TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Campaign · 1354
The fall of Gallipoli was the siege and capture of the Gallipoli fortress and peninsula, by the Ottoman Turks, in March 1354. After suffering a half-century of defeats at the hands of the Ottomans, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire had lost nearly all of its possessions in Anatolia, except Philadelphia. Access to the Aegean and Marmara seas meant that the Ottomans could now implement the conquest of the southern Balkans, and could advance further north into the Serbian Empire and Hungary.
| Date | March 1354 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gallipoli peninsula |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Belligerents | Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire | Ottoman Beylik |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | unknown | Süleyman Pasha |
| Strength | Unknown | 10,000–20,000 exmercenaries |
John VI offered cash payments to the Ottoman sultan Orhan to vacate the city, but was refused. The sultan reportedly said he had not taken the city by force and could not give up something which had been "granted to him by Allah". Panic spread throughout Constantinople as many believed that the Turks would soon be coming for the city itself. Because of this, Kantakouzenos's position became unstable, and he was overthrown in November 1354. Gallipoli was to become the major bridgehead into Europe through which the Ottomans would facilitate further expansion into Europe.
Took place during the reign of Orhan (1324–1362). Orhan
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.