Ottoman Empire and the Balkan

Ottoman Turks
Turks are originally nomadic tribes of Central Asia, often go to the Middle East in search of
pastures or as soldiers-mercenaries, I convert to Islam, in the XI. st. established Empire
Seldţuka and quickly assimilate the Turks who remained in the homeland entering into alliance with
Mongols, Turks from Asia Minor founded several independent bejluka (Principality)
- Osman Bey (1281-1326), thanks to the weakness of Byzantium and other bejluka, uniting Turks in
Asia Minor and establishes a dynasty - Ottomans
- His successor, Orhan (1326-1359) declared the Sultan, with a capital of Ankara

- Sultan Murad recognizes the weakness of Byzantium and other Balkan states, while moving to conquer
South-East Europe, in 1361 occupies Hadrianopol in Thrace, Macedonia, and in 1371 wins Bulgaria after the defeat of Serbian and Bulgarian nobles in the Maritsa, 1389 at the Battle of Kosovo
field it is difficult to Porat army of Serbian Prince Lazar and his allies from Bosnia and Croatian, but the Turks have had large losses, and retreated, in Kosovo were killed and prince Lazar and Sultan Murad
Byzantium: palaiologos returned to Constantinople by Crusaders and the renewed Empire (1261), Byzantium in
Late Middle Ages covers only parts of Greece and Asia Minor, it is the state that controls straits, Turks will do XV. st. win almost everything except Constantinople and the last Byzantine emperors will pay tribute to the Turks for their lives, Constantinople fell in 1453 year.

Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Empire was restored in XIII. st. thanks Crusade capturing
Istanbul Government dynasty Asena, the XIV. st. Bulgaria's government feudal anarchy, so it will be easy prey to the Turks, crucial battle on the river Marica in 1371.
Serbia: Nemanja dynasty of Serbia XIII. st. suddenly stronger, establishes its own
autocephalous church and spread to Macedonia and parts of Greece, the peak power of Dusan the Mighty mid XIV. st. who took the title of Emperor Dusan's empire falls apart in feudal anarchy,
most of the Serbian Turks captured after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the Danube has been established Serbian despot as a vassal state of the Hungarian king Ţigmunda Luxembourg (despots
Stefan Lazarevic and Brankovic ĐuraĊ), Sultan Mehmed II. Conqueror will liquidate despotate
winning Smederevo 1459