The National tribune., 1898-01-13
Europe at the Close of the Fifteenth Cen
fury.

Europe at the Close of the Fifteenth Cen
fury.
The Ottomans OF the Middle Ages were
a great martial race. They were Jealous
workers for the cause OF Mohammedanlsm
and after the diSmem berment OF the Cali
phate succeeded the Arabs as defenders
of the faith. Early in the eth century
the Ottomans seized province after
province OF the Byzantine N3oman Empire,
OF the East, and in 1888 gained foothod
in Europe. Amurath i. l1360-89l took pos
session of large part of what is new
Turkey in Europe.
In 1896, Amnath's son, BaiaZet defeated
the combined forces of Hungary, Germany,
and France at Nicopolis, Bulgaria. he
vowed he would stable his horse in St.
Peters Rome. All thristendom was in a
turmoil and it seemed that nothing could
stop the Turks in their march westward.
But BaaZet, hearing of the invasion of
his Asiatic provinces by the Mongols under
Tamerlane, turned back into Asia, and
upon the plains Of Angora suffered a ter
rible defeat This saved Constantinopie to
the Christians for 30 years.
In 1921 the Turks made an unsuccessful
attempt tocapture Constantnople. Finally,
in 1853 Mohammed H., the Great, with an
army variously estimated at / $50 to 25O,
0}0 men, laid siege to the capital city, and
soon took it by storm, and the Roman En-
pire of the Fast was at an end
arat onS were made to meet the on coming
storm. But the energy OF the Turks was
nearly gone. Their advance was checked
by the Hungarians by land and by the
knights of St. John, on the Isle Of Rhodes
by sea, and with the death Of Mohammed
H. their conquerng march came to an
end
To understand the effect of this incursion
OF the Turanians, it is necessary to look at
/ the condition OF Europe at this time. The
! whole continent was occupied by many
small, weak Governments. some not wholly
emerged from barbarism. The most import
ant of these were the city states of Italy,
| particularly Geroa, Venice, and Florence
! They had become rich and powerful by
trading with the East, and the capture of
Constantinople and the control of the
Black Sea by the Turks was their death
knell
Genoa now sank into ins:gnificance:
Venice, she who had been Mistress OF the
Sea, soon followed, and Florence, the Beau
tiful, was only thought Of because Of the
great men she had Produced; for loss of
trade, though 1t DESTROYS the prosperity of
cities, cannot hurt the fame OF great and
( noble characters. A new Sea-route how
! ever, was necessary.
The discovery OF printing in west Europe
gave new impulse to Europe Books
were read, men became eager to travel
Rumors of the discovery of a land to the
| west by the hardy pirates of the North
many years before, floated TO the cars Of
the sailors Of southern Europe.
| is it necessary TO relate any of those
familiar points III history; how Columbus
discovered what was supposed to be Asia:
how Nasco da Cana, sailing around the
Cape of Good Hope, reached Ind a and
gave new sea route; how the desire to
reach India BY sailing west led to the con-
quest and settlement Of the New World !?
| No; these are known by nearly every
| school boy.
SO may one trace and find the re-
lation OF medieval 10 modern history His
tory is continually repeating herself. and
he who is familiar with the first page has
| learned half Of the next.-F. l.. Burdick.