Who is Giovanni Giustiniani?

One of the greatest sultans of the Ottoman Empire, II. The conquest of Istanbul, which gave Mehmed the title of Conqueror, is also extremely important for the world. Not only did an era close and a new era opened, but the last stronghold of Christianity in the east, the Byzantine, that is, the Eastern Roman Empire, also disappeared. Because During the conquest, many western soldiers and commanders such as Giovanni Giustiniani He also fought on the side of Byzantium.

The name Giovanni Giustiniani is important because he is Genoese, so it has nothing to do with Byzantium. However, he responded to the Byzantine emperor’s request for help and came to defend Istanbul with hundreds of soldiers he hired with his own money. Strangely enough, this name, which gave our soldiers a very difficult war, was also instrumental in the success of the conquest. Bride Who is Giovanni Giustiniani Let’s take a closer look and see what role it played during the conquest of Istanbul.

Who is Giovanni Giustiniani?

Although it is not known exactly, according to estimates Giovanni Giustiniani, full name Giovanni Giustiniani Longo He was born in 1418 in the city of Genoa, in the then Genoese Republic. He is a member of the famous Doria family, one of the leading figures of Genoa. He was a successful soldier, a respected commander, and a leader with men who would give their lives for him.

Giovanni Giustiniani served as a sailor for his country throughout his life and He participated in numerous wars. His fate, on the other hand, came to a completely different point during the siege of Istanbul, the capital of Byzantium, the Eastern Roman Empire, by the Ottoman Empire, which began on April 6, 1453 and was completed on May 29, 1453.

XI. Constantine asks for help:

Ottoman sultan II. We all know Mehmed. One of the greatest geniuses of his time, who ascended the throne at a young age. The biggest aim of the sultan is now the last stronghold of Christianity in the east. It was to capture Istanbul, the capital of Byzantium, that is, the Eastern Roman Empire. Countless plans, countless preparations were made. Finally, on April 6, 1453, the siege of Istanbul, then known as Constantinople, began.

The siege of Istanbul was actually only a formality, because Byzantium had been around for a long time. It was destroyed by the Ottoman raiders. He had few soldiers, money, even food. The Byzantine emperor XI, who was trapped in a small castle and was now out of power. Constantine had no choice but to seek help. Fearing the power of the Ottoman Empire, the west, against the blatant siege XI. It didn’t help Konstantinos much. Except for one name, Giovanni Giustiniani.

Giovanni Giustiniani goes to Constantinople:

Giovanni Giustiniani, Byzantine emperor XI. Hearing Constantine’s request for help, he immediately took action. Without a penny of help from the Genoese state He gathered 700 soldiers and ships to carry them with his own money. He arrived in Constantinople on January 29, 1453, before besieging it from Genoa. This situation did not go well for us.

Giovanni Giustiniani was a true military genius and gained significant experience during his military service life. He knew very well the tactics of siege, how to strengthen the castle defense and most importantly the sea. He prepared a strong defense during the few months he spent in Istanbul before the siege began. Without him, perhaps the conquest of Istanbul would have taken a much shorter time.

Difficult siege days:

Wars, especially sieges, have a multi-layered and complex tactical structure. Giovanni Giustiniani may be a good commander, but The Ottoman army, which was facing the strongest period in its history, the title at the beginning is II. It was Mehmed. What happened after the 6th of April 1453, when the siege officially started, was difficult for everyone.

II. Mehmed started with the usual siege tactics, but the defense was strong. Though he had already thought of it and began to beat the Byzantine walls with giant cannons. The Byzantine walls were weakened day by day with the execution of the ships from the land and many other important tactics, and eventually the Ottoman soldiers entered.

The two sides were now face to face, swords rather than cannons were speaking, and Istanbul would either be ours or it would be ours. However, our Giovanni Giustiniani was not to be taken lightly. Even their mercenaries fought as if they were defending their own homeland because of their devotion to their leader.

Giovanni Giustiniani and his group of 700 may seem small, but each of them was a professional soldier and they had participated in countless wars throughout their lives. Worse still, they were extremely ruthless and believed that killing the Turkish soldiers in front of them would open the door to heaven for them. Their true devotion to their leader made them weak as well as strong, but they didn’t know that yet.

Giovanni Giustiniani is injured:

On May 29, 1453, the last day of the siege, Giovanni Giustiniani was wounded. It is not known exactly how, but it is estimated that he was injured either by a piece of shrapnel, by an arrow or by a mace. You may think what will happen if you get injured, but remember, The only devotion of his soldiers was to their leader. Things got mixed up when Giovanni Giustiniani was injured and moved to the rear of the front.

The soldiers, who could not see their leader with them, suddenly broke their order. The news of his death caused the collapse of the entire defense line. II. Mehmed quickly realized this situation and sent all the soldiers to the area where the defense line was falling apart. We know the result; On May 29, 1453, Constantinople fell, Istanbul was conquered and II. Mehmed became Fatih Sultan Mehmet.

What happened to Giovanni Giustiniani?

Giovanni Giustiniani was seriously injured. Take as many soldiers as you can with you. He boarded the nearest ship and sailed away from Istanbul. It anchored in Chios, the nearest safe harbor. Within a few days of his arrival on the island, he died of his severe wounds and was buried in Chios. The tomb of Giovanni Giustiniani was lost in an earthquake in 1881.

When Fatih Sultan Mehmet besieged Istanbul Who is Giovanni Giustiniani, the commander who fought against the Ottoman Empire? We answered the question and talked about what the name Giovanni Giustiniani did during the siege of Istanbul. Wars are strange times, Giovanni Giustiniani both prolonged the siege and was injured, causing the siege to be victorious. You can share your thoughts in the comments.