Breaking the Last Hope of the Millennial Empire
Murad believed that to bring down the empire, he first had to defeat Constantine Dragases. Unlike Constantinople, which had been reduced to a mere city and its emperor trapped within its gates, Dragases had accomplishments and followers of his own.
Indeed, the Christian forces in Greece, inspired by Dragases’s propaganda, had rekindled their will to resist. The threat this posed to the Ottomans could be gauged by looking at the Crusades.
Although every Crusade had ultimately ended in failure, the mere fact that the Western world remained vigilant was enough to demonstrate their potential danger. The Crusades had failed not because they lacked strength, but because they failed to establish clear objectives, coordinate with local forces, and unite under a leader with sufficient reputation to rally their armies.
However, if Dragases were to join a future Crusade, all these weaknesses would be addressed.
Dragases’s actions following Murad’s decision to campaign in southern Greece were clear and deliberate. From the time of the Bulgarian campaign, Dragases had been watching Murad, swiftly mobilizing his forces when Murad’s attention was focused on Mustafa and the Bulgarian revolt. While others underestimated Murad, Dragases alone had prepared to confront the new Sultan. A man who so keenly observed Ottoman movements would surely know where to strike.
Moreover, Dragases was not only the last defender of the millennial empire but also the final hope of the Christian forces in the Balkans. While the imperial schemes may have played a role in inciting the Bulgarian rebellion, the larger credit belonged to Dragases. His victories in prior wars against the Ottomans had undoubtedly stirred the dormant spirits of the Christians.
Thus, in a standoff between the Ottomans and Christian forces, Dragases was the only figure capable of uniting the fragmented Christian factions of the Balkans, entangled as they were by conflicting interests and ethnic tensions.
And if Dragases were to build his reputation further by defeating the Ottomans, who had already crushed multiple Crusades, what would follow?
Dragases’s sharp judgment and decisiveness would become a dagger aimed at the heart of the Ottomans, leading the Crusaders. His growing fame would serve as a rallying point to unite Christians under one banner. Ultimately, Dragases’s participation in a Crusade would mark the emergence of the most threatening force the Ottomans could face.
Murad briefly envisioned Dragases.
A man who stood firm as the millennial empire teetered on the edge of collapse, defying the whispers of doom and pressing forward, step by step. Stubborn, self-righteous, and paranoid, yet the only royal figure with a steadfast belief in saving his homeland. A foolish yet tragic individual, blindly devoted to the values of responsibility and duty that had faded from the minds of other noblemen.
This was why Dragases could be Murad’s nemesis.
This was why Dragases was the only adversary who could genuinely threaten the future of the Ottomans.
And Murad had no intention of leaving Dragases and his forces intact. As the creaking sound of the slowly opening city gates echoed, Murad stared at the scene before him and muttered to himself.
“I trust that someone as smart as you has realized what it means to abandon Nemeapatre.”
The outcome of the opening battle was critical. It wasn’t just about the soldiers’ morale; it was the first step that could shake the stability of a nation. Especially if a city that had resolved to hold its ground fell swiftly, the resulting panic would be immense. This was precisely what Murad aimed for.
The fall of Nemeapatre would solidify the stance of central Greek cities, which had been wavering between the empire and the Ottomans. It would send a decisive message about where their loyalties should lie. Murad could already anticipate how the defection of these recently stabilized cities would impact Dragases and his plans.
A Conqueror Who Fled Without Even Fighting a Proper Battle
Central Greece would quickly turn into enemy territory. Trapped in the heart of hostile lands, Dragases would find himself entangled by the Janissaries, ultimately allowing a three-pronged attack to close in on him. The turning point was the collapse of the 6,000-strong Morean army—a pivotal moment that would signify the definitive end of the empire. Dragases would now be plunged into a long and agonizing dilemma.
Should he return to Nemeapatre to prevent the cities of Central Greece from defecting? Or should he retreat all the way to Athens, prioritizing the risk of a disruption in his rear?
If he chose the former, the Janissaries would not overly trouble Dragases’s army. After all, even if he returned, the battle awaiting him would not be an open-field skirmish or a defensive standoff but a siege. Meanwhile, the Janissaries could steadily advance and seize one rear city after another. In the end, Dragases would be forced into unfavourable battles, unable to protect what he had originally set out to defend.
If he chose the latter, the role of the Janissaries would become crucial. Despite their strict discipline, the Janissaries were both an elite guard and light infantry. Rather than engaging the heavily armored Morean army in close combat, they would conduct guerrilla warfare—nighttime ambushes and hit-and-run tactics to exhaust the Morean forces.
During this time, the cities of Central Greece would raise armies to prove their loyalty to the Sultan. Even if Dragases managed to defeat the Janissaries, his weary Morean troops, worn down by long marches and skirmishes, would face the Sultan’s loyal forces next.
Murad knew well the pain of losing the Janissaries, the backbone of the Ottoman army. If Dragases were to truly defeat the Janissaries, it could slow the Ottomans expansionist ambitions in the future.
But Dragases had already placed an equally costly piece on the board.
No, perhaps it was even more valuable than the Janissaries—who, with the Balkans still under Ottoman control and the Devshirme system intact, could be replenished within a decade. Standing before the fully opened gates of Nemeapatre, Murad reaffirmed the correctness of his decision.
“And you, Dragases, must also understand why the last hope is called the last hope.”
Dragases had misjudged his own position, and the empire had misjudged him as well. Dragases had chosen to preserve the empire by avoiding civil war, and the empire, relying on this tendency, had gambled recklessly. This was the greatest and final mistake Dragases had made.
“The last is called the last because once it falls, everything ends.”
Dragases was both a knight and a king.
As such, he was a figure who had to constantly expose himself to danger. Yet, at the same time, his death would end the game entirely.
He was the final hope holding up the millennial empire.
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