Link to the Youtube video and the rest of the series!

As her fans know, Siggie looks up to the Greats, the Terribles and even the Impalers of the past. She hopes to learn what it takes to someday make the history books herself! The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) was one of the most famous and long- lasting in history. It held domain over much of Asia and parts of Africa and Europe. In episode 8, part I Siggie discusses perhaps its most famous ruler, Sultan Mehmed II. Given the throne at a very young age, he was forced to turn to his father to fight back the Hungarian Empire. But then he accomplished his most famous deed: conquering Constantinople and ending the 2000+ year old Roman Empire. She also relives his combat against Vlad Dracula.

Yah, so it’s finally time to talk about the Ottoman Empire. The

Ottoman Empire was in control of most of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and

North Africa, even parts of Europe for a while. Oh, this was from the 14th

century all the way to World War I when it was defeated. It had many rulers. I’ll

discuss two of my favorites. Mehmed the conqueror who I talked about in my Vlad

the Impaler video, which you hopefully saw and if you didn’t, go watch it now.

And his great-grandson Suleiman  the Magnificent, because apparently being

great just wasn’t enough for him. So Mehmed II, he was twice the Sultan of

the Ottoman Empire. First from 1444 to 1446 and then from 1451 to 1481. In

Mehmed’s first reign, the Ottoman’s constant nemesis, the Hungarians, broke the truce

with them and invaded. Mehmed was only like 12 years old. So, he asked his daddy,

Murad II, to basically come out of retirement and lead the Ottoman army

against those annoying Hungarians.Hungary was defeated and Murad again

took over being Sultan.

So, Mehmed, he regained the throne again in 1451 after

his daddy died. He was now a ripe old 19 years old. He strengthened the Ottoman

Navy and then he prepared to attack Constantinople. Something that he had

fantasized about as a child. Istanbul. Constantinople. Istanbul.

Constantinople. At the ripe old age of 21, he conquered Constantinople and

brought to an end the Byzantine Empire. Now think about this. The ancient Roman

kingdom began in 753 BC and lasted until 509 BC and it became the Roman Republic.

Then the Roman Empire began in 27 BC, thanks to my idol, Julius Caesar, who I have this

kind of a love/hate thing cuz I think he’s awesome, but I also hate him because

he was so awesome. It lasted until it split into the east and west in the year 395

AD. The Western Roman Empire then fell in 476 AD, thanks in part to my other

idol, Atilla the Hun. It’s not really a love/hate with him. You know, I’m just

mesmerized by him. There’s no like real jealousy there. Lot of envy, but not 

really jealousy like with Julius Caesar, but you know, I’m seeking

therapy for this. The Eastern Roman Empire continued for another thousand years.

The other name for the Eastern Roman Empire is, wait for it, the Byzantine

Empire. In other words, this guy Mehmed II basically ended like 2200 years of

Roman rule because he didn’t need his daddy anymore.

So, moving right along, after the conquest, Mehmed claimed the

title “Caesar of Rome” based on the fact that Constantinople (it’s not Istanbul), had

been the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. He continued his conquest

in Anatolia and conquered as far west as Bosnia. It was during his second

reign when the Ottomans invaded Wallachia in 1462.

But they had to turn back temporarilybeing stopped by who? Vlad the emperor

at the night attack at Târgoviște. Anyway, at home he made

many political and social reforms. Heencouraged the arts and the sciences. He

died in 1481 at the really seriously ripe old age of 49. Well, no one seems to

know what killed him, but it seems to have been some kind of mysterious

illness. The news of Mehmed’s death caused great rejoicing in Europe. Wait a

second. Nobody expressed those sympathies? [I think he kicked most of

their asses. So, yeah, they were happy]. So, so there were no, you know, gift

baskets and flowers. No patting on the back and saying, “Oh, I’m so sorry.” There was just:

Yay, he’s dead. Woohoo! Church bells were rung and celebrations were held,

but he’s still considered a hero in modern day Turkey. Just like Vlad, just

like Atilla the Hun. They’re all considered heroes in those countries.