Siege of Rhodes (1480)

The Siege of Rhodes in 1480 was a military engagement in which the Ottoman Empire, led by Gedik Ahmed Pasha, attempted to capture the island of Rhodes, held by the Knights Hospitaller. Rhodes was a strategically important island, controlling trade routes between the Aegean Sea and the Levant.

The Ottoman forces landed on Rhodes in late May 1480 and quickly established a siege. They brought with them a substantial army and naval force, including siege artillery capable of bombarding the island's fortifications. The Knights Hospitaller, under the leadership of Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson, mounted a determined defense.

The siege involved heavy bombardment, mining operations, and numerous assaults on the walls of the city of Rhodes. The Knights, though outnumbered, possessed strong fortifications and experienced fighters. D'Aubusson rallied the defenders and personally participated in the fighting.

Several key attacks were repulsed by the Knights, most notably an assault on the Jewish Quarter and the Gate of St. Nicholas. The defense was aided by reinforcements from other Hospitaller commanderies, as well as the civilian population of the island, who actively participated in the defense.

After several months of intense fighting and heavy losses, Gedik Ahmed Pasha, facing dwindling supplies and a lack of progress, lifted the siege in August 1480 and returned to Constantinople.

The successful defense of Rhodes was a significant victory for Christendom and a major setback for Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean. It delayed further Ottoman advances against Europe and solidified the Knights Hospitaller's control of the island for another 42 years, until the Siege of Rhodes in 1522. The victory also bolstered the reputation of Grand Master d'Aubusson.