1 00:00:17,017 --> 00:00:19,602 The Red Apple is the prized apple, Mehmed. 2 00:00:22,230 --> 00:00:23,398 The sweetest. 3 00:00:24,858 --> 00:00:25,859 The ripest. 4 00:00:27,402 --> 00:00:30,113 It is the beating heart at the center of our universe. 5 00:00:31,031 --> 00:00:32,449 The Promised Land. 6 00:00:34,242 --> 00:00:36,619 He who conquers Constantinople 7 00:00:36,703 --> 00:00:37,954 will have the world. 8 00:00:39,330 --> 00:00:41,207 But look at those walls, son. 9 00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:45,879 They've stopped every army that has tried to take the city. 10 00:00:47,797 --> 00:00:49,299 They stopped me. 11 00:00:50,967 --> 00:00:52,594 Why not just knock down the walls? 12 00:00:52,677 --> 00:00:55,472 There is no weapon strong enough to bring them down. 13 00:00:55,805 --> 00:01:00,101 Some have wondered if Allah himself could do it. 14 00:01:01,936 --> 00:01:02,936 Father... 15 00:01:05,607 --> 00:01:07,609 I will bring down those walls. 16 00:01:10,028 --> 00:01:11,571 And when I am sultan, 17 00:01:12,822 --> 00:01:14,783 I will take Constantinople. 18 00:01:27,462 --> 00:01:29,881 Every empire has a beginning 19 00:01:29,964 --> 00:01:34,094 forged of blood, steel, fortune and conquest. 20 00:01:34,177 --> 00:01:38,515 In 1453, Roman Emperor Constantine XI 21 00:01:38,598 --> 00:01:41,142 and Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II 22 00:01:41,226 --> 00:01:43,645 wage an epic battle for Constantinople. 23 00:01:44,729 --> 00:01:47,982 Twenty-three armies have tried to take the legendary city. 24 00:01:48,066 --> 00:01:49,692 All have failed. 25 00:01:49,776 --> 00:01:53,238 Out of the carnage, one ruler will emerge victorious 26 00:01:53,321 --> 00:01:57,408 and change the course of history for the next 300 years. 27 00:01:58,076 --> 00:02:02,122 For one empire to rise, another must fall. 28 00:02:14,008 --> 00:02:17,846 I want the cannons firing day and night until the Romans come crawling out, 29 00:02:17,929 --> 00:02:19,097 begging for mercy. 30 00:02:20,515 --> 00:02:22,600 April 1453. 31 00:02:22,767 --> 00:02:27,313 Sultan Mehmed II unleashes an artillery attack on Constantinople... 32 00:02:29,399 --> 00:02:32,152 unlike any the world has ever known. 33 00:02:33,444 --> 00:02:35,989 It's the largest concentration of cannons, 34 00:02:36,072 --> 00:02:40,451 about 69 or 70, that the world had seenin one place. 35 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,623 These cannons are not the cannons we know from 18th century, 19th century. 36 00:02:45,707 --> 00:02:47,208 These are huge cannons. 37 00:02:58,595 --> 00:02:59,804 Dear God, 38 00:03:00,597 --> 00:03:03,850 the walls won't last until sundown if this continues. 39 00:03:04,851 --> 00:03:06,644 Have faith, Lord Loukas. 40 00:03:07,353 --> 00:03:09,606 So long as the Holy Spirit is with us, 41 00:03:10,565 --> 00:03:11,566 we will be safe. 42 00:03:15,612 --> 00:03:17,132 Looking out from the walls, 43 00:03:17,197 --> 00:03:21,743 Emperor Constantine is confronted by Mehmed's 80,000-man army. 44 00:03:21,826 --> 00:03:25,163 The monumental task of keeping the Ottomans out of the city 45 00:03:25,246 --> 00:03:28,416 falls on the shoulders of Genoese soldier of fortune 46 00:03:28,499 --> 00:03:30,084 Giovanni Giustiniani. 47 00:03:32,212 --> 00:03:37,091 Giustiniani and his men must defend 14 miles of city walls. 48 00:03:37,175 --> 00:03:41,304 Emperor Theodosius II built the walls in the 5th century. 49 00:03:41,387 --> 00:03:44,224 They are among the strongest ever constructed. 50 00:03:44,307 --> 00:03:46,643 The walls of Constantinople have been there 51 00:03:46,726 --> 00:03:49,312 for 1100 years in that form. 52 00:03:49,395 --> 00:03:52,523 This is an extraordinary piece of military engineering. 53 00:03:53,274 --> 00:03:55,235 There are five layers to the walls. 54 00:03:55,318 --> 00:03:56,945 There's the outer moat, 55 00:03:57,028 --> 00:04:00,448 then there is an open area that troops had to run across, 56 00:04:00,531 --> 00:04:01,824 a sort of killing field, 57 00:04:01,908 --> 00:04:04,827 then there is an outer wall with towers on it, 58 00:04:04,911 --> 00:04:08,289 then there's another killing field, and then there's an inner wall. 59 00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:11,960 The whole system is about 200 feet deep; 60 00:04:12,043 --> 00:04:14,045 from the bottom of the moat to the top of the walls 61 00:04:14,128 --> 00:04:16,047 it's about 100 feet high. 62 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:17,632 Nobody had found a way across it. 63 00:04:18,049 --> 00:04:20,301 Mehmed looks at the city, 64 00:04:20,385 --> 00:04:23,263 he says, "All right, it's got these huge walls 65 00:04:23,805 --> 00:04:25,431 nobody penetrated. 66 00:04:26,891 --> 00:04:29,560 Now, how do you tear them down? You need artillery. 67 00:04:30,103 --> 00:04:33,147 I want a cannon that's gonna bring these things down." 68 00:04:33,731 --> 00:04:36,276 And he decided a frontal attack. 69 00:04:37,986 --> 00:04:39,654 He takes it as a challenge. 70 00:04:40,321 --> 00:04:42,073 This was the man. 71 00:04:42,782 --> 00:04:44,492 This was his character. 72 00:04:47,245 --> 00:04:50,623 Mehmed's plan is a medieval version of shock and awe. 73 00:04:52,208 --> 00:04:54,085 Taking down the massive walls 74 00:04:54,168 --> 00:04:56,838 with an overwhelming storm of cannon fire. 75 00:04:58,172 --> 00:05:00,717 The centerpiece of Mehmed's artillery attack 76 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,512 is a 27-foot cannon called Basilica. 77 00:05:05,054 --> 00:05:08,975 An immense cannon is built. Huge! 78 00:05:09,642 --> 00:05:13,187 You know, they say that hundreds of oxen pulled it. 79 00:05:13,771 --> 00:05:16,649 It's incredible metallurgical skill to make the thing, 80 00:05:16,733 --> 00:05:19,944 it had walls of bronze, eight inches thick, 81 00:05:20,028 --> 00:05:22,447 cannonballs of half a ton. 82 00:05:23,323 --> 00:05:26,034 A very large number of the bells of Balkan churches 83 00:05:26,117 --> 00:05:28,453 were melted down to cast the thing. 84 00:05:29,162 --> 00:05:32,999 The Ottomans nickname the mammoth bombard "The Bear" 85 00:05:33,082 --> 00:05:36,336 and the smaller cannons "The Cubs." 86 00:05:37,962 --> 00:05:39,047 Easy with that. 87 00:05:39,130 --> 00:05:41,549 The man who brings Mehmed's supergun to life 88 00:05:41,632 --> 00:05:45,053 is a master cannon founder from Hungary named Orban. 89 00:05:45,136 --> 00:05:47,472 - Father! - Yes? 90 00:05:47,555 --> 00:05:49,057 The cracks are growing larger. 91 00:05:50,725 --> 00:05:54,687 These cannons have huge firing power, but could only fire every three hours. 92 00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:58,649 More likely than not, they're gonna blow up in your face. 93 00:06:00,026 --> 00:06:02,195 If you fire them too often, for example, 94 00:06:02,278 --> 00:06:04,822 little cracks can develop, and then they blow up. 95 00:06:05,406 --> 00:06:07,825 They're pretty rudimentary things. 96 00:06:09,452 --> 00:06:12,246 We'll give her a break after this one. Okay? 97 00:06:13,122 --> 00:06:13,956 All right. Go. 98 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,375 Ready, sir! 99 00:06:15,958 --> 00:06:17,126 Send it! 100 00:06:24,175 --> 00:06:26,594 The cannons fire day and night... 101 00:06:29,764 --> 00:06:31,974 engulfing the city in chaos. 102 00:06:35,686 --> 00:06:38,523 Giustiniani was faced with something 103 00:06:38,606 --> 00:06:40,233 he has no experience of, 104 00:06:41,109 --> 00:06:44,028 and that is a cannon that can knock down a wall. 105 00:06:47,281 --> 00:06:50,451 Giustiniani has his soldiers go down 106 00:06:50,535 --> 00:06:52,662 and essentially pile up the rubble, 107 00:06:54,038 --> 00:06:59,001 remake the walls, and that actually works better than the original wall 108 00:06:59,085 --> 00:07:01,212 because the loose bricks 109 00:07:01,295 --> 00:07:03,423 absorb the impact of the cannonballs. 110 00:07:05,633 --> 00:07:09,846 And are much harder to knock down, takes a lot more impact to disperse them. 111 00:07:13,975 --> 00:07:16,394 After six days of constant bombardment, 112 00:07:16,477 --> 00:07:20,481 the walls of Constantinople are damaged, but standing. 113 00:07:23,109 --> 00:07:24,444 The sultan's cannons 114 00:07:24,527 --> 00:07:27,321 pin the emperor's soldiers down behind the walls. 115 00:07:27,405 --> 00:07:28,698 To survive the onslaught, 116 00:07:28,781 --> 00:07:32,452 they must devise a plan to put the Ottomans on the defensive. 117 00:07:37,331 --> 00:07:40,168 Giustiniani and his Italian mercenaries prepare 118 00:07:40,251 --> 00:07:43,296 to launch a counterattack against Mehmed's troops 119 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:45,882 outside the walls. 120 00:07:46,799 --> 00:07:50,052 Giustiniani would go out and make small raids. 121 00:07:51,012 --> 00:07:53,055 It was both to catch people off-guard 122 00:07:53,139 --> 00:07:57,643 and just to, kind of, stop the other side relaxing. 123 00:08:01,439 --> 00:08:04,192 - Are you ready, brothers? - Yah! 124 00:08:04,275 --> 00:08:06,110 - For God! - God! 125 00:08:06,194 --> 00:08:08,154 - For the purse! - The purse! 126 00:08:08,237 --> 00:08:11,532 For she who you fight to return to! 127 00:08:11,616 --> 00:08:12,617 Yah! 128 00:08:15,077 --> 00:08:17,079 God! 129 00:08:19,749 --> 00:08:23,377 Giustiniani, he's an expert in defensive warfare. 130 00:08:23,461 --> 00:08:25,630 The choice that Giustiniani has to make is, 131 00:08:25,713 --> 00:08:30,218 do I defend the outer walls or do I defend the inner wall? 132 00:08:31,135 --> 00:08:34,055 And he made the decision to defend the outer wall. 133 00:08:35,056 --> 00:08:38,726 Let's show them what a Genoese bastard with a sword can do! 134 00:08:41,646 --> 00:08:44,046 The outer wall is essentially a suicide mission, 135 00:08:44,482 --> 00:08:47,527 because that's where the cannons are hitting. 136 00:08:51,656 --> 00:08:53,616 The way the Italians fought, 137 00:08:53,699 --> 00:08:56,786 you're going to get somebody in plate armor 138 00:08:56,869 --> 00:09:00,373 surrounded by people who use crossbows... 139 00:09:00,456 --> 00:09:02,166 - Crossbows! - ...And he was, 140 00:09:02,250 --> 00:09:04,001 if we can draw a comparison, 141 00:09:04,085 --> 00:09:07,004 like the Second World War, the tank. 142 00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:11,217 And then you have the infantry who is taking shelter behind the tank. 143 00:09:14,345 --> 00:09:16,347 Hold! 144 00:09:17,098 --> 00:09:18,432 Hold! 145 00:09:19,684 --> 00:09:21,102 Hold! 146 00:09:21,561 --> 00:09:23,312 Fire! 147 00:09:27,066 --> 00:09:28,067 Swords! 148 00:09:45,668 --> 00:09:50,673 Giustiniani actually brought with himself this large professional army 149 00:09:51,257 --> 00:09:54,135 of 2,000 people, and these guys are professional soldiers. 150 00:09:55,511 --> 00:09:56,846 They have fighting experience. 151 00:10:01,892 --> 00:10:03,603 They belong to the condottieri, 152 00:10:03,686 --> 00:10:05,438 which means "mercenary generals." 153 00:10:17,950 --> 00:10:22,455 The ferocity and effectiveness of Giustiniani's attack 154 00:10:23,247 --> 00:10:25,541 catches the Ottomans by surprise. 155 00:10:27,918 --> 00:10:31,547 The battlefield is littered with the dead and dying. 156 00:11:11,712 --> 00:11:14,590 We will make the Genoese pay for their bravery in blood. 157 00:11:28,104 --> 00:11:31,607 What's the delay, Orban Pasha? Why isn't my Bear firing? 158 00:11:31,691 --> 00:11:32,858 J-Just a minute more, Sultan. 159 00:11:32,942 --> 00:11:35,486 I didn't pay you to build me a novelty, Orban. 160 00:11:36,529 --> 00:11:39,198 You promised your cannons would take down those walls. 161 00:11:40,783 --> 00:11:42,159 The barrel is cracking. 162 00:11:42,618 --> 00:11:44,745 The copper isn't holding as I had hoped. 163 00:11:44,829 --> 00:11:46,747 If I could have a few more days... 164 00:11:46,831 --> 00:11:48,833 I want this cannon firing immediately. 165 00:11:51,419 --> 00:11:53,421 I'm doing everything in my power, Pasha. 166 00:11:54,213 --> 00:11:57,007 If we are lucky, perhaps she can fire in the morning. 167 00:11:57,091 --> 00:11:59,427 Orban, if you are lucky, 168 00:11:59,510 --> 00:12:01,804 you will get this cannon firing now. 169 00:12:01,887 --> 00:12:03,764 - But the cracks... - Now. 170 00:12:11,522 --> 00:12:13,816 The clock is ticking on the siege. 171 00:12:15,067 --> 00:12:17,069 Every day brings with it a new threat 172 00:12:17,153 --> 00:12:22,616 that Mehmed's enemies to the East and West will attack his bogged-down army. 173 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:27,747 The gravest threat of all is that the pope will send reinforcements from Europe. 174 00:12:28,414 --> 00:12:29,790 Loaded, sir. 175 00:12:32,251 --> 00:12:35,254 Do not forsake me, you big, magnificent bastard. 176 00:12:39,049 --> 00:12:40,634 Are you ready, Orban? 177 00:12:42,762 --> 00:12:44,013 Yes, Sultan. 178 00:12:47,224 --> 00:12:49,477 Please stand back. For your safety. 179 00:12:49,852 --> 00:12:51,854 Have some faith, Orban. 180 00:12:52,730 --> 00:12:53,730 Fire. 181 00:13:05,659 --> 00:13:07,453 No, no, no, no, no! 182 00:13:40,110 --> 00:13:41,362 Mehmed. 183 00:13:50,621 --> 00:13:51,664 Mehmed. 184 00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:04,093 - You can't catch me! - Mehmed... 185 00:14:05,010 --> 00:14:06,178 come sit with me. 186 00:14:09,139 --> 00:14:10,139 Come. 187 00:14:23,195 --> 00:14:24,613 What's wrong, Mama? 188 00:14:27,032 --> 00:14:29,201 Your father has summoned you to the capital. 189 00:14:29,869 --> 00:14:31,370 Will I be gone long? 190 00:14:34,331 --> 00:14:35,374 Yes. 191 00:14:43,048 --> 00:14:44,592 What about my birds? 192 00:14:44,675 --> 00:14:46,510 You will get others in the capital. 193 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,762 But you are coming with me? 194 00:14:54,226 --> 00:14:55,895 We'll see each other soon. 195 00:14:58,814 --> 00:15:00,399 I don't want to go. 196 00:15:14,038 --> 00:15:17,207 From now on, no more crying, Mehmed. 197 00:15:18,918 --> 00:15:20,586 A sultan never cries. 198 00:15:22,129 --> 00:15:24,006 Now... go. 199 00:15:24,089 --> 00:15:25,883 - But Mama... - I said go! 200 00:16:00,167 --> 00:16:03,170 His mother was probably a Byzantine. 201 00:16:04,088 --> 00:16:05,339 We don't know what she was. 202 00:16:05,422 --> 00:16:07,758 He kept the secret and took it to his grave. 203 00:16:10,594 --> 00:16:13,931 He always called her "Hatun," "The Lady." 204 00:16:17,726 --> 00:16:20,396 But we don't know who she was. 205 00:16:34,785 --> 00:16:36,662 Mehmed arrives in the capital 206 00:16:36,745 --> 00:16:41,125 with no friends or family, other than his father, the sultan. 207 00:16:54,263 --> 00:16:58,392 His stepmother, Mara Brankovic, a Serbian princess, 208 00:16:58,475 --> 00:17:00,686 is Sultan Murad's third wife, 209 00:17:01,228 --> 00:17:03,397 but has no children of her own. 210 00:17:22,332 --> 00:17:26,336 In the lonely young prince, she finds a kindred spirit. 211 00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:30,507 Mehmed had problems with his father. 212 00:17:32,384 --> 00:17:34,762 Mara may have taken him under her wing. 213 00:17:41,685 --> 00:17:43,437 He always called her "Mother." 214 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:31,485 You have grown... 215 00:18:32,736 --> 00:18:34,238 since I last saw you. 216 00:18:42,371 --> 00:18:43,539 Do you remember me? 217 00:18:49,837 --> 00:18:50,838 Answer the sultan. 218 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,386 Your older brother, Prince Ali... 219 00:18:58,595 --> 00:18:59,763 has died. 220 00:19:03,267 --> 00:19:05,018 Do you understand what that means? 221 00:19:11,692 --> 00:19:12,693 Boy. 222 00:19:13,861 --> 00:19:14,861 Look at me. 223 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:23,370 Mehmed grew up in a very chilly atmosphere. 224 00:19:25,539 --> 00:19:29,168 Now come... and kiss my hand. 225 00:19:30,502 --> 00:19:33,797 There was no knowing whether you were going to survive. 226 00:19:35,299 --> 00:19:37,676 Ahmed, the oldest, was 12 years older than him. 227 00:19:37,759 --> 00:19:38,760 He died. 228 00:19:38,844 --> 00:19:41,555 And then Ali was mysteriously strangled, 229 00:19:41,638 --> 00:19:45,100 and effectively, Mehmed was all that was left. 230 00:19:47,102 --> 00:19:49,605 You will take his place as governor of Amasya. 231 00:19:50,147 --> 00:19:53,108 There, you will be educated and learn to be a ruler. 232 00:19:53,567 --> 00:19:54,484 A sultan. 233 00:19:54,568 --> 00:19:58,030 There is no longer time for childish pursuits, Prince. 234 00:19:58,488 --> 00:20:01,575 Candarli Pasha will report back to me on your progress. 235 00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:11,084 By the age of 12, Mehmed is fluent in five languages, 236 00:20:11,168 --> 00:20:13,795 and models himself after Alexander the Great. 237 00:20:14,421 --> 00:20:18,383 He boasts that one day he will take the city of Constantinople. 238 00:20:18,842 --> 00:20:20,093 From an early age, 239 00:20:20,177 --> 00:20:24,306 the ambitious young crown prince clashes with his father's grand vizier. 240 00:20:24,389 --> 00:20:28,936 He was this rather unruly child who had to be beaten into submission. 241 00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:30,896 Again... 242 00:20:30,979 --> 00:20:32,231 ...again. Again! 243 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,901 We must teach the prince humility... 244 00:20:37,444 --> 00:20:39,071 ...for his own good. 245 00:20:41,865 --> 00:20:43,617 What are you doing, Prince? 246 00:20:45,118 --> 00:20:46,411 Whatever I please. 247 00:20:50,332 --> 00:20:51,541 I'm a prince. 248 00:20:58,757 --> 00:21:00,384 The wounds will heal. 249 00:21:02,469 --> 00:21:04,346 The lesson will be remembered. 250 00:21:08,392 --> 00:21:09,810 Yes, Pasha. 251 00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:11,895 It will be remembered. 252 00:21:19,444 --> 00:21:21,044 The lesson will be remembered. 253 00:21:25,450 --> 00:21:27,077 Before he is even 13, 254 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,204 his father, Murad II, 255 00:21:29,288 --> 00:21:33,625 decides to retire, leaving Mehmed to take the throne. 256 00:21:37,212 --> 00:21:38,505 The youngest sultan 257 00:21:38,588 --> 00:21:41,133 in the history of the Ottoman Empire. 258 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:47,180 Mehmed is now the emir, 259 00:21:48,140 --> 00:21:50,058 the sultan of the Ottomans. 260 00:21:52,227 --> 00:21:54,021 And he is... 261 00:21:55,147 --> 00:21:57,607 left with the entire Ottoman force 262 00:21:57,691 --> 00:21:59,276 at his disposal. 263 00:22:02,904 --> 00:22:05,991 And so, it becomes problematic right away, 264 00:22:06,074 --> 00:22:09,995 because the vizier of the time, Candarli Halil Pasha, 265 00:22:10,078 --> 00:22:12,622 is very nervous about this. 266 00:22:13,123 --> 00:22:15,042 Mehmed being such a young boy, 267 00:22:15,709 --> 00:22:17,252 they could lose everything. 268 00:22:33,226 --> 00:22:36,021 Pashas, where have you been? 269 00:22:36,104 --> 00:22:37,481 There is much to be done. 270 00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:41,485 In what regard, Sultan? 271 00:22:42,110 --> 00:22:43,612 Our council meeting. 272 00:22:46,406 --> 00:22:49,493 My father built the foundation of our empire... 273 00:22:50,327 --> 00:22:53,455 and now... I will take the next step. 274 00:23:06,468 --> 00:23:08,512 I will take Constantinople. 275 00:23:15,268 --> 00:23:16,561 Did you not hear me? 276 00:23:17,604 --> 00:23:20,065 Alexander had his first conquest at 20... 277 00:23:21,316 --> 00:23:23,068 and I shall have mine now. 278 00:23:23,527 --> 00:23:26,321 Sultan, the Romans are under control... 279 00:23:27,572 --> 00:23:30,534 but the troubles in the East are very real. 280 00:23:31,034 --> 00:23:33,328 And in the West, Jon Hunyadi and the Hungarians 281 00:23:33,412 --> 00:23:35,956 are amassing their army near our border. 282 00:23:36,706 --> 00:23:39,209 There could be more crusades coming. 283 00:23:39,709 --> 00:23:41,336 They will want to test you. 284 00:23:45,966 --> 00:23:47,759 I will crush all of them. 285 00:23:48,301 --> 00:23:49,594 You need the Janissaries, 286 00:23:49,678 --> 00:23:51,888 and you've not given them a crown gift yet. 287 00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:53,974 They are demanding more pay. 288 00:23:55,183 --> 00:23:57,436 Constantinople has more than enough gold 289 00:23:58,603 --> 00:24:01,106 to silence those greedy thugs. 290 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:15,537 Perhaps we should consult with your father before making any final decisions. 291 00:24:16,163 --> 00:24:18,081 Make the preparations... 292 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,334 or I will find viziers that will. 293 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:39,603 The Hungarians look to be mounting a new crusade 294 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,522 and the Janissaries are angry, Pasha. 295 00:24:44,024 --> 00:24:45,901 What are they angry at now? 296 00:24:48,153 --> 00:24:49,988 They don't trust the young sultan. 297 00:24:50,071 --> 00:24:53,366 And he is, I confess... 298 00:24:55,118 --> 00:24:56,620 impulsive at times. 299 00:24:57,204 --> 00:24:58,413 Every sultan... 300 00:24:59,164 --> 00:25:00,707 who ever took the throne... 301 00:25:01,291 --> 00:25:02,667 had to grow into it. 302 00:25:04,586 --> 00:25:06,421 Mehmed is young, Halil Pasha. 303 00:25:06,963 --> 00:25:08,006 It will take time. 304 00:25:08,882 --> 00:25:11,510 Indeed. Which is why I wanted to reassure you. 305 00:25:11,927 --> 00:25:14,471 We viziers are working to find a prudent solution. 306 00:25:15,138 --> 00:25:18,141 How can I rest with my son so unpredictable? 307 00:25:19,059 --> 00:25:20,310 He is headstrong. 308 00:25:21,561 --> 00:25:24,022 But, Allah willing, my guidance will bring measure 309 00:25:24,105 --> 00:25:26,608 to his more... reckless plans. 310 00:25:28,068 --> 00:25:29,068 Plans? 311 00:25:32,239 --> 00:25:33,865 For Constantinople. 312 00:25:40,330 --> 00:25:42,415 Have the cooks prepare a feast for me tonight. 313 00:25:42,499 --> 00:25:43,667 Sultan, 314 00:25:45,085 --> 00:25:46,211 you have a visitor. 315 00:26:04,688 --> 00:26:05,772 Father? 316 00:26:09,150 --> 00:26:10,569 I was not told you were coming. 317 00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:17,367 I have asked too much of you. 318 00:26:19,869 --> 00:26:21,246 I don't understand. 319 00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:24,540 Come. 320 00:26:39,681 --> 00:26:40,765 I'm here... 321 00:26:41,933 --> 00:26:43,226 to take the throne back. 322 00:26:46,896 --> 00:26:49,441 - No. Father... - Until you are older. 323 00:26:49,899 --> 00:26:52,569 I have ruled wisely. Tell him, Pasha! 324 00:26:54,237 --> 00:26:57,032 The crusaders are almost at our doorstep, Mehmed. 325 00:26:57,115 --> 00:26:58,742 You haven't yet seen combat. 326 00:26:58,825 --> 00:27:01,286 And I can't leave you to fight Hunyadi and the Hungarians. 327 00:27:04,748 --> 00:27:07,184 - How could you do this to me? - The throne will be yours again, 328 00:27:07,208 --> 00:27:08,543 my son, when you are ready. 329 00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:13,798 Traitorous dog! 330 00:27:13,882 --> 00:27:15,133 This is your doing! 331 00:27:15,216 --> 00:27:16,926 - I will take your head! - Enough! 332 00:27:20,221 --> 00:27:23,099 How dare you speak to my viziers this way? 333 00:27:24,768 --> 00:27:26,144 You will apologize. 334 00:27:36,071 --> 00:27:37,864 Don't test my patience further... 335 00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:41,201 Prince Mehmed. 336 00:27:46,456 --> 00:27:47,582 Pashas... 337 00:27:48,875 --> 00:27:50,919 I apologize for my behavior. 338 00:27:51,002 --> 00:27:52,170 Now leave us. 339 00:27:53,004 --> 00:27:55,340 Let's put ourselves in Mehmed's shoes. 340 00:27:55,423 --> 00:27:59,928 He's brought to the throne and told that he is the ruler of the state. 341 00:28:00,011 --> 00:28:03,473 And then to be told, after such a short space of time, 342 00:28:03,556 --> 00:28:05,684 that he's no longer gonna have that power. 343 00:28:07,352 --> 00:28:10,563 And then someone who he associated with his father, 344 00:28:10,647 --> 00:28:13,358 this big figure, Candarli Halil, 345 00:28:13,441 --> 00:28:15,276 taking that power away from him... 346 00:28:16,736 --> 00:28:18,530 must have bred huge resentment. 347 00:28:45,432 --> 00:28:47,058 It will be yours again. 348 00:28:49,769 --> 00:28:50,979 They betrayed me. 349 00:28:54,232 --> 00:28:55,316 All of them. 350 00:28:57,986 --> 00:28:59,404 Learn from this. 351 00:29:00,363 --> 00:29:03,742 And I promise you will have the throne back. 352 00:29:05,410 --> 00:29:08,913 Sultan! Sultan! 353 00:29:10,540 --> 00:29:11,541 Mehmed! 354 00:29:13,585 --> 00:29:14,627 Wake up! 355 00:29:17,088 --> 00:29:18,256 Wake up! 356 00:30:02,175 --> 00:30:05,345 Mehmed's father's failed siege of Constantinople 357 00:30:05,428 --> 00:30:07,931 dragged on for three long months. 358 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:09,891 With each passing day, 359 00:30:09,974 --> 00:30:14,729 he now sees his own chances for victory slowly slipping away. 360 00:30:21,861 --> 00:30:23,154 Inside the city, 361 00:30:23,238 --> 00:30:26,991 Giustiniani and his men continue rebuilding the walls 362 00:30:27,075 --> 00:30:29,118 and tending to their wounded. 363 00:30:44,551 --> 00:30:46,427 Hold this. 364 00:30:46,886 --> 00:30:48,096 Lady Therma? 365 00:30:50,932 --> 00:30:52,308 Lord Giustiniani. 366 00:30:54,310 --> 00:30:57,564 I didn't expect to see a noblewoman in these conditions. 367 00:30:57,647 --> 00:31:00,108 I have as much a duty to my city as anyone. 368 00:31:00,525 --> 00:31:03,444 These men have risked their lives to protect us. 369 00:31:06,239 --> 00:31:09,909 I believe your comfort would ease the worst of agonies. 370 00:31:12,829 --> 00:31:14,247 You should get some rest. 371 00:31:15,290 --> 00:31:16,374 Good night. 372 00:31:19,794 --> 00:31:21,194 We think about sieges, 373 00:31:21,254 --> 00:31:25,174 you think the conditions are roughest for those being besieged. 374 00:31:25,717 --> 00:31:28,970 But there are also pressures on a besieging army. 375 00:31:29,053 --> 00:31:31,097 For Mehmed, he's got additional issues, 376 00:31:31,180 --> 00:31:33,933 because he's new to the throne 377 00:31:34,017 --> 00:31:37,562 and people aren't at all sure what to make of him yet. 378 00:31:37,645 --> 00:31:39,898 So he's gotta make this happen quickly. 379 00:31:39,981 --> 00:31:42,692 You know, he's almost as desperate to get in 380 00:31:42,775 --> 00:31:45,111 as the Byzantines are to keep him out. 381 00:31:48,865 --> 00:31:49,865 Pashas, 382 00:31:50,283 --> 00:31:52,827 we have been pounding the walls for nearly two weeks. 383 00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:55,622 Our cannons have turned the mighty walls of Constantinople 384 00:31:55,705 --> 00:31:56,998 into piles of rubble. 385 00:31:57,081 --> 00:31:59,751 But that does us no good unless we go through them. 386 00:32:00,084 --> 00:32:01,753 It is time to make our move. 387 00:32:01,836 --> 00:32:03,838 Sultan, it is still to early. 388 00:32:03,922 --> 00:32:07,342 We need to weaken their defenses more before we send in the army. 389 00:32:07,425 --> 00:32:09,719 I advise more patience. 390 00:32:11,679 --> 00:32:14,307 There's no guarantee that the siege is gonna be successful. 391 00:32:14,390 --> 00:32:18,311 The Ottomans don't like long, drawn-out campaigns. 392 00:32:18,394 --> 00:32:20,021 They like quick warfare 393 00:32:20,104 --> 00:32:22,607 where they can come in, smash the enemy, and move on. 394 00:32:24,776 --> 00:32:27,070 - Zaganos Pasha? - The men are ready. 395 00:32:27,737 --> 00:32:29,364 You only need to give the order. 396 00:32:33,785 --> 00:32:35,411 Tell the men to rest tonight. 397 00:32:36,037 --> 00:32:37,580 And be ready to fight. 398 00:32:38,247 --> 00:32:40,249 Tomorrow we take the city. 399 00:32:47,715 --> 00:32:50,259 He's going all in with this particular conquest. 400 00:32:57,433 --> 00:33:01,020 Day 13 of the siege dawns at the Ottoman camp. 401 00:33:05,692 --> 00:33:08,903 Mehmed and his generals survey the Romans' defenses 402 00:33:09,404 --> 00:33:12,573 and finalize plans for their infantry assault. 403 00:33:13,574 --> 00:33:16,494 The attack will take place under the cover of night. 404 00:33:17,495 --> 00:33:19,372 Mehmed II always stood firm. 405 00:33:19,455 --> 00:33:22,417 and actually said he would sacrifice his life, 406 00:33:23,042 --> 00:33:25,878 uh... if needed, but he will take that city. 407 00:33:25,962 --> 00:33:28,548 And if we know one thing about Mehmed, 408 00:33:28,631 --> 00:33:30,967 he's obviously a very stubborn man, 409 00:33:31,759 --> 00:33:33,428 an eventful figure, 410 00:33:33,511 --> 00:33:35,346 and a strong-minded, intelligent guy. 411 00:33:44,022 --> 00:33:45,148 Tonight... 412 00:33:46,941 --> 00:33:48,693 we will take the Red Apple. 413 00:33:50,403 --> 00:33:51,988 We are Ghazi, 414 00:33:52,739 --> 00:33:55,450 holy warriors and the heirs of Osman. 415 00:33:56,951 --> 00:34:00,413 Our ancestors fought and died at this wall. 416 00:34:01,998 --> 00:34:05,293 But now, we are united 417 00:34:05,376 --> 00:34:07,420 in avenging their deaths! 418 00:34:08,254 --> 00:34:09,505 By all accounts, 419 00:34:09,589 --> 00:34:11,591 he seems to have been a fantastic orator. 420 00:34:12,175 --> 00:34:13,509 As a commander, 421 00:34:13,593 --> 00:34:16,679 Mehmed, number one, understood his own people. 422 00:34:17,305 --> 00:34:19,557 Number two, understood the enemy. 423 00:34:20,808 --> 00:34:22,769 And behaved accordingly. 424 00:34:23,186 --> 00:34:26,355 If... his soldiers wavered, 425 00:34:27,065 --> 00:34:30,359 he invented ways to encourage them. 426 00:34:32,403 --> 00:34:36,574 The time of the infidels and the Romans has passed! 427 00:34:36,657 --> 00:34:38,201 A new age is coming, 428 00:34:38,618 --> 00:34:40,536 and it begins tonight! 429 00:34:41,162 --> 00:34:42,622 Allahu akbar! 430 00:34:42,705 --> 00:34:44,540 Allahu akbar! 431 00:34:44,624 --> 00:34:47,710 Allahu akbar! 432 00:34:47,794 --> 00:34:51,297 Allahu akbar! 433 00:34:51,380 --> 00:34:53,716 Allahu akbar! 434 00:35:17,865 --> 00:35:19,492 We can surrender now. 435 00:35:20,284 --> 00:35:21,744 The sultan will show mercy. 436 00:35:22,537 --> 00:35:25,164 Don't ask me to be the last emperor of Constantinople. 437 00:35:25,248 --> 00:35:27,708 A dead emperor will do no good to anyone. 438 00:35:27,792 --> 00:35:31,212 Alive, we can come back and reclaim the city with a real army, 439 00:35:31,295 --> 00:35:33,047 not a band of Italian mercenaries. 440 00:35:34,674 --> 00:35:36,300 The noblemen will be with you. 441 00:35:44,350 --> 00:35:47,353 Let's pray the Virgin Mother is looking over us. 442 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:09,167 The Ottomans worked on warfare on many levels, 443 00:36:09,250 --> 00:36:11,669 and certainly on the psychological level. 444 00:36:11,752 --> 00:36:16,632 They brought skills of intimidation to sieges. 445 00:36:26,058 --> 00:36:28,144 They would light fires 446 00:36:28,227 --> 00:36:31,814 along the front line, so you'd be looking at a ring of fire. 447 00:36:32,356 --> 00:36:35,526 They also had military bands... 448 00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:39,363 The wall of sound, you know, 449 00:36:39,447 --> 00:36:41,991 the extraordinary wall of sound that they created. 450 00:36:50,166 --> 00:36:51,584 Outnumbered ten to one, 451 00:36:51,667 --> 00:36:54,629 the Italian mercenaries must counter the Ottomans' might 452 00:36:54,712 --> 00:36:56,464 with cunning and strategy. 453 00:36:57,131 --> 00:37:00,760 Giustiniani undoubtedly had great skill 454 00:37:00,843 --> 00:37:02,803 in the art of defending cities. 455 00:37:02,887 --> 00:37:04,305 He was an expert. 456 00:37:04,388 --> 00:37:07,850 He was extremely brave, and he was untiring. 457 00:37:07,934 --> 00:37:13,022 And he brought a great deal of confidence to the defense. 458 00:37:14,857 --> 00:37:16,943 We will meet them in the moat. 459 00:37:17,235 --> 00:37:18,611 That is our front line. 460 00:37:18,694 --> 00:37:22,365 One of the key issues in, uh, siege warfare 461 00:37:22,448 --> 00:37:25,368 is getting across the ditch, the moat, which is quite deep. 462 00:37:25,785 --> 00:37:27,495 And a great deal of work 463 00:37:27,578 --> 00:37:29,618 will be put in by the attackers to fill up the moat. 464 00:37:30,665 --> 00:37:32,959 We must not let them reach the walls, 465 00:37:33,542 --> 00:37:35,461 or we don't stand a chance. 466 00:37:35,544 --> 00:37:36,796 Tonight... 467 00:37:37,463 --> 00:37:39,298 we live or die in the moat! 468 00:37:52,979 --> 00:37:56,524 Giustiniani was the iconic figure, undoubtedly, 469 00:37:56,607 --> 00:37:58,567 for the defenders, around whom they rallied. 470 00:37:58,651 --> 00:37:59,986 He was the linchpin. 471 00:38:01,612 --> 00:38:04,156 Constantine gave him control 472 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:07,952 of the critical zone, the center of the wall, 473 00:38:08,035 --> 00:38:10,079 and, really, organizing the defense. 474 00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:19,088 Fire! 475 00:38:25,052 --> 00:38:26,220 Take cover! 476 00:38:35,146 --> 00:38:38,399 The Ottoman assault is led by Mehmed's elite troops, 477 00:38:38,482 --> 00:38:39,859 the Janissaries. 478 00:38:40,276 --> 00:38:43,154 The Janissaries were the most capable force 479 00:38:43,237 --> 00:38:44,447 in the Balkans at the time. 480 00:38:45,656 --> 00:38:48,534 They were all well-equipped, well-armored. 481 00:38:48,617 --> 00:38:50,494 Different tactics, though. 482 00:38:51,871 --> 00:38:53,247 Attack! 483 00:38:55,708 --> 00:38:58,753 The Janissaries wear lighter chain mail armor 484 00:38:58,836 --> 00:39:01,005 and rely on speed and precision. 485 00:39:02,048 --> 00:39:05,134 The Italians fight in thicker plate armor 486 00:39:05,217 --> 00:39:06,594 and wield broadswords. 487 00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:32,953 The Janissaries were all about javelins and archery. 488 00:39:33,037 --> 00:39:35,581 You can't do that with a siege. You have to take a few hits. 489 00:39:37,166 --> 00:39:40,711 And this doesn't necessarily suit the Ottoman vision of warfare. 490 00:39:48,969 --> 00:39:52,014 In this human wave of death and destruction, 491 00:39:52,098 --> 00:39:54,683 hundreds of Ottoman soldiers are killed. 492 00:39:57,436 --> 00:40:00,856 The Turks come in, and Giustiniani fights them off 493 00:40:02,358 --> 00:40:05,986 and if you believe the Roman sources, they didn't lose a single soldier. 494 00:40:35,015 --> 00:40:37,351 Giustiniani and the Roman defenders 495 00:40:37,435 --> 00:40:40,563 have turned back the Ottoman attack yet again. 496 00:40:41,522 --> 00:40:44,275 The defeat is devastating for Mehmed. 497 00:40:45,109 --> 00:40:46,485 With each passing day, 498 00:40:46,569 --> 00:40:49,989 the odds of taking Constantinople grow longer. 499 00:40:50,948 --> 00:40:52,908 When Mehmed launches his siege, 500 00:40:52,992 --> 00:40:55,619 he has to be quick, for three reasons. 501 00:40:55,995 --> 00:40:59,540 One, he has to be quick in order to finish the city off 502 00:40:59,623 --> 00:41:02,001 without losing tens of thousands of men. 503 00:41:02,501 --> 00:41:05,087 Second is that there was opposition in the military, 504 00:41:05,171 --> 00:41:08,215 led by Candarli Halil Pasha, the grand vizier, 505 00:41:08,966 --> 00:41:11,177 who didn't want the siege to continue. 506 00:41:11,260 --> 00:41:12,511 And the third is, 507 00:41:12,595 --> 00:41:14,263 if the siege took too long, 508 00:41:14,346 --> 00:41:18,434 that there was gonna be reinforcements coming from the West. 509 00:41:27,026 --> 00:41:30,446 The walls of the ancient city hold for another day... 510 00:41:31,697 --> 00:41:35,451 and Giovanni Giustiniani Longo proves himself 511 00:41:35,534 --> 00:41:39,747 the one indispensable man in the defense of Constantinople. 512 00:41:39,830 --> 00:41:42,416 Yah! 513 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:44,126 Yah! 514 00:41:45,044 --> 00:41:46,378 Yah! 515 00:41:58,349 --> 00:42:01,685 Sultan. A message from the Aegean Islands. 516 00:42:03,812 --> 00:42:04,813 Read it. 517 00:42:10,986 --> 00:42:13,781 A Genoese fleet was seen in the Dardanelles 518 00:42:13,864 --> 00:42:17,034 heading north towards Constantinople with soldiers and supplies. 519 00:42:28,420 --> 00:42:29,547 Leave me.