Mehmet II’s Campaign to Italy (1480-1481)

Özet

Mehmet II's military campaign to Italy was the first and the last attempt at conquest on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Different views have been asserted about the political, military and economic reasons for the conqest of Italy between the years 1480-1481. In this study, Mehmet II's understanding of Emperorship and the effects of his policy of religion on his campaign to Italy were researched. With the conquest of Istanbul, Mehmet II started to use the title “The Protector of Orthodox Christians and the Emperor of Eastern Rome”. With his military campaigns to Italy, Mehmet II aimed at being the ruler of the Catholic world and of ancient Rome. After the conquests in the Balkans, Mehmet II reached the coast of the Adriatic Sea. He aimed at conquering Italy which was the centre of the Roman and the Catholic world at that time. In order to reach his goal he charged Ahmed Gedik Pasha with this task. With the conquest of Otranto, Italy began to be conquered. However, with the death of Mehmet II, in 1481 the conquest of Italy was not realised.