The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes) · Chapter 296
Fall of Constantinople
On May 29, 1453, after a 53-day siege, Ottoman forces under Mehmed II breached the walls of Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire and marking the final fall of Rome's eastern successor.
Outcome
The Ottoman Empire gained control of the strategic crossroads between Europe and Asia; many Greek scholars fled to Italy, contributing to the Renaissance.