Mehmed the Conqueror was a fearsome ruler that transformed the Ottoman Empire with his ambitious war plans and inflicting terror throughout his campaigns to the east. Europeans in the west were terrified of this Ottoman ruler and subsequently celebrated his death. Stick around to learn more about this Sultan and the many ways he destroyed his enemies, in this video of a Day in History.

Mehmed the Second was the Ottoman Sultan, sultan meaning a Muslim ruler, mainly from 1451 to 1481. He was born on March 30, 1432, the son of the previous Sultan Murad II. Once Mehmed’s father passed away due to illness during the winter of 1450-1451, Mehmed II began his ascent to the throne. Mehmed II’s reign began with the death of his baby brother. According to some sources, the new sultan had his baby brother drowned to avoid any future power struggles.

Mehmed II was responsible for the sieging of Constantinople, Moldavia, Albania, and the rest of Anatolia. With his conquest of Constantinople, he viewed himself as the continuation of the Roman Empire and not a replacer of it. Although the other European bodies at the time did not view him in the same way. There has always been a struggle between Islam and Christianity within Europe and its borders. The Ottoman Empire under Mehmed II was determined to spread its influence within Europe. The European entities at the time were terrified of the idea of the Islamization of its people.