Pera: War and diplomacy in the final days of Byzantium

When Genoa promised aid to the Byzantines in taking back their capital from the Venetians in 1261, the independent colony of Pera was its reward. With the rise of the Ottoman Turks came the need for assiduous diplomacy from Pera, as it was economically favored by the Byzantines, yet traded with both Byzantines and Ottomans. This delicate balance between both sides was put to the test when the Ottomans marched up to the walls of Constantinople in April 1453. Pera decided to hide behind the sanctuary of neutrality. However, evidence from primary sources points toward great activity on behalf of their Christian brethren defending the capital. Sultan Mehmed II and the Ottomans were on the short end of Pera's neutrality. This thesis investigates the Genoese colony's doomed policy between the rise and fall of two empires using primary and secondary sources.