Notable Battles of Medieval Hungarians

Of Course Batu did not have ambitions of Khan but he did want to secure his new power in Russia,thus he sent 3 tumen back to mongolia and took russia as his base.

He knew the leadership structure was fragile so was protecting his own interests.

Hi!

The long campaign (a.k.a. the winter campaign)

September 1443 � February 1444

A) Background

By 1443 king Uladislaus managed to secure his power in most part of Hungary, although supporters of the child Ladislaus Posthumus still strongly held some territories in the kingdom.  The continuous attacks of the Ottoman Empire and the earlier successes of Hunyadi showed that the Ottoman question must be solved in the military way. A successful campaign against the Ottomans could also have increased the authority and legitimacy of Vladislaus solidifing his power.

Vladislaus Jagiellon, drawing by Jan Matejko:

After the Council of Basel-Ferrara and the controversial union with the Eastern Curch Pope Eugenius IV sent Cardinal Giuliano Cesarini as his legate to Hungary in order to organize a crusade against the Ottomans. Cardinal Cesarini successfully mediate a cease fire between Uladislaus and the party of Ladislaus Posthumus.

Pope Eugenius IV by Jean Fouquet:

In March 1443 the royal council passed an order of collecting extraordinary war tax. (1 golden forint per a serf mansion). Hungary also got financial aid from the Pope and Venice helped the crusaders with 10 thousand pounds of gunpowder. Negotiations began for sending a Papal�Venetian fleet to cut Ottoman supply from Asia Minor, but this plan failed because the Pope and Venice was not able to agree about who finance the fleet.

Finally Uladislaus raised and army of 25-30 000 men. Besides the Hungarian army there were Polish troops plus  Wallachian, Bosnian and Serbian (under Branković) auxiliary forces.  A contingent of Crusader insurgents, armed peasants were also raised. The army had 600 Hussite warwagons with Bohemian mercenaries as crew. The warwagons were commanded by Jan Čapek a former deputy of Jan Griska. The crusader force was significant, though the king had to leave behind forces to ensure the peaceful behaviour of Ladislaus Posthumus supporters.

The aim of the  of the crusade was to shake Ottoman power on the Balkans and if it is possible the capture of its capital Adrianople (modern Edirne, hung. Drin�poly). The moment was favourable. Sultan Murad II  fought with the elite forces in Asia Minor against Karamania and the Balkans was defended by only the Rumelian army garrisons.

B) Events of the Campaign

Hunyadi�s campaigns in the Balkans:

The campaign was launched. The Crusaders form two armies: the vanguard (12 000 men) commanded by John Hunyadi and the rest of the army led by King Uladislaus personally.

Minor Ottoman reinforcement (soldiers from some of the Anatolian sandjaks) arrives from Anatolia. The Ottoman army in the Balkans numbers cca. 20 000 men led by Khasim the beylerbey of Rumelia.

The Crusader army is numericaly superior and Ottoman forces are scattered in the Balkans. Khasim avoids open field battle and slowly retreats. He hopes that coming winter and continuous harassment will stop or at least weaken the Christians. Crusaders capture Ni� without any difficulty.

November 1443

Minor Ottoman forces are harrassing the Crusader vanguard. Hunyadi defeats them one by one.
- Isa bey�s cavalry
- Unidentified light cavalry troops
- Turkhan bey�s akincis

Presumably beylerbey Khasim tried to lure the vanguard far from the main army with these minor forces.  Suddenly he by-passes Hunyadi and attacks Uladislaus somewhere between Ni� and Kru�evac. His plan fails. Hunyadi�s scouts inform the voivod about the attack. Hunyadi orders forced march and manages to surprise Khasim. The beylerbey was defeated.

Murad II ends war with Karamania and hurries back to the Balkans with most of his forces, although he has to leave forces to ensure his back. He reaches Sofia. The long and fast march exhausted his forces and he does not dare to fight an open field battle. Instead of he fortify strategicaly important mountain passes.

Sultan Murad II:

Murad II leaves Sorfia only a smaller garrison left behind. He goes to the east.

Crusaders capture Sofia.

December 1443

Trajan�s Gate (a mountain pass) to the south is so strongly fortified that the Crusaders chose the Zlatitsa Pass instead to reach Adrianople. But Murad have already fortified it and wait behind it with his army.

12th December 1443
The Crusaders storm the pass, but after some failed attempt Uladislaus ordered the withdrawal to Hungary.

The Crusaders are harrassed by Ottoman marauders and the Sultan orders the Garand Vizier, Khalil pasha to pursue the christians. [NOTE: Other sources mentions Khasim pasha.]

24th December 1443
Khalil pasha cathes the Crusaders up at Melstitsa. The fight remains undecided.

Hunyadi sets a trap at the Kunovitsa Pass. The army of Khalil pasha attacks the rearguard led by the despot. Branković slowly withdraw and lures the Grand Vizier in front of the full crusader army in battle order. The unexpected charge of heavy cavalry crushes the Ottoman army. Even the Ottoman camp was captured.

After this victory the Crusaders can withdraw unmolested.

13rd January 1444

The Crusader army reaches Kru�evac. The despot tries to convince the king to spent the winter in Serbia, but this can�t be carried out: food supply run out, many horses died by plague and the king ran out of money and unable to pay the mercenaries anymore. The army returns to Hungary

February 1444

The king triumphantly enters Buda. A great praise mass was held in the Virgin Mary Church where the coat of arms of all of those lords who took part in the crused was hung. (More precisely it is the Nagyboldogasszony Church �modern Matthias Church-, but I am unable to translate it accurately.)

During the campaign the crusaders captured many important persons like the bey of Vidin, Plovdiv, Sofia, Sihabeddin former beylerbey, even the brother in law of the sultan. They also won many Ottoman banners etc.

C) Aftermath � Significance

The long campaign was not a decisive one. The Crusaders reconquered no lands or castles. They did not fight with the main Ottoman army an open field battle. Though it was a significant victory. Hungary was on the defensive till the times of Sigismund. But now an army deeply penetrated Ottoman territory defeated the �Turks� six times and returned with the booty without any serious defeat. The expulsion of the Ottomans from Europe again seemed a possibility and Hunyadi�s reputation reached the skies.

Hunyadi in the Thur�czy Chronicle:

Sultan Murad II practicing archery:

The Sultan asked Branković (his father in law) to mediate a peace with Hungary. He offered to restore the Serbian State (under the despot)  to pay Hungary a tribute of 100 000 gold coins and to help Hungary with an army of 30 000 men if needed. His offer was taken into consideration...