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Ottoman Capture of Gallipoli
In March 1354, Ottoman commander Süleyman Pasha seized the Gallipoli Peninsula when an earthquake toppled its walls, gaining the Ottomans' first firm…
Timeline
- 1354Gallipoli · ThraceA strong earthquake in March 1354 severely damaged Gallipoli's walls and fortifications, greatly weakening the Byzantine garrison and creating an opening for the Ottoman attack.
- 1354Gallipoli · ThraceSüleyman Pasha, son of Orhan, led his forces into Gallipoli as the defenses collapsed, expelling the Byzantine garrison and establishing the Ottomans' first firm bridgehead in Europe.
- 1354Gallipoli Peninsula · ThraceAfter capturing Gallipoli, the Ottomans could station troops and settle colonists on the European side of the Dardanelles, providing a base and supply route for further expansion into inland Thrace; Byzantium could no longer drive them out of Europe.
Sources
- The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire — Patrick Kinross (1977)
- The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204–1453 — Mark C. Bartusis (1992)