TURCI V EURÓPE. OKOLNOSTI OSMANSKÉHO OBSADENIA PRVÝCH PEVNOSTÍ V BYZANTSKEJ TRÁCII V ROKOCH 1352 – 1354

Only very few medieval chroniclers from Central Europe reflected the beginnings of the Ottoman expansion in their works. The arrival of the Turks in Europe and the occupation of the first fortresses on the Thracian peninsula of Gallipoli in the Dardanelles are explained by these authors in a mono causal way - by the internal dispute of hostile candidates for the Byzantine throne and the desire for power of one of them. In his contribution, the author focuses on indicating the deeper connections and causes of the Ottoman arrival in Europe, which can be reconstructed in relatively detail based on the reports of contemporary Byzantine authors.