The Battle of Klokotnitsa (Bulgarian: Битка при Клокотница, Bitka pri Klokotnitsa) occurred on 9 March 1230 near the village of Klokotnitsa (today in Haskovo Province, Bulgaria). As a result, the Second Bulgarian Empire emerged once again as the most powerful state in Eastern Europe and the power of the Despotate of Epirus faded. The battle is often considered by historians to be the luckiest in the Bulgarian military history. The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ... Events Kingdom of Leon unites with the Kingdom of Castile. ... Klokotnica (Bulgarian: Клокотница) is a village in southern Bulgaria near Haskovo. ... First Bulgarian Empire Second Bulgarian Empire This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The Despotate of Epirus was one of the medieval Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire, founded in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. ... Ivan Asen II (Ioan Asen II) (1218–1241), tsar of Bulgaria, was the son of Kaloyan, founder of the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Theodore Komnenos Doukas or Theodore Comnenus Ducas (Greek: Θεόδωρος Κομνηνός Δούκας, Theodōros KomnÄ“nos Doukas), ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230, died c. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Asparukh Constantine IV Strength at least 80,000 80,000 Casualties Light Almost the whole army The battle of Ongala took place in the summer of 680 in the Ongala area, an unspecified location in southern Ukraine, slightly to the north of the Danube delta. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Tervel Justinian II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Anchialus occurred in 708 near the town of Pomorie, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Khan Vinekh Constantine V Strength Unknown Very large army Casualties Light Heavy The battle of the Rishki Pass took place in the pass of the same name, Stara Planina, Bulgaria in 759. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Telets Constantine V Strength Unknown 9,600 cavalrymen and unknown number of infantry Casualties Heavy Heavy The battle of Anchialus (Bulgarian: ) occurred in 763, near the town of Pomorie on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Unknown Unknown Strength 12,000 80,000 Casualties Heavy Unknown The battle of Berzitia (Bulgarian: битка при Берзития) occurred in the fall of 774 near the town of Berzitia, Macedonia. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Kardam Constantine VI Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Marcelae (Bulgarian: битка при Маркели) took place in 792 near the town of Karnobat in south eastern Bulgaria. ... Krum (Bulgarian: ) (died April 13, 814) was ruler of Bulgaria, from after 796/ before 803 to 814. ... Combatants First Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Krum Unknown Strength Unknown c. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicephorus I† Krum Strength aroud 80,000 Unknown Casualties almost the whole army, including the emperor Unknown The Battle of Pliska (Battle of Vărbica pass) took place on July 26, 811, between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria, resulting in one of the worst defeats... During the Battle of Adrianople the Bulgarian emperor Krum led his army south towards Adrianople and pitched camp near Versinikia. ... The Battle of Versinikia was fought in 813 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarians. ... Simeon (also Symeon)[1] I the Great (Bulgarian: , transliterated Simeon I Veliki;[2] IPA: ) ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927,[3] during the First Bulgarian Empire. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Unknown Simeon I of Bulgaria Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Almost the whole army Unknown The battle of Bulgarophygon occurred in the summer of 896 near the town of Babaeski in modern Turkey. ... This article refers to the Battle of Anchialus fought in 917. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Simeon I of Bulgaria Leo Phokas Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Katasyrtai occurred in the fall of 917, shortly after the striking Bulgarian triumph at Anchialus near the village of the same names close to the Byzantine capital Constantinople, now Istambul. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Theodore Sigritsa Potas Argirus Alexios Musele † Strength Large army Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Pigae occurred between 11 and 18 March 922 in the outskirts of present-day Istambul. ... Samuil (also Samuel)[1] (Bulgarian: ; IPA: ) ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Macedonia from 997 to 6 October 1014, having prior to that co-ruled with Roman between 976 and 997. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light c. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Gregory Taronites† Ashot Taronites Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Heavy The battle of Solun (Bulgarian: битка при Солун) occurred in 996 near the city of Thessalonica, Greece. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Nicephorus Uranos Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Heavy Unknown The battle of Spercheios (Bulgarian: битка при Сперхей) took place in 996, on the shores of the river of the same name in present-day central Greece. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Skopie (Bulgarian: битка при Скопие) occurred in the vicinity of Skopie, present-day Republic of Macedonia in 1004. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Kreta occurred in 1009 near the village of Kreta to the east of Solun. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Basil II Nicephorus Xiphias Theophylactus Botaniates † Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria Strength Unknown 20 000 Casualties Unknown At least 14 000 The Battle of Kleidion (also Clidium and Klyuch, (the) key, or Belasitsa) took place on July 29, 1014 between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Peter Delyan Michael IX Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Ostrovo occurred in 1041 near Ostrovo, an area close to the lake of the same name in modern northern Greece. ... The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 (or 1422). ... The Battle of Adrianople was fought in 1254 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarians. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivailo of Bulgaria Unknown Strength Smaller force 10,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Devnya occurred on 17 July 1279 near Devnya, Varna Province, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Theodore Svetoslav Michael IX Palaiologos Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Skafida(Bulgarian: Битка при Скафида) occurred in 1304 near Sozopol, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivan Alexander Andronikos III Palaiologos Strength 11,000 3,000 Casualties Light Heavy Categories: | | ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ... Events Kingdom of Leon unites with the Kingdom of Castile. ... Klokotnica (Bulgarian: Клокотница) is a village in southern Bulgaria near Haskovo. ... Haskovo Province is a province in southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece and Turkey to the southeast. ... The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 (or 1422). ... Map of Eastern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... The Despotate of Epirus was one of the medieval Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire, founded in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. ...

Origins of the conflict

Around 1221–1222 the Bulgarian Emperor Ivan Asen II made an alliance with Theodore Komnenos Doukas of Epirus. Backed on this treaty, Theodore managed to conquer Solun (Thessalonica) from the Latin Empire, as well as Bulgarian lands in Macedonia including Ohrid. After the death of the Latin emperor Robert of Courtenay in 1228, Ivan Asen II was considered the most probable choice for regent of Baldwin II. Ivan Asen II (Ioan Asen II) (1218–1241), tsar of Bulgaria, was the son of Kaloyan, founder of the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Theodore Komnenos Doukas or Theodore Comnenus Ducas (Greek: Θεόδωρος Κομνηνός Δούκας, Theodōros KomnÄ“nos Doukas), ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230, died c. ... Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal, the largest city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ... The Latin Empire, Empire of Nicaea, Empire of Trebizond and the Despotate of Epirus. ... City motto : Coordinates Municipality : Ohrid municipality Elevation 695 m Population 55 749 Time zone  - Standard  - Summer (DST) CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) Founded Area code +389 046 Postal code 6000 Car plates OH Official Website www. ... The Latin Empire, Empire of Nicaea, Empire of Trebizond and the Despotate of Epirus. ... Robert of Courtenay (died 1228), emperor of the Latin Empire, or of Constantinople, was a younger son of the emperor Peter of Courtenay, and a descendant of the French king, Louis VI, while his mother Yolanda of Flanders was a sister of Baldwin and Henry of Flanders, the first and... Baldwin II may refer to: Baldwin II of Constantinople, Latin Emperor of Constantinople Baldwin II of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut (1056-1098) Baldwin II of Flanders This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

Theodore thought that Bulgaria is the only obstacle left on his way to Constantinople and in the beginning of March 1230 he invaded the country without a declaration of war. Map of Constantinople. ...

The battle

Theodore Komnenos summoned an enormous army including western mercenaries. He was so confident for his victory that he took the whole royal court with himself including his wife and children. His army moved slowly and plundered the villages on its way. When the Bulgarian tsar learned that the state was invaded, he gathered a small army of a few thousand men and quickly marched southwards. For four days the Bulgarians covered a distance three times longer than Theodore's army for a week.

On 9 March the two armies met near the village of Klokotnitsa. It is believed that Ivan Asen II ordered the broken mutual protection treaty to be stuck on his spear and used as a flag. He was a good tactician and managed to surround the enemy who was surprised to meet the Bulgarians so soon. The battled continued until sunset. The Epirians were completely defeated, only a small force under the despot's brother Manuel managed to escape the battlefield. The rest were killed in the battle or captured, including the royal court of Epirus and Theodore himself. March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ...

Aftermath

Ivan Asen II immediately released the captured soldiers without any conditions and the nobles were taken to Tarnovo. His fame of merciful and just ruler went ahead of his march to the lands of Theodore Komnenos and they were regained to Bulgaria without resistance. Veliko Tarnovo (Cyrillic: Велико Търново, Great Tarnovo, also Veliko Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ...