The Great Turkish Bombard looks primitive by today’s standards, but back in the 1400s when it was used it was highly innovative and was used to bring down the proud city of Constantinople. Constantinople was protected with massive walls that made a frontal assault nearly impossible, and the Byzantine Empire (which controlled the city) was able to hold strong. But in 1453, the Byzantine Empire went to war with the Ottoman Empire. The Byzantines never expected the Ottomans to be able to bring down the city, but the Ottomans had a secret weapon on their side: a new artillery cannon called the the Great Turkish Binbard. The cannon fired at the walls and knocked them down after several blasts, allowing the Ottomans to storm the city. The Byzantine Empire fell and the Ottoman Empire would take its place, and remain strong for the next several hundred years until its defeat in World War I.