Ottoman Siege of Thessalonica

Timeline

1. 1429Thessalonica · ThessalonicaMurad II personally led Ottoman forces to encircle Thessalonica, cutting land supplies and continuously bombarding the walls. The city was jointly defended by a Venetian garrison and Byzantine local authorities; Venice had taken over the defense in 1423 in exchange for trade privileges, but under the long siege the garrison's morale and food stores steadily dwindled.
2. 1430Walls of Thessalonica · ThessalonicaOn March 29 the Ottomans launched a general assault and broke through Thessalonica's defenses. The Venetian garrison and Byzantine local governor Andronikos Palaiologos could not resist and were forced to open the gates and surrender. Ottoman troops then sacked the city, enslaving many residents and drastically altering the city's population structure.
3. 1430Thessalonica · ThessalonicaThessalonica formally entered Ottoman rule, becoming an important port and administrative center for the Sultan in the Balkans. Byzantium lost its last major city in northern Greece, reshaping the strategic balance of the northern Aegean; although Venice lost the city, it soon entered negotiations with the Ottomans over trade and prisoners of war.