Byzantine Battles: Siege of Constantinople

▶

4 th century

▶

5 th century

▶

6 th century

▶

7 th century

▶

8 th century

▶

9 th century

▶

10 th century

▶

11 th century

▶

12 th century

▶

13 th century

▶

14 th century

▶

15 th century

Siege of Constantinople	year: 1235 1235-1236
A joint Bulgarian-Nicaean siege on the capital of the Latin Empire	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Latins	location: Constantinople	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Siege	war: Nicaean-Latin Wars	modern country: Turkey

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: John III Doukas Vatatzes)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes	Emperor John of Brienne
Forces:	Unknown	Unknown
Losses:

Background story:

Ιωάννης της Βριέννης

The Latin “emperor” of Constantinople, Robert of Courtenay, died in 1228. He was succeeded by his younger brother Baldwin II, who was only 10 years old and needed a guardian. This role was taken over by John of Brienne (Jean de Brienne) an important figure of the time, who has been, among others, king of Jerusalem (1210-1225) and one of the leaders of the 5th Crusade. By decision of the Pope and the rulers of the West, John of Brienne not only became guardian of the minor Baldwin, but was appointed co-regent and was officially crowned in 1231 taking the title of Latin emperor.

The Latin Empire of Constantinople was in a difficult position having serious financial problems and being under threat from its neighbors.
After the catastrophic defeat of the Despot of Epirus by the Bulgarians at the Battle of Klokotnitsa in 1230, the threat of the Epirotes to the Latin Empire was eliminated, to be replaced by that of Nicaea. Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes of Nicaea, after his victory at Poimaninon, took back many of the Latin possessions in Asia Minor and continued his success by occupying parts of Greece.
Later, he formed an alliance with the Bulgarians, and in 1235 the Nicaeans and Bulgarians launched a joint attack against the Latins of Constantinople.

The Battle:

John III Doukas Vatatzes

The Byzantine forces under the command of John III Vatatzes and the Bulgarian forces under the leadership of Tsar Ivan Assen II besieged Constantinople by land and sea in 1235 and after the Bulgarians had previously occupied the Latin possessions in Thrace and the Byzantines had occupied the last Latin lands in Asia Minor and in the Gallipoli Peninsula.
John of Brienne had only a few men, but the Venetian Duke of the Archipelago (ie of the Duchy of Naxos) Angelo Sanudo sent a naval squadron that managed to relieve the siege from the sea.
With only 167 men, John of Brienne faced a Byzantine-Bulgarian force of many thousands in a battle outside the walls and achieved an overwhelming victory, with John, then 65, showing great bravery. This information from Frankish sources is certainly exaggerated, but the fact is that the Latins, with the help of the Venetians, managed to effectively resist the siege.

The Venetian fleet withdrew in November 1235 and the siege tightened again. John, in a very difficult position, sent letters to European leaders making desperate appeals for help.
In response, at the beginning of 1236 arrived a fleet consisting of ships from the republics of Venice, Genoa and Pisa. It was headed by the Prince of Achaea, Godfrey II Villehardouin, who had brought 100 of his own knights, 300 cross-bowmen and 500 archers. (Villehardouin, like Sanudo, was formally a vassal of the Latin Empire). The Frankish fleet broke the blockade of the city, sank 15 Byzantine ships and entered the Golden Horn. After that, the siege was temporarily lifted.

Ivan Assen II and Vatatzes agreed to continue the siege next year, but things turned out differently. After the death of John Brienne in 1237, the Bulgarians canceled the treaty with Vatatzes because of the possibility that Ivan Assen II would become regent of the Latin Empire.
Thus the plans for the continuation of the siege and the conquest of Constantinople were thwarted.

Aftermath:

The siege was unsuccessful and a treaty was signed after a new intervention by Sanudo.
The Greek advance continued in the following years and gradually the Latin Empire was limited within the walls of Constantinople.