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Notable Battles of Medieval Hungarians

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  Quote The Chargemaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Notable Battles of Medieval Hungarians
    Posted: 29-Mar-2006 at 11:55

I have few questions to all hungarian users:

How is in hungarian language: war/s, battle/s, uprising/s, threaty/es, frontline/s, commander/s, invasion/s, language/s, historical, history, army/es, settling, raid/s, cavalery, warlord, tribe, populate, colonize, victory, triumph, march, campaign(military)?

I want to use these words(in hungarian) to find more historical maps of Hungary and to post these maps in the thread of Nagyfejedelem "Historical maps of Hungary"



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  Quote Mila Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Mar-2006 at 12:05
In 1353, the Hungarian Kingdom sent two armies into Bosnia and Herzegovina to overthrow the new King of Bosnia, Tvrtko I Kotromanic. Both armies were defeated.

In 1366, after Tvrtko I Kotromanic had been overthrown by a artistocratic rebellion within Bosnia, his mother - Jelena Subic, from the Croatian royal family - lobbied the Hungarian Kingdom to return Tvrtko I to power. They again sent armies into Bosnia and Herzegovina and this time they won.

In 1711, the Hungarians aided the Montenegrins in the "Annihilation of the Mohammedans" in Montenegro. Thousands of Muslims were killed and tens of thousands fled to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sandzak of Novi Pazar. Only the Albanian Muslims managed to mount any defense, holding on to their settlements in Montenegro proper. The Slav Muslims were completely driven out and since that time have only returned in small numbers. Still in Sarajevo there are hundreds of families with Montenegrin names.

In the later years of the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarians were constantly attacking the border regions of northern Bosnia. The attacks caused a lot of death and destruction and by the time Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed, northern Bosnia had the lowest population density ratio in the whole country. It was constantly an area of rebellion and chaos throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire's reign over this region, even compared to the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina which was never truly calm under Austrian rule.

That's the main ones I know about from here.


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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Mar-2006 at 03:54
Originally posted by The Chargemaster

I have few questions to all hungarian users:

How is in hungarian language: war/s, battle/s, uprising/s, threaty/es, frontline/s, commander/s, invasion/s, language/s, historical, history, army/es, settling, raid/s, cavalery, warlord, tribe, populate, colonize, victory, triumph, march, campaign(military)?

I want to use these words(in hungarian) to find more historical maps of Hungary and to post these maps in the thread of Nagyfejedelem "Historical maps of Hungary"

war(s) = háború(k)

battle(s) = csata, csaták [major battles], ütközet(ek) [minor battles]

uprising(s) = felkelés(ek)

treaty(-ies) = egyezmény(ek) or békeszerződés(ek) [literally peace treaty]

frontline(s) = frontvonal(ak)

commander(s) = parancsnok(ok)

invasion(s) = invázió(k)

language(s) = nyelv(ek)

historical = történelmi or történeti

history = történelem

army(-ies)= sereg(ek) or hadsereg(ek) may be had(ak)

settling = letelepedés [settling down] or rendezés [settle a dispute]

raid(s) = portya, portyák [minor attacks] or rablóhadjárat(ok) [major attacks for plunder]

cavalry = lovasság

warlord(s) = hadúr, hadurak

tribe(s) = törzse(k)

populate = benépesít

colonize = gyarmatosít

victory(ies) = győzelem, győzelmek

triumph = diadal

march = menetelés [soldiers' "walking"], induló [a piece of music]

campaign(s) = hadjárat(ok) [military], kampány(ok) [political]

Do not be surprised if you find words with different endings. Thanks to the use of suffixes this is quite ordinary.



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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Mar-2006 at 05:41

The Battle of Capua and the first Italian campaign of Louis the Great
 
1348

A) Hungary under the Anjous

After a long struggle Charles I  (ruled 1311-1342) finally defeated the oligarchs and restored royal authority over the kingdom. Under the rule of Louis I the Great (1342-82) Hungary became more rich and powerful than ever before.

Louis the Great and his court:

The power of the Arpads still based on the vast royal estates. Under the Angevins the royal family was restored as the greatest land owning family of the realm (they had one third of all lands), but the Angevin power rather based on the possession of castles. In the 14th century Hungary had cca. 300 castles and 160-170 of them were in the property of the king. Charles I introduced direct taxation and reformed the royal mining monopoly. At that time Hungary had rich gold, silver and salt mines.

The Anjous introduced the so called honor (=office; in old Hungarian becsü) system. Instead of large donations the faithful servants of the king were given an office. Powerful officials of the kingdom like the count palatine were appointed count (lat. comes, hung. ispán) to several counties. They became the keeper of royal property (including castles) in their counties and the representative of the king. The barons administered these possessions by their own men (familires, roughly: vassals). Honor ensured real power. While most of the aristocrats had only 2 or 3 castles (even the exceptionally powerful Lackfi family had only 7 castles) the possession of a greater honor ensured power over 10 or 20 castles. These offices were not given for eternety. The king could deprive the baron of his honor any time. Most powerful honors often rotated among the members of aristocracy.

The Hungarian military organization based on the honor system. Every baron, the holders of the great honors, led a banderium (Eng. banner). The banderium composed of the baronical retinue, the armed noblemen of the baron’s counties, and some peasants from the royal estates who served as light infantry. The banderia ensured a numerous, but mostly inexperienced army. Noblemen were obligated to serve 3 month in defense of the country and 40 days for foreign campaign. On the other hand the king was powerful enough to neglect this rule if he wish.

Besides the banderia the king could directly raise an army by paying dispositio (salary) to every noblemen who joined him. The king also hired mercenaries for his campaigns. The privilegized group of Cumans and Seklers also served the king.

The armies of Louis the Great consisted mostly cavalry. There were infantry, but its role was insignificant.  Only the mercenary heavy infantry is notable used mainly in sieges. The bulk of the banderium cavalry was medium cavalry. It was much heavier than before, but still didn’t reach the Western standards. Members of royal and baronical  retinues and the freelancers also had full knightly armour. To increase further the number of heavily armed horsemen the king usually hired mercenaries. Cumans and Seklers continued to fight as steppe style horse archers with light chainmails and small shields.

Clothing and armour in Louis' age:

B) Background

The Charles d’Anjou was the younger brother of Louis IX. of France and the founder of the 2nd (or in other opinions the 3rd) Anjou dinasty. He became the king of Sicily in 1262. The Kingdom of Sicily consisted Southern Italy and the island of Sicily itself. In 1282 Charles d’Anjou lost Sicily,  but he preserved Southern Italy. From that time there were two Kingdoms of Sicily and historians often name Kingdom of Naples –Naples was the capital- the one ruled by the Angevins.

Charles II the Lame was the son of Charles d’Anjou and married Mary of Hungary. They had fourteen children. Their first son Charles Martel died before Charles II. and left a son Charles Robert. Their second son St. Louis of Toulouse also died before his father. The third son of Charles II was Robert the Wise. Based on the rule of primogeniture the heir of Charles II was Charles Robert. When Charles II died Charles Robert (Charles I of Hungary) was in Hungary  struggling with the oligarchs and his uncle used his absence as the eldest surviving son usurped the throne.
 
Charles Robert (Charles I of Hungary) never gave up his right to the throne of Naples, and finally by papal mediation he signed a treaty with Robert. He recognized Robert as the king of Naples, and his second son Andrew married Joanna, granddaughter and only heir of Robert. According to the treaty Andrew became the duke of Calabria and together with his wife the heir of the throne.

Still Robert on his deathbed (1343) changed his last will and appointed Joanna as the sole heir of his kingdom. In order to force the coronation of Andrew his mother the dowager queen of Hungary travelled to Italy. She spent 27 000 mark (6630 kg) silver, 21 000 mark (5156 kg) gold and a half of a coach gold coin (~600 kg) to ensure Andrew’s coronation. A Hungarian cronicle mentions additional 44 000 mark (10 780 kg) silver as bribe to the pope. Finally the pope ordered the coronation of Andrew in 1345.

The conspiracy of those who opposed Andrew’s future rule finally murdered Andrew. Andrew had a talisman protecting him from blade and poison so they strangled him with a cord. It is highly probable that his wife Joanna was also part of the conspiracy.

Since diplomatic solutions failed, Louis I the brother of Andrew lauched a campaign against Joanna to avenge his brother and seize the throne of Sicily and of Jerusalem. (The kings of Naples were also the titular kings of Jerusalem.)

C) Louis’s first Italian campaign and the battle of Capua

Louis carefully prepared his campaign. Since Hungarian - Venetian relations were hostile he had to choose the landtrip from Hungary to Naples. In order to avoid conflict with the powers of Northern Italy he left Hungary with a small army and recruited mercenaries in Italy. When he reached the border of Joanna’s kingdom he had 2000 Hungarian knights, 2000 mercenary hevy cavalry, 2000 Cuman horse archers and 6000 mercenary heavy infantry. He successfully avoided conflict in Northern Italy, his army was well-paid and disciplined. The king forbid plunder, all supplies were bought from locals and paid with gold.

The army of Naples, 2700 knights and 5000 infantrymen  was led by Louis of Taranto (the new husband of Joanna, an Anjou himself) who fortified his position near Capua. Louis ordered count Niccolo Gaetanto (2500 cavalry and 1000 infantry) to keep Louis of Taranto busy while he capture the unprotected Benevento and Naples. Count Gaetano not just kept the Napolitans busy, but managed to flank them. He followed the traditional Hungarian tactics. First Cuman horse archers attacked to cause disarray and to kill the horses of the enemy. In the second wave Hungarian heavy cavalry crushed the disturbed enemy. Louis of Taranto was defeated within two hours and Louis occupied the kingdom of Naples unopposed.

Many of the conspirators escaped, but king Louis could capture Charles of Durazzo and ordered his execution. Unfortunatelly it seems he was innocent and Louis became very unpopular in Italy. King Louis also did not trust in the locals who originally supported Andrew’s cause and because of his behaviour they became hostile. Finally the Black Death reached Naples and Louis left the city leaving only a small garrison under István Lackfi the count palatine. He returned to Hungary with glory as the new king of Naples and Jerusalem.

(His new title was: Ludovicus, Dei gratia Hungariae, Jerusalem, Siciliae, Dalmatiae, Croatiae, Ramae, Serviae, Lodomeriae, Galiciae, Cumaniae, Bulgariaeque Rex, Princeps Salernitanus et honoris montis sancti Angeli dominus)

D) Aftermath

A few time later Louis of Taranto returned from France with a new army and Lackfi with the Hungarian garrisons had to retreat from the city of Naples. King Louis immidiately launched a second campaign and soon arrived with the reincforcement this time across the Ardriatic Sea. This campaign was more difficult than the first, but the Hungarians won again. (Even the king wounded seriously two times. He was an Alexander type leader. He led assaults personally and climbed citywalls together with his soldiers. His barons one time warned him that this behaviour is not worthy for a king.)

After all this victories he had to realise that Hungary is unable to permanently hold Naples, because supply depended on Venice and the local population was hostile too. Additionally the pope was against him, a Hungarian-Neapolitan union would have harmed papal interest. Finally he resigned as king of Naples, but remaind the prince of Salerno and the lord of Monte Sant’ Angelo (princeps Sallernitanus, et honoris ac montis sancti Angeli dominus). Joanna returned to the throne.

The Naples-Hungary dispute finally settled in 1281 one year before Louis’ death. The pope stripped the royal title from Joanna and authorized king Louis to execute his decision. He was too old and ill to go personally, but  his nephew (Charles of Durazzo) aided with Hungarian gold and men seized the throne and killed Joanna.

When Louis the Great died he was one of the most powerful kings in Europe. Under his rule the prestige of the Hungarian kingdom reached its peak.

The kingdoms of Louis the Great and the vassal states:

Louis the Great drawing by Jan Matejko:

The statue of the king in the Heroes' Square:

The royal Great Seal:



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  Quote Temujin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Mar-2006 at 14:19
I think this thread deserves to be sticky. any objections?
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  Quote BigL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Mar-2006 at 01:35

The more empires and countries you learn about the more interesting history become thank you my hungarian friend

ohh i love hungarian tactics



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  Quote The Chargemaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Mar-2006 at 06:12

Originally posted by Temujin

I think this thread deserves to be sticky.

Yes. I think so too.

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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2006 at 14:22

We, Turks have a special passion to Budapest. We call this beautiful city as "Spoiled Girl of Danube"
Here is a Turkish poem about "The Lost of Budapest" written by a Turkish army poet Tamesvarli Gaazi/Ghazi/Gazi Asik/Aschik Hasan. Hasan was a Jenissary soldier, a Bektaschi Derwisch.  This poem was first found by famous Hungarian turkolog Dr. Ignac Kunos in Adakale insel and published at the beginning of last century. I want to write it first in Hungarian language for our Hungarian Brothers. I am sure that they never heard the poem. Then  in English for our forum friends.

Ne énekelj fülemüle

 Ne énekelj fülemüle, tavasz lett,
Vidám hangú dalolásod megzebzett,
Rózsavársár idejére érkezett.
Elvette a német ékes Budánkat.

Forrásoknál fürdeni már nem lehet, A dzsámikban imádkozni sem lehet,
Pusztaság lett sog-sok nápes terület.
Elvette a német ékes Budankát.

Városunknak hosszú lett a bajárja,
Fö helyen áll Mehmed szultán szent háza,
Szent Kábához hasonlít a formája.
Elvette a német ékes Budánkat.

Lánya vagyok a vezérnek magának,
Szemefénye atyámnak és anyámnak.
Elvette a német ékes Budánkat.

Löportorony gyúlt ki s eszünk verztettük,
A szultáni dzsámik égtek felettünk,
Sok kisgyerek tüzbeveszett mellentünk.
Elvette a német ékes Budankát.

Végvárak közt mindig elsö volt Buda,
Vérrel volt a földje, köve átgyúrva,
Cserkesz zászlótartó a fö tanúja.
Elvette a német ékes Budánkat.

Három ágyú dörgött, ahogy lehetett,
Csütörtökre szinte minden odalett,
Pénteki nap volt, hogy Buda elesett.
Elvette a német ékes Budankát.

I translated the "Legend of Budapest" of Tamesvarli Gazi Asik Hasan, a poet of XVII th Century into English.

Eser Saral, Rászáll a galambom a Budai várra.
Legend of Budin

Don’t sing Nightingale, don’t sing, the summer returned to Spring
The laments of Nightingale pierced my breast
It is now the time buying and selling roses
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest.

Now muslims don’t washing for prayers by her fountains
Nobody is praying in her mosques
The inhabited all ruined
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest

The long market of Budapest
And The mosque of Sultan Ahmet at the centre.
Looks like the Kaba of Mecca
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest.

I am the daughter of Pasha of Budapest
I am the dearest two eyes of my parents
I am a lamp in a cage
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest

Suddenly the arsenal exploded we all surprised
All the mosques with six minarets burned and fired
All the young innocent children fell into fire.
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest.

Budapest is the capital of all Turkish Frontiers
All her stones and earth kreated with blood
The Banner- bearer the Circassian leads the Mythts
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest

From the South three guns shotted
It was thustday and solar eclipsed
On Friday Budapest falled
Austrians captured our spoiled girl called Budapest.

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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2006 at 09:50

I have noticed that many of the forum members concern mostly the Ottoman-Hungarian wars and John Hunyadi. Should I add more battles to the plan? Originally I have planed to describe the battles of Nicoplis, Varna, Kenyermezo and Mohács in the Ottoman-Hungarian war issue.

What do you think?

 

Tosun Saral:

Very nice poem! Thank you!

(I suggest use Buda instead of Budapest, Budapest was only formed in the second half of the 19th century.)



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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2006 at 16:52

Dear Brother Raider, I know. In original poem it is written "Budin" The Turks call the city as Budin.

Please visit my Hungary for the Society, Budapest, Estergom, Tekirdag for Rakoci (Rodosto), Kütahya for Kossuth, Izmit for Tökely pages,

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d696/

Tosun Saral

Turkish Hungarian Friendship Society in Ankara

President

 



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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2006 at 17:37
Originally posted by The Chargemaster

Originally posted by Raider

It seems that non-Hungarians interest lies in his battles against the Ottomans.  

Yes, i think so. Just for me the Turjish empire was the cruelest enemy of Hungaria and of all other christian states around. The Mongols in the middle of XIII century were also very cruel, but the turkish invasion continue much longer, than the mongol invasion, and because of that the hungarian victims(military and civilian) were many more in the wars with the turks. Therefore every christian people in the Balkans is proud with the hungarian glorious battles against the turks.

 

Dear Komschu, You are wrong. Turks were not cruel to Hungarians, Bulgarians or other nations of Balkan. If they were really cruel there were no Bulgar or Serb ect in the world. or they would converted to islam.  There is a Turkish proverb. I write in Turkish may be you understand it.

"Tencere dibin kara, Seninki benden kara"

Two potts meet each other in the kitchen one said "Dear pott your buttom is black" The other pott answered "Yours is more black and dark".

OK Dear Komschu the Turks of Bulgaria was left to your honour after 1877-78 war. What happened them? Did Bulgars treated them in a humanitaer way. Or were they treated cruelly by Bulgars?

Your pott is more darker then my pott.

Now it is time to be good friends. It is our benefit to be good friends. Turkey is hinterland of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is hinterland of Turkey. Together we can be rich and wealty.

On The other hand we had always good relations with Hungarians. After withdrawall of Turks from Hungary, Hungarians suffered to much under Austrian Catholic regime. They revolted 3 times and refuged to Turkey

There is a Hungarian song with following verses:

Kuruc tabori dal : Magyar remekicok :

“ Ez az istentelen ne’met annyi kart tött mar Hozza képest hogy mit sem tött Török sem Tatar. “

Turkcesi:
“Bu imansiz Almanlar o kadar mazarrat yaptilar ki
Onlara kiyasen Turk ve Tatarlar hicbir sey yapmadi”

English:

"Those godless Germans/Austrians treated so cruel that acts of the Turks and the Tartars had been so innocent in comparison with those of the Germans."

With my best wishes from Ankara



Edited by Tosun Saral
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  Quote The Chargemaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2006 at 19:30

Originally posted by Tosun Saral

OK Dear Komschu the Turks of Bulgaria was left to your honour after 1877-78 war. What happened them? Did Bulgars treated them in a humanitaer way. Or were they treated cruelly by Bulgars?

Well, efendim, i think that the bulgarians treated the bulgarian turks much better than the turks treated the christians in the Turkish empire before the win of the kemalist revolution in 1922. The only exception is the communistic "Rebirth Process" between 1984-89, but in principle the communists treated the bulgarians like a sheeps too.

Now it is time to be good friends. It is our benefit to be good friends...  Together we can be rich and wealty.

Yes! I think so too - you are right about our common future in the European Union.

But please, allow/permit my pride with the christian resistance against the turkish invasion in the Balkans and in Central Europe. I must make for you this explanation - my feelings are not against you, or against the today`s turks, because these feelings are connected only with the history.

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  Quote The Chargemaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2006 at 19:41

Originally posted by Raider

I have noticed that many of the forum members concern mostly the Ottoman-Hungarian wars and John Hunyadi. Should I add more battles to the plan? Originally I have planed to describe the battles of Nicoplis, Varna, Kenyermezo and Mohács in the Ottoman-Hungarian war issue.

What do you think?

O, yes, please do this! You have my support! I think that John Hunyadi is one of the greatest generals of all time! I have found few new maps about the hungarian history and i will post them in "Historical maps of Hungary" tomorrow.

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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Apr-2006 at 06:48

My Bulgar Efendi, I thank you for your understanding.

Now I want to tell about Nigbolu. I think you call the city Nicopolis or as the Bulgars say Nikopol. The city is located at the south shore of the Danube just in the spot where the river Osma joins to Danube. For 300 years ago the city had 4000 dwellings and 1000 shops. After Turks withdeawel the city became unimportant. After the battle of 1st Kosova in 1389 Turks continued their raidings into Bosnia Albania, Teselya and Morae. Those raids were made by special rider troops called "Akinci". Most of this part of Balkan was under the occupation of Catholic Venecian Republic. But mostly the Hungarians were very restless. Kin Sigismund of Hungary new very well that he could not resist the Turks alone. He ordered the Christian States to unite againts Turks. The Emperor of Bizanz in Costantinopolis declared his  will to join to the Union. Hungarians, French, Germans, Belgiums, Flamans, the Swiss,  English, Scots, Savians, Lombardians, Russians, Walachs established a Crusadres Army agiants Turks in1396. The power of this army was sirca 120 000.  French had 10 000 men commanded by Jean Nevers who was called as "fierless Jean". He was the son of  Duke of Burgonia Philip.The Crusaders greeted Christmas in Vienna and on september 1396 they sieged Nigbolu. The Crusaders were very proud of their strength. They were saying that "If the skyies fell upon us we can hold the sky with our lances."The commander of the castle was Dogan Bey. He immediately send messengers to the Sultan. Sultan Beyazid the 1st was siegeing Costantinapolis at that time. There was no time to march the army againts Cruseders. Sultan Beyazid ride alone with a few men to Nigbolu crossed the lines of Cruseders  and appeared under the walls of Nigbolu  called the commander Dogan Bey. This call is very famous in Turkish History

"Bre Dogan! Bre Dogan!  Two days are enough for me. Hold on!"

A few days later all mighty Turkish army came to Nigbolu. Turks defeated the Crusaders once again. Jean Nevers was among POWs. Sultan invited him to a dinner and told him that is free. He could return to his home and establish a new army to fight againts Turks. He said we would wait him with a great joy.

After Nigbolu the Sultan got the name "Yildýrým" the lightning because of his quickness.

Battle of 1st Kosova coused the Turks to settle in balkan. The battle of Nigbolu fixed Turkish maintanence in balkan for 400 years.

May Allah/God rest the Holy Martyrs of all fronts in piece.

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  Quote The Chargemaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Apr-2006 at 11:27
Originally posted by Tosun Saral

Sultan Beyazid ride alone with a few men to Nigbolu crossed the lines of Cruseders  and appeared under the walls of Nigbolu  called the commander Dogan Bey. This call is very famous in Turkish History

"Bre Dogan! Bre Dogan!  Two days are enough for me. Hold on!"

A few days later all mighty Turkish army came to Nigbolu. Turks defeated the Crusaders once again. Jean Nevers was among POWs. Sultan invited him to a dinner and told him that is free. He could return to his home and establish a new army to fight againts Turks. He said we would wait him with a great joy.

After Nigbolu the Sultan got the name "Yildýrým" the lightning because of his quickness.

Do you have the book of the medieval turkish writer Mehmed Nesri "A mirror of the World"? It`s my favorite turkish book.

Dogan bey told Bayazid: "Since you are here we aren`t afraid any more from the giaours!" Then Bayazid told Dogan bey: "Bre Dogan, let me see what you can do - hold on! I`ll be back like lightning, when the right time comes!"...

...and after the battle Bayazid got the nickname "Yildirim"("The Lightning")...

That`s the story of Mehmed Nesri(Neshri).

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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-Apr-2006 at 05:20

I have just realised that I frequently used the term "baron", but I omitted to define it. In western Eurpe the term baron usually referd to those lords, who were the direct vassals of the king in the chain of vassality.

In Hungary there was no chain of vassality, in fact there was no vassality at all. The barons were officials of the kingdom appointed and deposed by the king.

These barons were (under Sigismund):

  1. the count palatine (comes palatinus)
  2. the voivode of Transylvania (woyuoda Transsiluanus)
  3. the judge of the royal court (iudex curiae regiae)
  4. the bans of Slavonia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Macsó, and Severin (bani)
  5. the master of the treasury (magister tavernicorum)
  6. the master of janitors (ianitorum regalium magister)
  7. the master of stewards (dapiferorum regalium magister)
  8. the master ofthe cup-bearers (pincernarum regalium magister)
  9. the marchall (agasonum regalium magister)
  10. counts of Bratislava (hung. Pozsony) and Timis (hung:Temes)
  11. the high treasurer (summus thesaurarius)
  12. the count of the Szeklers
  13. the secret chancellor

All of the barons were entitled as magnificus vir.

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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Apr-2006 at 07:56

The Battle of Nicopolis (bulg. Nikopol)

September 25th 1396

A) Background

In 1366 illustrious visitor arrived to the Hungarian court at Buda. John V Palaeologus, the Byzantine emperor asked for help from Louis the Great against a powerful new enemy the Ottoman turks. Louis had good reputation as fighter against pagans. He took part in crusades against the Lithuanians and defeated the Golden Horde. So the emperor tried to convince king Louis to launch a crusade to expel the Ottomans from the Balkans, but he failed. The question did not interested Louis. The Ottoman danger was too far away and insigniciant for him. Additionally the arrogant behaviour of the emperor offended Louis. Finally the king asked the emperor to convert with all of his subjects to catholicism before he helps. Naturally demands like this couldn’t be accepted and the emperor had to return empty-handed.

The first encounter of the Hungarians and the Ottomans was in 1375 at Wallachia. A rebelious voivode of Wallachia was aided by Ottoman auxilliary troops. The battle ended with Hungarian victory and the Ottoman question shelved.

In 1382 Louis the Great died without a male heir, he had only to daughters Hedwig and Mary. Mary was the heiress of Poland while Hedwig inherited Hungary. Elizabeth Kotromanic the widow of Louis shortly after his husband’s death had Mary crowned to queen of Hungary in order to maintain the union with Poland. But the lords of Poland chose Hedwig instead of Mary as their new queen and her plained failed. The union dissolved.

Mary was betrothed to the younger son of the Holy Roman emperor (and king of Bohemia) Sigismund of Luxemburg who was raised at the Hungarian court. The dowager queen, who actually ruled the country, hated Sigismund and opposed the marriage. She prefered a French prince. In 1385 Sigismund with the help of Bohemian and Moravian troops forced Mary to marry him. Meanwhile Charles king of Naples, the nephew of king Louis claimed the throne as the closest male heir of the king. He was supported by many noblemen and lords who did not want women on the throne. In 1385 Mary was deposed and Charles was crowned as Charles II the Short. His reigned was also short. He ruled from December 1385 to February 24th 1386. He was assasinated by presumably the order of queen Elizabeth. (It was a great scandal in contemporary Europe.) Charles II left an underage son Ladislaus of Naples, the later pretender.

Mary returned to the throne, but shortly after she and her mother was kidnapped by a supporter of the late Charles II. queen Elizabeth was strangled and Mary was kept in custody.

palatine Garai dies in the defence of queen Mary and Elizabeth:


Sigismund as the only possible candidate was crowned as co-ruler in 1387 and after his coronation he managed to free his wife. In theory Mary and Sigismund ruled jointly, but practicaly the power was in Sigismund’s hand. When Mary died in a horse accident in 1395 Sigismund remained the sole ruler of Hungary.

Sigismund of Luxemburg:

During the political turmoil the royal power began to decline and the political system of the Anjous collapsed. The amount of royal castles drastically decreased. When Louis the Great died the crown had 160 of the 300 castles. Sigismund had only 70; a great land-owner aristocracy came into existence. There was not enough royal property to maintain the honor system. Some honors remained (voivodship of Transylvania, county of Timis (hung. Temes), bandom of Slavonia etc), but most of them were abolished. The rich gold mines of Hungary gradually depleted, the royal income drastically decreased. The king was not able to rule alone any more. He had to make coalitions to held power.

Naturally the end of the honor system caused changes in the military. The banderia remained, but the weight of the armed baronical retinues within the banderia increased. Due to the decrease of royal income the usage of foreign mercenaries in large quantities became unavaible. The army of Sigismund lacked steppe style horse archers, since the Cumans and Szeklers assimilated to the Hungarians and they fought in the same way.

contemporary armour on the sarcophagus of Stibor of Stiboric the younger voivode of Transylvania:

While Hungary was in the state of chaos and Sigismund tried to consolidate his power the Ottoman Empire expanded and in 1389 defeated Serbia a vassal of Hungary at Kosovo Polje. Serbia became an Ottoman vassal under despot Stefan Lazarevic. From this year Ottoman regular incursions of Ottomans (and Serbians)  began to Hungarian territory.  Sigismund take the danger seriously and between 1389 and 1392 every year personally led a campaign against the Ottomans and the Serbians.

In 1392 after a serious Ottoman incursion Sigismund organized a large scale counterattack. All noblemen was ordered to take part and Sigismund asked foreign help. His army was aided by Bohemian, Silesian and Austrian knights. Even Sigismund’s borther-in-law, Richard II of England sent a notable contingent of knights. This considerable army met with the army of sultan Bayezid I (the Thunderbolt) at Keve. The Ottoman sultan avoided the battle and withdraw. Sigismund pursued him awhile, then returned to Hungary. The campaign did not bring solution to the Ottoman conflict, but convinced Sigismund and christian leaders that the Ottoman Empire is not an equal foe of an army of knights. This is why Sigismund began to organize a great international crusade to crush Ottoman power.
 
B) The Crusade

Pope Boniface IX declared the crusade in 1394 and in the following two years king Sigismund -using his family connections- organized the campaign, and made the necessery preparations.

In 1394 the Ottomans expelled Mircea the Elder voivode of Wallachia and he led and army to Wallachia to overthrone the Ottoman vassal Vlad and  help Mircea to reclaim his principalty.

In 1396 a large crusader force gathered at Buda among them high ranking noblemen like: John of Nevers the heir of Burgundy, Boucicaut the marshal of France, Jean de Vienne the admiral of France, Philippe d’Artois the connetable of France, Ruprecht the Pfalzgraf, the Grand Master of the Hospitallers etc. All in all the largest of the contingents was the French –Burgundian (1100-1200 men) led by John of Nevers (Fearless John). But there were Germans, Bohemians, Englishmen, Knights Hospitallers etc. It is know from contemporary documents that in the retinue of John of Nevers there were 108 knights, 107 sergeants, 12 archers and 22 crossbowmen. It seems that the bulk of the army was heavy cavalry and only cca. 10% was the ratio of infantry. The overall number of this force was cca. 5000 men. King Sigismund left the inexperienced Hungarian noblemen behind to defend the borders and brought along the strongest parts of the banderia. His army numbered cca. 10 000 – 12 000 men and the siegecraft. Later Mircea the Elder also joined the crusaders with 6000-8000 Wallachian troops. The whole army had 25 000 men at the best case. It was still a very powerful army as they said: "If God dropped the sky on our heads, we would maintain it with the tops of our lances!"

king Sigismund with his troops:

The crusaders were aided by a Venetian fleet. This fleet should have precluded the Ottoman forces to cross the Dardanelles.

The crusader army slowly progressed. They Pushed back Ottoman influence step by step. They besieged and captured Vidin, Rachova and soon after reached Nicopolis. They had already besieged the castle for two weeks when the Bayezid I arrived with his army of 30 000 men.

The sultan placed the asabs (light infantry) to the first line of the Ottoman center. Behind them stakes and other horse traps were made and the janissaries (cca. 2000 men) of the second line used these as defense against cavarly. The Anatolian sipahis (medium cavalry) stood on the right wing, while the Rumelian sipahis formed the left wing. Akinci light cavalry formed the vanguard before the army. Bayezid made a reserve force of 5000 Serbian heavy cavalrymen under his vassal Stefan Lazarevic.

There was a heated dispute in the crusaders war council. The Wallachian voivode Mircea and king Sigismund suggested that Hungarian and Wallachian cavarly should attack the Ottoman sipahis as a first line to destroy or at least keep them busy while the crusader knights beats the Ottoman center. The Burgundians and the French heavily opposed this suggestion, they wanted the glory of the first charge. Finally Sigismund had to accept their demands. So the knights of the western crusaders formed the first line. In the second line Wallachian cavalrymen formed the right wing and Transylvanian troops (led by voivode Lackfi) the left wing. King Sigismund and the rest of the Hungarian troops stood in the center.

The French began the battle. As soon as the knights perceived the akincis they charged. The heavily armoured knights easily trampled those akincis who did not keep out of their way, attacked and breached the asabs’ line. Soon they reached the stakes. The knights dismounted and attacked the janissaries on foot. In these moments the sipahis of the wings flanked and crushed them.

The second line slowly followed the first. They routed the remnants of the asabs and strongly pushed back the sipahis. Finally the Ottoman reserve of 5000 heavily armed Serbian horsemen flanked the Hungarians, and when the royal standard fell the crusaders began to flee.

The Ottomans successfully captured notable high ranking noblemen like Philippe d’Artois or Leusták Jolsvai the count palatine of Hungary. Sigismund managed to reach a Venetian galley on the Danube and sailed Constantinople (then to the Adriatic and to Hungary).


C) Aftermath

Military reforms and changes in grand strategy

King Sigismund had to realize that the traditional offensive strategy failed.  Instead of fruitless campaigns he chose an other way. A line of border castles were built in the southern frontier which successfully resisted Ottoman forces till 1521. It worth to mention the name of the executor of this remarkable achievement. It was Filippo Scolari also known as Pipó of Ozora the count of Timis (hung Temes) a powerful baron of Sigismund. Defense in the castles was combined with local counterstrikes.

Filippo Scolari aka Pipó of Ozora aka Pippo Spano in contemporary armour:

Sigismund also tried to organize a cordon sanitare of vassal states and allies. While Louis the Great tried to subdue the southern neighbours, Sigismund bribed them and granted officies and estates them in Hungary. For example the former Ottoman vassal Stefan Lazarevic became one of the largest landowners of Hungary. Sigismund didn’t care how they stopped Ottoman forces while they did it. (Lazarevic with annual tax, Mircea of Wallachia with arms.)

Hungarian military was also reformed. To compensate the lack of light cavarly a law ordered every noblemen to raise one horse archer after 20 (later 33) mansion of serfs. This law assured a large, but low quality force. Unfortunately Hungary lacked quality light cavalry when it was most needed. He also temporary (till the end of the Ottoman threat) suspended the law regulating the maximum length of the noblemen's military service.

After his failure at the south Sigismund turned to the west. He was elected king of Germany in 1410. As the first ruler of the christian world he mediated between England and France in the Hundred Years War. He had to deal with the papal schism, the hussite herecy and rebellion (He became the king of Bohemia in 1419). and finally he was crowned to emperor in 1433.

Sigismund of Luxemburg (emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, King of Italy, Hungary, Bohemia etc)

In 1402 Timur Lenk defeated the Ottoman empire and this crisis gave some time to the Balkans and Hungary.

The siege of Nicopolis in a French and an Ottoman picture:

 



Edited by Raider
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  Quote Raider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Apr-2006 at 04:32

I have a question about the above miniature.

As far as I know the Islam prohibits portraying people. Still on this picture and other Ottoman miniatures there are portrays. How could this be?

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  Quote Maljkovic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Apr-2006 at 06:13
Islam prohibites portraying of people inside mosques. Only vahabites ban people indescriminately, and the Turks were always suffites.
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Apr-2006 at 05:16

The first heavenly religion declared by Moses (Jews) forbid to worship to pictures, statues, sky objects, stones and animals. But Christians -please forgive me for my posting- worship  by kneeling to the Mutter Maria or Jesus Christus pictures or ikonas. Christians knee infront of Jesus Christus's crucified staue. This is the main difference between Christianity and Jews and Islam. Islam also vorbids to worship to pictures, stones, statues like Jews. Turks were alsway sufies like my friend wrote above. But there were also very fundamentalists also. Thats the reason that fine arts never flurished in Turkey. Fine artists like Fafaelle,Angelo, Goya never grow in Turkey. On the other hand there was an art of miniature. The Turkish miniature artists like Levni and many others draw all historical scienes into books. The Sultans let their portraits drawn by Italian artists.

 

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