From the mid-1400s to present day, the Western world has become dominant economically, militarily, socially, technologically, and religiously. While many events led to the rise in Western culture, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 ultimately led to the separation of culture between the Eastern world and the Western world. More specifically, this affair influenced the Renaissance and was the catalyst for a chain of events including the Enlightenment, the Atlantic Exploration (and cross-Atlantic trade), the Industrial Revolution, and Imperialism—all of which would lead to the rise of Western culture.

Although many people would argue that the Fall of Constantinople occurred too early in history to affect the Western world, they fail to see that this specific event would lead to other ideas and movements that would spark the rise of the West. Additionally, it might be difficult to see how the fall of Constantinople could be associated with events such as the Enlightenment or the Industrial Revolution; however, there is a relationship. Those events were a direct result of how Western Europe would adapt after being separated from the East. Lastly, one might be inclined to believe that there were other more significant events that led to the rise of the Western world, however, almost all of the movements, events, or ideas that led to growth in the West, wouldn’t have been possible had Constantinople not been overrun.

Before the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the world was much different. First of all, the Mongols had created a large empire which facilitated the European Exploration of Asia. Secondly, to the south of the Mongol Empire was the Arab Empire in the Middle East. From the 7th to the 12th century, Arab militaries were some of the most dominant in the world—they were known especially for their use of cavalry. In fact, during this time Arabs in the Middle East were more advanced than than the Europeans in a great multitude of areas such as art and philosophy as well as military strategy. An example of this advancement can be explored in the time period known as the Golden Age. During the Golden Age, there were many Arabic translations of Greek works. Some of these works include those of Hippocrates and Galen. After the fall of Rome, the Byzantine Empire became central to the conquest of the Mongols from Asia, the influences of the Arabs from the Middle East, and the Crusades from the Christians in the West (Stathakopoulos, 2). As a result, Constantinople became one of most important hubs along the trade routes between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Additionally, before Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire, it had been under attack multiple times—both from the Turks and the Crusaders. In the late 1100s and early 1200s, the Fourth Crusade brought about the capture of Constantinople and left it in the hands of the Western Church for a short time. From that point on, the Turks advanced towards the city and the surrounding region (Turner, 40-41). Then, in the early 1400s, the Pope in Western Europe struggled to unite enough Christians to go on a crusade to defend the city from the Turks, which ultimately led to the fall of the Constantinople (Turner, 64).

After the Fall of Constantinople, many events occurred that led to the rise of the West. The European Renaissance produced advancements in education, art, and philosophy which helped move Europe out of the Medieval period and into the Modern period. Commerce and Trade also evolved during this time as banks and companies began to develop and shipping technology was improved. Additionally, in search of new routes to Asia with the intent to trade and spread the ideas of Christianity, many European countries began exploring the Atlantic. Soon afterwards, Imperialism and Industrialization occurred, both of which have shaped the modern world into what it is today. It is astonishing how much the fall of one city helped commence the rise of the West.

Although the Renaissance had already been in full swing when Constantinople was invaded, the fall of the city just added more fuel to the fire. In fact, many Byzantine scholars left Constantinople for Italy to continue their work and thus implement themselves and their ideas in the ongoing Renaissance (Runciman, xi). Along with the scholars, some of the Crusaders also returned from the East and brought ideas back with them. In places like Italy, these ideas were quickly expanded upon and allowed to flourish. One result of the development of new ideas was the creation of Petrarch’s notion of humanism that explored man’s environment and the struggles that he faces (Turner, 112-113). More specifically, Humanism is the study of Latin and Greek Classics and it is part of the foundation of a liberal arts education. Grammar, history, politics, and philosophy were also heavily emphasized during the Renaissance.

During the Renaissance era, Italy became a thriving place. Aside from the fact that all of the city-states in Italy were in competition for political power—including the papal state—which led to despotism and political turbulence, banking and mercantilism developed in Italy. In fact, bankers for all of Europe were usually located in Italy—especially in cities such as Florence and Milan. The most renown banking family in Italy at the time was the Medici family.

Another result of the Renaissance was the Scientific Revolution. It can also be said that that Scientific Revolution was spurred from the desire for the development of better technology during the Atlantic Exploration. Men such as Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei were at the forefront of discovery during the 16th and 17th centuries. All three of them worked to improve knowledge in astronomy. One way in which the Scientific Revolution affected the world is by challenging the popular beliefs of the time and more significantly, the beliefs of the Church. In addition, the Age of Enlightenment would build upon the ideas of the Scientific Revolution, humanism, the Renaissance, and the Age of Discovery. As a result of the Enlightenment, political revolutions took place. Some examples include the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and political changes made in England. At the same time, technological advances to help business and industry began to occur and the Industrial Revolution and Imperialism began. Overall, all of this development began in the 15th century as a result of the Italian Renaissance and the Fall of Constantinople.

One of the most severe consequences of the Fall of Constantinople was its effect on trade between Europe and Asia. Although the Ottoman Empire didn’t completely halt Italian trade, it did block access to the Black Sea which hindered trade and made it slower (Runciman, xi). Specifically, Europe saw a reduction in Genoese Black Sea trade and many other cities trade routes were became stagnant as well (Stathakopoulos, 195). Because of these trade obstacles, many countries sought to find a new route to Asia and India. Thus, they turned westward to the Atlantic Ocean.

Due to the fact that the routes eastward were controlled by the Ottoman and other Eastern European powers and the Atlantic lay unexplored, many Western European countries sought to go exploring. The Portuguese and the Spaniards led the way (Turner, 130-132). Soon after, the English, French, and Dutch also joined the race to explore the West. In fact, between 1400 and 1700, all parts of the world had come into contact with each other creating a worldwide economic web. After the Fall of Constantinople, there were contacts in the Indian Ocean, european expansion across the Atlantic into North and South America, new technology, and culture shifts as a result of contact with native people on the newly explored continents.

As a result of this Age of Exploration, cartography, astronomy, and ship technology saw major developments. Additionally, the magnetic compass was invented in China and made its way to the hands of European explorers. Gunpowder was also discovered during this time. Not only were there improvements in technology, but there was also an increase in the exchange of goods between continents. For instance, maize, potatoes, tobacco, and tomatoes all came from the “New World.” Plants and animals came from the “Old World.” These goods were all part of the Trans-Atlantic Trade. With more commodities being discovered, new business techniques began. Banks and companies emerged and as a result, the economy and the exchange of goods and services adapted.

Additionally, the Age of Exploration aided in the start of the Industrial Revolution. With more access to cotton, people learned that it could be cleaned easier than wool which helped people stay cleaner. Therefore, people wanted cotton rather than wool, and a new industry took off. Additionally, improvements in textile manufacturing and the steam engine also helped the textile industry take off. As a result, factories became abundant and urbanization began to occur around the world.

Another impact the Fall of Constantinople had on the world was the shift in the power and balance of religion. Before 1453, during the medieval times, the Church had a say in almost all education—in fact, the Church controlled many aspects of everyday life (Turner, 108). However, not only was the fall of Constantinople the downfall of the Byzantine Empire, but it also meant that it was the downfall of a major Christian stronghold that connected the east to the west (Piccolomini, 100). The city and the surrounding region were now controlled by Islamic rule and that would remain the case all the way to present day (Turner, 191).

Although it is clear that the Fall of Constantinople set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the rise of the West, many historians would disagree that the Fall of Constantinople had much influence on the rest of the world. For instance, some may argue that the Enlightenment would have happened regardless because of changes in politics such as socialism, nationalism, liberalism, etc. developed during the Renaissance. Some might argue that the Atlantic Exploration and the Age of Discovery would’ve happened anyway because of the desire to spread Christianity. Or lastly, they might argue that the Industrial Revolution would have happened eventually because people desired the increase of efficiency in trade and business.

While all of those are valid arguments, they fail to recognize the fact that everything in history is tied together. Instead of a timeline, history is more of an interconnected web. Even though the Fall of Constantinople wasn’t a direct catalyst of the Renaissance, the change in power caused the spread of new ideas and people and it forced Europe to seek new routes for trade and advancements in technology. Along the way, other notable events such as the Enlightenment, Imperialism, and the Industrial Revolution occurred which helped to further construct what historians call the Modern world. Ultimately, if Constantinople were to still be in existence, the world—both the East and West—would be a much different place.