlo with a smile.
Laszlo didn't know what he was really thinking.
He had previously avoided this Grand Master from the Orsini Family because the conflict between him and Orsini had accumulated over many years to an irreconcilable point.
He had even considered directly sending troops to Rome to uproot this family, but in the end, he abandoned this dangerous idea.
Avoiding Giovanni was also to prevent friction with him, but this time Laszlo seemed to have misjudged. This 'Orsini' was not as hostile to him as other members of his family; instead, he always showed a respectful and eager demeanor at every meeting, and this time was no exception.
Since he didn't know what Giovanni's intentions were, Laszlo could only return a polite smile and gently say, "This is merely a virtue a monarch should possess, and moreover, it would not be possible without the help and support provided by the members of your Order. Please convey my respect and gratitude to them."
"I will, Emperor."
Giovanni hesitated, considering whether he should persuade the Emperor at this time to continue eastward after the fall of Constantinople, preferably to grant some territories on the western coast of Asia Minor to the Order to expand its power.
However, the outcome of the current siege was still uncertain, so Giovanni had to abandon this idea.
After discussing some issues regarding the siege, Laszlo quickly found an excuse to slip away. He felt he had vaguely perceived the Grand Master Giovanni's reason for constantly approaching him, but he couldn't confirm it yet.
As for further communication, that would have to wait until after Constantinople fell.
Soon after, the promises Laszlo made in the field hospital began to spread widely throughout the army.
As expected, the Austrian Army, which had been somewhat demoralized by the initial failed attack, quickly regained high morale and began to prepare meticulously for the next offensive.
This also had a considerable impact on the armies of other surrounding nations.
Soldiers from Bohemia and the various Balkan vassal states received similar promises, while the serfs of Hungary were guaranteed freedom.
The imperial allied forces, Naples, and the Italian allied forces were promised the wealth of Constantinople and the land of the Ottomans.
Of course, the most concern for all soldiers participating in the holy war was the religious fanaticism hidden in their hearts. The desire for salvation became another major driving force for them to continue fighting.
After the first wave of attacks, the Crusaders outside the Theodosian Walls began to regroup, preparing to challenge Constantinople's excellent defensive system once again.
The Ottomans inside the city also quickly seized this respite to rest, repair the battered city walls, and await the arrival of the next offensive.
Several days passed quietly. During this time, the previously fervent battlefield fell into a temporary silence, with only the roar of cannons remaining constant—bad news was that two of the twelve Graz giant cannons Laszlo had ordered to be transported by sea had already been rendered unusable. One exploded, incinerating three artillery engineers on the spot, and another was severely cracked and forced out of use.
Long-term heavy use caused some old antiques, over thirty years old, to completely give out and turn into a pile of scrap metal.
Despite being heartbroken by this, Laszlo could only Order the giant cannon unit to continue bombarding the city walls from a distance.
More small-scale artillery was transported to the Crusaders. These cannons would be placed in positions close to the city walls to provide continuous suppressive fire to cover the soldiers' assault.
At this time, in the main Crusader camp, Laszlo was discussing the next attack plan with his generals.
"Emperor, we cannot keep charging in blindly like this," Ester, the Guards commander, presented the casualty figures compiled recently to the generals. "We have lost a total of over six thousand soldiers in the past two weeks of attacks, and that doesn't even include the troops besieging Galata.
We have no way of knowing how many losses the Ottomans have suffered, but it is certainly much smaller than this number.
Even with extremely fierce fire support for the siege troops, we still cannot suppress the Ottoman resistance, and instead, we have suffered huge casualties.
If we launch another strong attack like this, the Crusader forces may be on the verge of collapse."
Although there was some exaggeration in Ester's words, his analysis was undoubtedly accurate.
Laszlo, who knew a little about military strategy, also knew that siege warfare was a last resort. If the city could be captured through stratagem, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce casualties.
Unfortunately, the Ottoman defenders in the city were mostly devout Muslims recruited through Jihad, a significant portion of whom were willing to sacrifice everything for their faith, making it extremely difficult to persuade or bribe them into surrendering.
As for the other residents in the city, many of them were now fearful and intended to surrender.
Hatred and religious differences were all superficial.
The continuous roar of muskets and giant cannons inside and outside the city walls, the clang of church bells, and the clash of weapons merged into one cacophony. The cries of women and children in the city made people believe that heaven and earth had met and trembled together, as if the apocalyptic scenes of a decade or so ago were reappearing.
That day, the citizens of Constantinople recalled the fear of being besieged by hundreds of thousands of troops.
Although they had no intention of resisting the Crusaders outside the city, to expect these weak Greeks to cooperate from within and break the Ottomans' impregnable defenses was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Since diplomatic means and strategies were ineffective, Laszlo was left with only two paths: either to wear down the defenders in the city until one side's supplies ran out and they collapsed, or to relentlessly launch continuous strong attacks until the Ottoman defenses were broken.
"Order all units to intensify their rest and recuperation," Laszlo let out an imperceptible sigh, determined to choose a third path, to launch the next strong attack in a smarter way. "Tell William to intensify the attack on Galata. Ester, take your troops and some auxiliary soldiers to secretly go outside Galata under the cover of night to assist William in the attack.
We must get the navy into the Golden Horn; that way, no matter how stubborn the Ottomans are, they won't be able to withstand fierce attacks from two directions."
Even Laszlo had to admit that the Doge of Venice, King Enrique Dandolo, and the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II, were right: to take Constantinople, one must first capture the Golden Horn; otherwise, everything would be in vain.
It was simply unrealistic for him to lead his army to breach the Theodosian Walls.
Even if all his Crusaders died, the Ottomans could still hold the city walls.
"Yes, Emperor!"
Seeing the Emperor make a decision, Ester immediately perked up and excitedly accepted this crucial task.
The other generals nearby showed no envy. In the past period, the Austro-Hungarian Army, the Saxon Army, and the Bohemia had all taken turns in battle, suffering considerable casualties, but only the Guards were kept by the Emperor as a reserve force and never committed to the battlefield.
It now seemed that the Emperor had perhaps prepared for the current situation long ago.
Ester, having received his Orders, led the Guards, composed entirely of Austrian elites, along with several thousand auxiliary soldiers, and quietly bypassed the defenders' sight under the cover of night, taking a long detour to the siege camp north of the Golden Horn.
The arrival of large fresh forces accelerated this already nearing-end siege battle.
In a general assault several days later, the city of Galata, which had not received sufficient troop reinforcements, ultimately could not escape its fate of falling. After a brief period of street fighting, most of the Ottoman defenders were massacred, and the remaining six hundred or so were taken prisoner.
More than a decade later, the very conspicuous red cross flag of St. George was once again hoisted over Galata, built by the Genoese—this was an act specifically approved by Laszlo.
Subsequently, the iron chain tethered to one side of Galata was unfastened from the shore by Crusader warriors, and a large number of Crusader warships waiting outside immediately advanced deep into the Golden Horn.