The Roman Empire was one of the biggest empires ever, spanning a large length of Europe. Eventually, the Roman Empire was split into two different groups: the East and West. The West, which at the time was the center of power for both, containing Rome, and having the large bulk of the prestige, was the more prominent place. However, the Western Roman Empire, after centuries of being a dominant presence in Europe, fell to the barbarians and complacency.

The Eastern Roman Empire survived the collapse of the West, morphing into the Byzantine Empire, and began a recovery. Their capital, Constantinople, (now Istanbul), was protected by the highest, toughest, and strongest fortifications. The height of the Byzantine Empire, however, would not end well. The Byzantine Empire slowly decayed, as the Ottomans came in and began to assimilate the fringes. The ostracization of the Byzantine Church from the Catholic Church meant that when the young Mehmed the Second’s intentions for taking Constantinople was realized, the Byzantines received almost zero aid. The boats that did attempt to give aid did not know the full extent of the risk. They were blasted out of the water by a relatively unexplored arsenal of weapons – cannons, which were Mehmed’s most powerful card, and beheaded and mounted on stakes. Without enough support, the supply ships had a tough time breaking through the attack of the Ottomans. The largest of the artillery pieces fielded by the Ottomans was a gargantuan bombard that took three hours to load was 27 feet long and shot a 600-pound shot. The Ottomans also had many more siege pieces. Though the walls were strong, the bombard’s steel shot was stronger, and each massive hole in the wall was furiously patched. Ottoman troops hurled themselves against the wall, but the measly amount of troops in Constantinople fought furiously, and even cause Mehmed to have some amount of concern. The attempts to tunnel beneath the wall were met by counter-sappers and were thwarted. 

The final attack saw the Ottoman troops pushing through weakened parts of the wall created by the bombardment. Troops poured through the caps, but the Byzantines met them. However, the injury of the brilliant Genoese general in command of the land troops, Giovanni Giustiniani, caused fear among the soldiers, and the Elite Jannisary troops attacked. The Byzantines held them, but other sections of the wall were exploited, and Constantinople, the last bastion of Rome fell.

The fall of Constantinople heralded the end of large castles fortified by large walls and stone were made obsolete, and proved, by the large bombards of the Ottoman cannons. Many consider this the end of the Medieval Age.