Ottoman army

Originally posted by Ikki Turkish power???!!!

huh? Ottomans adopted cannons from europe?

Why wherent they the same with those of europe? 

This is very nice thread.Those who play strategic computer games, probably know of upcomming Medieval 2: Total War. One of the factions represented there - are Turks. Here you can check out their unit roster. I find that roster a bit inaccruate(textures, models, types), so I am going to make Ottomans units (only those for timeframe 1300-1500) as historical accurate as possible (I am cg artist).

So here is my version of Ottoman unit roster (incomplete).

CAVALRY (note that cavalry unit in game might have only two weapons)

Kapikulu cavalry - very well armoured, weapons (mace or sword + lance(?) + shield )

Sipahi cavalry - armoured, mace or sword + bow + shield

Akinci cavalry - lightly armoured, bow + sword + shield

*Should there be spesific cavalry for army commader or he would be in Kapikulu cavalry?

INFANTRY

Nefer Jannisaries - light armour, bow+sword+shield(?)

Zirhli Nefer Jannisaries - armoured, halberd + shield

Jannisary handgunners - light armour, handgun + sword

*Can someone clarify if such divisions ever existed in Jannisary troops, maybe I am missing some?

Ottoman Baltaci - armoured, axe+shield, were mostly used in assaulting fortifications

Ottoman Yaya - light armour, they were recruited from Turkish peasants(?), this type could be devided in in many units -> Yaya spearmen, Yaya archers, Yaya crossbowmens(?) ( I don't know how widespeard and important were crossbows in Ottoman armies)

Azaps - light armour, bow + club or knife.

*Should there be spesific infantry type recruited from Turkish city populace(milita), or they would be recruited in any of units above?

Edited by axeman - 15-Oct-2006 at 06:57

Originally posted by Turk Nomad Azaps in the front line of battalions used to frighten nearby enemy.They never used armour,or weapon.Only hands...   But the normal Azap battalions used the things you wrote.

Well I somehow fail to understand how could front line Azaps frighten enemy. Without having weapons and armour, they would be easily killed either with long range weapons or in melee.


Edited by axeman - 15-Oct-2006 at 07:48

Originally posted by axeman Originally posted by Turk Nomad Azaps in the front line of battalions used to frighten nearby enemy.They never used armour,or weapon.Only hands...   But the normal Azap battalions used the things you wrote. Well I somehow fail to understand how could front line Azaps frighten enemy. Without having weapons and armour, they would be easily killed either with long range weapons or in melee.

Never heard of Aydos. But I have heard of Vienna, and the resistance which was shown against the grand army of the Ottomans

Originally posted by Degredado Never heard of Aydos. But I have heard of Vienna, and the resistance which was shown against the grand army of the Ottomans   Not to mention Rhodes.

Another thing to consider in the Balkans, the conquests of Tzar Dusan were made less then half a generation before Ottoman arrival. This produced the situation of Serbian lords ruling over a Greek populace, adding to their instability.

Serbians created a large kingdom but,their country was doomed.First all these wars weakened serbia.And most important serbians werent able to create a stable country.After Dusan's death their kingdom just fall apart.
For Bulgaria the most crucial was that the tzardom was fragmented.Three main kingdoms and a few smaller mainly in Macedonia and Thracia.For ottomans it was very east to defeat a few different and small states.

Another important thing is that balkans countries had many conflicts between them even in the dawn of ottoman invasion.That was really stupid.

Once Europe was able to mobilize itself after the re-energizing period after the 30 years war, the Turks really started to take a beating. The siege of Lepanto, the Siege of Vienna, the Greek Revolution (and their Navy, bought by Lord Byron)... all these things happened in a relatively short historical period. The Austrians, the Germans and the Hungarians all found a new energy and vitality, a Christian revolution, almost, and as ardently as they fought against other Christians, they turned that aggression against the Turks. After 1800, the Ottomans were an empire fully in decline. WWI was really just the icing on the cake.