In July 1456, Sultan Mehmed II stood on the brink of another spectacular conquest. Just three years after capturing Constantinople, the Ottoman conqueror was determined to smash through Belgrade and open the road into the heart of Hungary.
But standing in his way was one of the Ottoman Empire's most formidable enemies: John Hunyadi.
In Part 2 of our Siege of Belgrade series, we return to the battered fortress as the Ottoman bombardment reaches its climax.
Mehmed's forces prepare for the final assault, the defenders fight desperately to hold the walls, and an extraordinary counterattack transforms what should have been another Ottoman victory into one of the most stunning defeats of Mehmed's reign.
We'll cover the brutal fighting, the role of Giovanni da Capistrano and his crusaders, the wounding of Sultan Mehmed II, and the aftermath of a battle that would help shape the balance of power in southeastern Europe for decades.
The man who conquered Constantinople had finally met his match.
Episode 29, Part 1 — Siege of Belgrade (1456): Mehmed II vs. John Hunyadi
Begin with the strategic preparations, opposing armies, opening siege operations, and Hunyadi's dramatic victory on the Danube.
EXTRA 05 — John Hunyadi (1406–1456): Scourge of the Ottomans
Discover the remarkable life of the Hungarian commander who spent decades frustrating Ottoman ambitions.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qt43IiAHMiJLyoJlqQaRu
We're telling the complete history of the Ottoman Empire, from the Dream of Osman around 1300 to the empire's collapse in 1922.
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Over 600 years of conquest, ambition, warfare, and spectacularly bad decisions.
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