EN
The fall of the Gallipoli fortress in 1354 has long been regarded as a pivotal moment in the Ottoman expansion into South-Eastern Europe. This study is divided into two parts: the first addresses the historical context surrounding this event, while the second focuses on the military-strategic dimensions of the Ottoman occupation. In particular, the author emphasizes the significance of the earlier settlement of Turkish mercenaries by Byzantine Emperor John Kantakouzenos on the Thracian peninsula of Chersonesos (Gallipoli) in 1352, which he argues played a more decisive role than previously acknowledged. The study concludes that, in the absence of adequate Byzantine army and naval power, Gallipoli had long served as a passive element of Byzantine defence. Its isolation by Ottoman forces—both by land and sea—after 1352 would have inevitably led to its fall, even without the impact of the major earthquake on March 1, 1354.