Game of Thrones begins....

[jimmy olsen]

Looked up the city were the King's Landing scenes were filmed. Wow, those walls make Constantinople pale in comparison. 25 meters high and 4-6 meters thick. Were they expecting to be assaulted by the host of Sauron?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Dubrovnik

[The Larch]

Looked up the city were the King's Landing scenes were filmed. Wow, those walls make Constantinople pale in comparison. 25 meters high and 4-6 meters thick. Were they expecting to be assaulted by the host of Sauron?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Dubrovnik

It was an independent city-state in the middle of much stronger powers. You do the math.

[The Minsky Moment]

Looked up the city were the King's Landing scenes were filmed. Wow, those walls make Constantinople pale in comparison. 25 meters high and 4-6 meters thick. Were they expecting to be assaulted by the host of Sauron

More like Venetians or Ottomans
Both of whom successfully besieged Constantinople, so you can see why they might have thought they needed something better.

[Siege]

Looked up the city were the King's Landing scenes were filmed. Wow, those walls make Constantinople pale in comparison. 25 meters high and 4-6 meters thick. Were they expecting to be assaulted by the host of Sauron?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Dubrovnik

Oh shit, that's Ragusa!
I know Ragusa!

[The Larch]

Thanks EU1! 

[jimmy olsen]

Looked up the city were the King's Landing scenes were filmed. Wow, those walls make Constantinople pale in comparison. 25 meters high and 4-6 meters thick. Were they expecting to be assaulted by the host of Sauron

More like Venetians or Ottomans
Both of whom successfully besieged Constantinople, so you can see why they might have thought they needed something better.

The Ottomans took Constantinople beacuse they had cannons. Wouldn't a wall half as high, buy twice as thick be more effective against them?

[Jaron]

The cannons were HIGHLY ineffective against the walls. Constantinople was taken by one of the bloodiest assaults in the history of mankind (okay that is an exaggeration) but cannons weren't sufficiently effective enough to account for the fall of the city; I wouldn't even say they were a significant contributing factor except for maybe the effect on morale.

Anyone disagree?

[The Brain]

The cannons were HIGHLY ineffective against the walls. Constantinople was taken by one of the bloodiest assaults in the history of mankind (okay that is an exaggeration) but cannons weren't sufficiently effective enough to account for the fall of the city; I wouldn't even say they were a significant contributing factor except for maybe the effect on morale.

Anyone disagree?

Orban frowns on your shenanigans.

[Syt]

To settle this, I suggest people watch the impressive historical documentary Conquest 1453. It's most impartial and evenhanded. 





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seP-jvRceNY

[Solmyr]

Now I need to see that.

[Admiral Yi]

The cannons were HIGHLY ineffective against the walls. Constantinople was taken by one of the bloodiest assaults in the history of mankind (okay that is an exaggeration) but cannons weren't sufficiently effective enough to account for the fall of the city; I wouldn't even say they were a significant contributing factor except for maybe the effect on morale.

Anyone disagree?

The cannons reduced the walls to the point a bloody assault became possible.

[Siege]

Syt, do you mean the turkish movie Fetih 1453?
How in hell is that fair and even handed?

It uses the old muslim trick of exagerating the power of their enemies to make their victory seem that much more heroic.

[Siege]

Syt, this is just from Wikipedia, not the most reliable source when talking about muslims:


Historical Accuracy[edit]

There are numerous historical inaccuracies in the film. For instance, its portrayal of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, as a hedonist (he was mostly celibate). The city at the time was far from its magnificence (which was long gone, as it had been sacked by western crusaders in 1204). The Great Palace was not in use at the time.[4] The film's portrayals of the Byzantines as a wealthy, powerful empire whose rulers lived lives of decadence and luxury at the time of the Conquest may be motivated for dramatic purposes, but they do not reflect the true situation in Constantinople in 1453.[5]

The film only depicts the ethnically Turkish element of the Ottoman army. In reality, the Ottoman army was very diverse, including many Balkan converts to Islam as well as Christian levies and the armies of the Sultan's Christian vassals.[6]

Giovanni Giustiniani was wounded by an Ottoman cannon while defending the walls of Constantinople, as opposed to being killed in single combat. Some sources say the wound was caused by a crossbow bolt. He died of the effects of his wound in the early days of June 1453.[4]

Constantine XI is given a burial. In fact he had died fighting at the gates and as customary for Ottoman troops, his body was beheaded. Although his body was recovered, his head was not, leading many Byzantines to believe that Constantine XI was alive.[7]

Sultan Mehmet entered the city after one day of looting of the army.[8]

[Valmy]

Syt, do you mean the turkish movie Fetih 1453?
How in hell is that fair and even handed?

It uses the old muslim trick of exagerating the power of their enemies to make their victory seem that much more heroic.

I do not know if that is an exclusively Muslim trick, but yeah the defenders of Constantinople were a pretty pathetic lot compared to their enemies.

The film's portrayals of the Byzantines as a wealthy, powerful empire whose rulers lived lives of decadence and luxury at the time of the Conquest may be motivated for dramatic purposes, but they do not reflect the true situation in Constantinople in 1453

But it DOES reflect the true situation in Constantinople in 1753 so maybe there was a message of solidarity between empires.

[crazy canuck]

It uses the old muslim trick of exagerating the power of their enemies to make their victory seem that much more heroic.

Kind of like the US invasion of Grenada.