d the largest navy and thought it could defeat the Ottomans, who lacked a large navy. So Murad then ordered a grand navy to be built. It was completed within a year’s time, and the Ottomans went to war. -4- At first they attacked the harbor cities for 6 years, then they landed the Janissaries and they easily overcame the small Venetian militia. “The Ottomans rapidly became a sea power in the eastern Mediterranean” (Bossenbrook 504). After the win against Venice Sultan Bayezid was pushed into making more conquests in Europe by his militant Deusirme group. So in 1483 he pushed the power of the Ottoman Empire south of the Danube by taking Slovia and Hersegovania. “... Bayezid was forced into a number of campaigns by the exigencies of time and the demands of his more militant Devsirme followers. In Europe, he rounded off the Empire south of the Danube and Slovia by taking Hersegovania (1483)m leaving only Belgrade out of Ottman’s control” ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 774). The Ottomans had always wanted control of Mesopotamia and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. In the month of August,1514 they went to war against the Safavid army. They crush the army of Safavid because they had superiority in tactics and weapons (they also had gunpowder and cannons, compared to the Safavid, bows, arrows and spears. -5- ‘‘The Ottoman and Safavid armies clashed at Chaldiran of the eastern side of the Euphrates (Aug. 23, 1516) and the Safavids were routed by the Ottoman superiority in weapons and tactics-particularly because they had cannons and gunpowder, in contrast to the Safavid’s bows, arrows and spears ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 778). “The Byzantine empire was weakened by Latin conquests, and now it was further enfeebled by the loss of areas from which they might draw soldiers and revenues... those conquered territories encircled the city of Constantinople; it was therefore in a very precario...
