Battle of Nicopolis
Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe
Battle of Nicopolis by Jean Froissart, 1398
Date September 25, 1396 Location Nicopolis Result Decisive Ottoman victory
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Kingdom of Hungary, Holy Roman Empire, France, Wallachia, Poland, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Old Swiss Confederacy, Republic of Venice, Republic of Genoa, Knights of St. John
Commanders
Bayezid I	Sigismund of Hungary, Jean Le Maingre #, John of Nevers #, Enguerrand VII de Coucy #, Jean de Vienne †, Jean de Carrouges †, Mircea the Elder
Strength
~ 20-25,000[1]; possibly up to 60,000 according to numerous sources including the 15th century Ottoman historian Şükrullah who gives the figure of the Ottoman army as 60,000 in his Behçetu't-Tevârih[2], roughly half of the Crusader army[3]	~ 6-8,000 Hungarians[4][5], ~ 10,000 French, English and Burgundian[6] troops, ~ 10,000 Wallachians[7], ~ 6,000 Germans[8] and nearly 15,000[9] Dutch, Bohemian, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Scottish and Swiss troops on the land, with the naval support of Venice, Genoa and the Knights of St. John; about 47,000 - 49,000 in total; possibly up to 120,000 or 130,000 according to numerous sources, including the 15th century Ottoman historian Şükrullah who gives the figure of the Crusader army as 130,000 in his Behçetu't-Tevârih[10][11]
Casualties and losses
Heavy casualties, especially during the initial phase of the battle	Most of the Crusader army was destroyed, the remainder was pushed back to the Danube, with a small portion, including Sigismund, being able to escape[12] ~ 3,000[13] to ~ 10,000[14] prisoners were executed after the battle in retaliation for the Rahovo massacre of the Ottoman prisoners by the French forces

The Battle of Nicopolis (Bulgarian: Битка при Никопол, Bitka pri Nikopol; Turkish: Niğbolu Savaşı, Hungarian: Nikápolyi Csata, Romanian:Bătălia de la Nicopole) took place on September 25, 1396, between the Ottoman Empire versus an allied force from Hungary, the Holy Roman Empire, France, Wallachia, Poland, the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Scotland, the Old Swiss Confederacy, the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Genoa and the Knights of St. John near the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis (Nikopol, Bulgaria). It is often referred to as the Crusade of Nicopolis, and was the last large-scale crusade of the Middle Ages. The battle is sometimes dated to September 28. The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events September 25 - Bayazid I defeats Sigismund of Hungary and John of Nevers at the Battle of Nicopolis. ... A town in North Bulgaria on the Danube river, Nicopolis was the site of the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Motto Latin: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Capital Edinburgh¹ Language(s) Gaelic, Scots Government Monarchy King/Queen  - 843-860 Kenneth I  - 1587–1625 James VI  - 1702-1714 Anne Legislature Parliament of Scotland History  - United 843  - Union of the... 1550 illustration for the Sempacherbrief of 1393, one of the major alliance contracts of the Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... The Knights Hospitaller (the or Knights of Malta or Knights of Rhodes) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in the 11th century based in the Holy Land, but soon became a militant Christian Chivalric Order under its own charter, and was charged with the care... // Bayezid I (Ottoman: بايزيد الأول, Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman: ییلدیرم), the Thunderbolt; 1354–1403) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. ... Sigismund, aged approximately 50, depicted by unknown artist in the 1420s — the only contemporary portrait. ... Jean II Le Maingre (in Old French, Jehan le Meingre), called Boucicaut (August 28, 1366-1421) was marshal of France and a knight renowned for his military skill. ... Balian of Ibelin surrendering the city of Jerusalem to Saladin, from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, ca. ... John the Fearless (French: Jean sans Peur), also John II, Duke of Burgundy, known as John of Valois and John of Burgundy (May 28, 1371 – September 10, 1419), was Duke of Burgundy from 1404 to 1419. ... Balian of Ibelin surrendering the city of Jerusalem to Saladin, from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, ca. ... Enguerrand VII de Coucy (1340 - 1397), also known as Ingelram de Coucy, was a 14th century French nobleman, the last Sire de Coucy, and the son-in-law of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. ... Balian of Ibelin surrendering the city of Jerusalem to Saladin, from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, ca. ... Jean de Vienne (1341, Dole - 1396, Nicopolis) was a French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years War. ... Sir Jean de Carrouges IV (c. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Combatants Hungary, Poland and others Ottoman Empire Commanders WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw III of Poland † Janos Hunyadi Murad II Strength ~ 20,000 ~ 60,000[1][2] Casualties ~ 11,000 ~ 8,000 The Battle of Varna took place on November 10, 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. ... Belligerents Ottoman Empire Hungaria Walachia Serbs Commanders Murad II John Hunyadi Strength ~ 40,000 to 60,000[1][2] 24,000[2][3] Casualties and losses Unknown Unknown The Second Battle of Kosovo (Hungarian: második rigómezei csata, Turkish: Ä°kinci Kosova muharebesi) (October 17–October 20, 1448) was fought... Combatants Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Commanders Mehmet II John Hunyadi Strength About 100,000 About 75,000 Casualties About 50,000 About 10,000 After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Ottoman sultan Mehmed II was rallying his resources in order to subjugate the Kingdom of Hungary. ... This article is about the better-known Battle of Mohács of 1526. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Combatants Christendom, Catholicism West European Christians, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Seljuks, Arabs and other Muslims The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of liberating the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims and freeing the Eastern Christians from Muslim... The fall of Edessa, seen here on the right of this map (c. ... The Third Crusade (1189–1192), also known as the Kings Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. ... Combatants Livonian Order Denmark Sweden Livonians, Curonians, Latgalians, Estonians Commanders Albert of Riga Anders Sunesen Caupo of Turaida † Theoderich von Treyden Volquin Wenno William of Modena Lembitu of Lehola † Vyachko † The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia... Belligerents Crusaders Holy Roman Empire Republic of Venice Montferret Champagne Blois Amiens ÃŽle-de-France Saint-Pol Burgundy Flanders Balkans Byzantine Empire Kingdom of Hungary Croatia Dalmatia Commanders Otto IV Boniface I Theobald I Lois I Alexios V Doukas Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Emeric I The Fourth Crusade... The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209 - 1229) was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the heresy of the Cathars of Languedoc. ... The Childrens Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French and/or German boy, an intention to peacefully convert Muslims to Christianity, bands of children marching to Italy, and children... Frisian crusaders confront the Tower of Damietta, Egypt. ...  Baltic tribes and Prussian clans ca. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. ... The Shepherds Crusade is two separate events from the 13th and 14th century. ... The Eighth Crusade was a crusade launched by Louis IX of France, (who was by now in his mid-fifties) in 1270. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Aragonese Crusade or Crusade of Aragón was declared by Pope Martin IV against the king of Aragón, Peter III the Great, in 1284 and 1285. ... The Alexandrian Crusade of October 1365[1] was a seaborne[2] Crusade on Alexandria led by Peter I of Cyprus. ... The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... Crusades First – Peoples – German – 1101 – Second – Third – Fourth – Albigensian – Childrens – Fifth – Sixth – Seventh – Shepherds – Eighth – Ninth – Aragonese – Alexandrian – Nicopolis – Northern – Hussite – Varna – Otranto Hussite Wars Nekmer - SudomÄ•Å™ – Vítkov – VyÅ¡ehrad – Nebovidy - NÄ›mecký Brod – HoÅ™ice – Ústí nad Labem – Tachov – Lipany – Grotniki The Hussite Wars, also called... The Crusade of Varna was a string of events in 1443-1444 between the Kingdom of Hungary, the Serbian Despotate, and the Ottoman Empire. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Naples Kingdom of Aragon Kingdom of Hungary Commanders Gedik Ahmed Pasha Francesco Largo † Alphonso II of Naples Strength Between 18,000 and 100,000 men. ... Combatants Habsburg Dynasty including: Habsburg Spain Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Austrian Empire Non-Habsburg Allies: Tsardom of Russia Holy League Allies: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Republic of Venice Ottoman Turks Barbary States (Under Ottoman Protection) Crimean Khanate The Ottoman-Habsburg wars refers to the conflicts between the Ottoman Empire... // Combatants Holy League: Spain  Republic of Venice Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Ottoman Empire Commanders Don John of Austria Ali Pasha † Strength 206 galleys, 6 galleasses 230 galleys, 56 galliots Casualties 8,000 dead or wounded, 12 galleys lost 20,000 dead or wounded... // For siege of Vienna in 1529 see Siege of Vienna Combatants Holy League: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Austria, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Bavaria Ottoman Empire, Khanate of Crimea, Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia Commanders John III Sobieski, Charles V of Lorraine Kara Mustafa Pasha Strength 70,000, (10,000 during siege) 138,000, (200... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events September 25 - Bayazid I defeats Sigismund of Hungary and John of Nevers at the Battle of Nicopolis. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... This article is about the medieval empire. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right Territory of the Kingdom of England Capital Winchester; London from 11th century Language(s) Old English (de facto, until 1066) Anglo-Norman language (de jure, 1066 - 15th century) English (de facto, gradually replaced French from late 13th century) Government Monarchy... Motto Latin: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Capital Edinburgh¹ Language(s) Gaelic, Scots Government Monarchy King/Queen  - 843-860 Kenneth I  - 1587–1625 James VI  - 1702-1714 Anne Legislature Parliament of Scotland History  - United 843  - Union of the... 1550 illustration for the Sempacherbrief of 1393, one of the major alliance contracts of the Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... The Knights Hospitaller (the or Knights of Malta or Knights of Rhodes) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in the 11th century based in the Holy Land, but soon became a militant Christian Chivalric Order under its own charter, and was charged with the care... This article is about the Danube River. ... Nikopol is a town in North Bulgaria, Pleven Province, on the Danube river. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Background

There were many minor crusades in the 14th century, undertaken by individual kings or knights. Most recently there had been a failed crusade against Tunisia in 1390, and there was ongoing warfare in northern Europe along the Baltic coast. After their victory at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the Ottomans had conquered most of the Balkans, and had reduced the Byzantine Empire to the area immediately surrounding Constantinople, which they later proceeded to besiege (in 1390, 1395, 1397, 1400, 1422 and finally conquering the Byzantine capital in 1453). The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... For other uses, see Baltic (disambiguation). ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Serbia Bosnia Commanders Murad I †, Bayezid I, Yakub † Lazar Hrebeljanović †, Vuk Branković, Vlatko Vuković Strength ~ 27,000-40,000[9][10][11] ~ 12,000-30,000[9][10][11][12] Casualties moderate amount; Sultan Murad I killed as a result of a ruse Extremely high; most of... Balkan redirects here. ... Byzantine redirects here. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499) The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of that Greek city by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... Combatants  Byzantine Empire Ottoman Sultanate Commanders Constantine XI †, Loukas Notaras, Giovanni Giustiniani †[1] Mehmed II, ZaÄŸanos Pasha Strength 80,000[2] 80,000[1]-200,000[1][3] Casualties 4,000 dead[4] [5][6] unknown The Fall of Constantinople refers to the capture of the Byzantine Empires...

In 1393 the Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman had lost Nicopolis — his temporary capital — to the Ottomans, while his brother, Ivan Stratsimir, still held Vidin but had been reduced to an Ottoman vassal. In the eyes of the Bulgarian boyars, despots and other independent Balkan rulers, this was a great chance to reverse the course of the Ottoman invasion and free the Balkans from Islamic rule. In addition, the frontline between Islam and Christianity had been moving slowly towards the Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary was now the frontier between the two religions in Eastern Europe, and the Hungarians were in danger of being attacked themselves. The Republic of Venice feared that an Ottoman control of the Balkan peninsula, which included Venetian territories like parts of Morea and Dalmatia, would reduce their influence over the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea and Aegean Sea. The Republic of Genoa, on the other hand, feared that if the Ottomans would gain control over River Danube and the Turkish Straits, they would eventually obtain a monopoly over the trade routes between Europe and the Black Sea, where the Genoese had many important colonies like Caffa, Sinop and Amasra. The Genoese also owned the citadel of Galata, located at the north of the Golden Horn in Constantinople, to which Bayezid had laid siege in 1395. Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgarian was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his second wife Theodora. ... Tsar Ivan Stratsimir of Bulgaria was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his first wife Princess Theodora of Wallachia. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... The Morea and surrounding states carved from the Byzantine Empire, as they were in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911) The name Morea (Μωρέας) for Peloponnesos first appears in the 10th century in Byzantine chronicles. ... Dalmatia, highlighted, on a map of Croatia. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ... The Ionian Sea. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... For other uses of Danube, see Danube (disambiguation). ... Bosporus - photo taken from International Space Station. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... Feodosiya (Russian: Феодосия; Ukrainian: Феодосія; Crimean Tatar/Turkish: Kefe) is a port and resort city in southern Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of Crimea at coordinates 45. ... For other meanings of Sinop/Sinope, see Sinope Sinop (also Sinope) is a city with a population of 47,000 on the coast of the Black Sea, in the modern region of Galatia in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope. ... Sunset in Amasra Amasra (pop. ... Galata or Galatae is a district in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. ... Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu) on the Golden Horn as seen from Galata Tower, with the Sea of Marmara and the Princes Islands in the background, and Kadıköy (ancient Chalcedon) at left, on the Asian side Seraglio Point from Pera, with the Bosphorus at left, the entrance of the Golden... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ...

In 1394, Pope Boniface IX proclaimed a new crusade against the Turks, although by this time the Western Schism had split the papacy in two, with rival popes at Avignon and Rome, and the days when a pope had the authority to call a crusade were long past. Nevertheless, England and France were now at an intermission in the Hundred Years' War, and Richard II and Charles VI were willing to work together to finance a crusade. French negotiations for a joint crusade with Sigismund, the King of Hungary and the Holy Roman Emperor, had been underway since 1393. Boniface IX, né Piero Tomacelli (1356 – October 1, 1404), was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism from November 2, 1389 – until October 1, 1404). ... Historical map of the Western Schism: red is support for Avignon, blue for Rome The Western Schism or Papal Schism (also known as the Great Schism of Western Christianity) was a split within the Catholic Church (1378 - 1417). ... For the Municipality in Quebec, see Avignon Regional County Municipality, Quebec. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... Richard II (January 6, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. ... Charles VI Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad (French: Charles VI le Bien-Aimé, later known as le Fol) (December 3, 1368 – October 21, 1422) was a King of France (1380 – 1422) and a member of the Valois Dynasty. ... Sigismund, aged approximately 50, depicted by unknown artist in the 1420s — the only contemporary portrait. ... This is a list of all rulers of the Kingdom of Hungary since Árpád. ...

Preparations

The initial plan was for John of Gaunt, Louis of Orleans, and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, to leave in 1395, with Charles and Richard following them the next year. By the beginning of 1396 these plans had been abandoned. Instead, John of Nevers led a force of approximately 10,000 French^[15], mostly cavalry from Burgundy, with an English contingent of about 1,000 men. There were also about 6,000 men from the Palatinate, Bavaria, and Nuremberg. However other sources^[16] place the total number of troops under John as 8,000 men. This means that Sigismund contributed between 8,000 and 6,000 men from his Hungarian lands, with a total of 16,000 troops^[17]. The French forces set off from Montbéliard in April of 1396, arrived in Vienna in May and June, and joined with Sigismund in Buda in July. Although he was Orthodox, Mircea the Elder, the Prince of Wallachia, also participated with a large force in the Crusading army. His principality now constituted the border between Christendom and Islam. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Louis de Valois (March 13, 1372 – November 23, 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death. ... See: Philip III of France (1245-1285, king of France 1270-1285) Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1363-1404, regent of France 1380-1388) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Cross of Burgundy Flag The Duchy of Burgundy, today Bourgogne, has its origin in the small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Balds kingdom of West Franks. ... John the Fearless (French: Jean sans Peur), also John II, Duke of Burgundy, known as John of Valois and John of Burgundy (May 28, 1371 – September 10, 1419), was Duke of Burgundy from 1404 to 1419. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Nürnberg redirects here. ... Montbéliard is a commune in the Doubs département of the Franche-Comté région, in eastern France. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... Buda (German: Ofen, Croatian: Budim, Slovak: Budín, Serbian: Будим or Budim, Turkish: Budin) is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the right bank of the Danube. ... ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Below is the list of Wallachian rulers, since the first mentioned until the unification with Moldavia in 1859. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ...

Wallachia (like Moldavia) was familiar with Ottoman battle strategies, as Mircea had inflicted several blows to the same Bayezid at the Battle of Karanovasa, the Battle of Rovine and the battles over the Principality of Karvuna in 1395. Johann Schiltberger, a Bavarian crusader who fell prisoner at Nicopolis, would later describe in his memoirs the conflict raised by the disagreement on choosing between two different warfare tactics: that of the Crusaders' army, with its bulk of forces constituted by the slow, typically Western heavy cavalry, and that of Mircea, who, prior to the battle, asked Sigismund to execute a reconnaissance mission, to evaluate the enemies’ status, and to conclude the optimal strategy. Sigismund agreed, and Mircea asked for the command of the Crusader forces and the right to be the first to attack, after carrying out his own reconnaissance mission with a Wallachian light cavalry party. Sigismund willingly consented, but the proposal was dismissed by John of Nevers and other Western knights, who rejected any change in traditional tactics (Nevers himself aimed for the honour to be the first to attack, as he traveled a great distance, and had spent much money in the expedition). For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... // Bayezid I (Ottoman: بايزيد الأول, Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman: ییلدیرم), the Thunderbolt; 1354–1403) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. ... Combatants Wallachia Ottoman Empire Commanders Mircea cel Bătrân Bayezid I Strength 10,000 [citation needed] 40,000 Casualties Unknown large [citation needed] The Battle of Karanovasa (lit. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Johann (or Hans) Schiltberger (May 9?, 1381 - 1440?), German traveller and writer, was born of a noble family, probably at Hollern near Lohof, half way between Munich and Freising, on what was then a property of his family. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Early 16th century French gendarmes, with complete plate armour and heavy lances. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ...

Nevers took the command of the combined force and marched south towards Nicopolis. The countryside was plundered along the way by the Crusaders, and the city of Rahovo (Oryahovo) was sacked, its inhabitants killed or taken as prisoners. A number of minor Ottoman forces were also captured.^[18] Oryahovo (Bulgarian: , Romanian: Rahova) is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. ...

Siege of Nicopolis

The city was well-defended and well-supplied, and the crusaders had brought no siege machines with them. Nevertheless they were convinced that the siege of the fortress would be a mere prelude to a major thrust into relieving Constantinople and did not believe that Bayezid I would arrive so speedily to give them a real battle.^[19] The Ottoman sultan Bayezid I, already occupied with his own siege at Constantinople, gathered his army and marched towards Nicopolis. His vassal Stefan Lazarević of Serbia (which was under Ottoman control since the Battle of Kosovo in 1389) joined him on the way, and they arrived on September 24, with about 20,000 men.^[20] Bayezid I was warned by Gian Galeazzo Visconti about the crusaders' troop movements. Replica battering ram at Château des Baux, France. ... The Osmanli Dynasty, also the House of Osman, ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923, beginning with Osman I (not counting his father, Ertuğrul), though the dynasty was not proclaimed until 1383 when Murad I declared himself sultan. ... // Bayezid I (Ottoman: بايزيد الأول, Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman: ییلدیرم), the Thunderbolt; 1354–1403) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. ... Despot Stefan Lazarevićs Coat of Arms 1415 AD Despot Stefan Lazarević (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Лазаревић) (1374-1427) was the son and heir to Lazar (Serbian: Кнез Лазар), the Serbian prince who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and princess Milica (Милица) from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić (Немањић) dynasty. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Serbia Bosnia Commanders Murad I †, Bayezid I, Yakub † Lazar Hrebeljanović †, Vuk Branković, Vlatko Vuković Strength ~ 27,000-40,000[9][10][11] ~ 12,000-30,000[9][10][11][12] Casualties moderate amount; Sultan Murad I killed as a result of a ruse Extremely high; most of... Portrait attributed to Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis, reputed to be of Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (November 1351 – September 3, 1402), son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca di Savoia, was the first Duke of Milan (1395)[1] and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of...

The battle

Battle Map

The arrival of Bayezid's troops came as a complete shock to the Crusaders, who were having dinner when a messenger arrived with the news.^[21] On the 25th, both sides prepared for battle. Before the battle began, the Ottoman prisoners from Rahovo were killed by the French, for unknown reasons. The French and English formed the vanguard, while Sigismund divided his troops into three: he commanded the Hungarian and German troops in the centre himself, the Transylvanians formed the right wing, and the Wallachians under Mircea the Elder formed the left. Bayezid formed his lines with a vanguard of cavalry protected by a line of stakes, a main line of archers and Janissaries, and the main body of Ottomans and Serbians hidden behind hills some distance away. Mircea the Elder of Wallachia advised a cautious battle plan, and requested to be allowed to attack first. Wallachian cavalry were to harass the Ottomans out of their positions so that the skilled horse archers would be able to easily pick off individual Turks, thus leaving the Turkish main line severely weakened and more prone to collapsing under the weight of a subsequent charge of the heavy Western knights. Mircea's proposal was refused by the other Crusaders, who thought that the Wallachian ruler only wanted to gain all the glory for himself. Thus, a straightforward sledgehammer-tactic was put in motion by the Westerners, a plan which would prove to be disastrous for the Crusader forces. Download high resolution version (704x633, 71 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (704x633, 71 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish: ينيچرى (yeniçeri) meaning new soldier) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ...

The French, mostly clad in superior armour uniforms, charged towards the Ottoman vanguard, but soon realized they would have to dismount when they reached the line of stakes. They did so, and began to remove the stakes, while under fire from the Ottoman archers. When this was accomplished, the unarmoured Ottoman infantry met the now horseless but well-armoured knights, who had the upper hand in close fighting. The French rushed forward to attack the cavalry and were again successful. Although they were still without their horses, the French pursued the retreating Ottomans all the way back to the hill. However, upon reaching the top, the now exhausted French forces discovered the main Ottoman army awaiting them. In the ensuing fight, the French were completely defeated. Jean de Vienne, admiral of France, was killed in combat, although he is described as having defended the French standard six times before he fell. Jean de Carrouges fell alongside Jean de Vienne. John of Nevers, Enguerrand VII de Coucy and Jean Le Maingre, Marshal of France, were captured. At this point, however, the battle was not yet lost. Jean de Vienne (1341, Dole - 1396, Nicopolis) was a French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years War. ... The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France. ... Sir Jean de Carrouges IV (c. ... Duke John I aka Jean de Valois and Jean de Bourgogne (May 28, 1371, Dijon – September 10, 1419, on the bridge of Montereau), also known as the Fearless (French: sans peur) was Duke of Burgundy from 1404 to 1419. ... Enguerrand VII de Coucy (1340 - 1397), also known as Ingelram de Coucy, was a 14th century French nobleman, the last Sire de Coucy, and the son-in-law of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. ... Jean II Le Maingre (in Old French, Jehan le Meingre), called Boucicaut (August 28, 1366-1421) was marshal of France and a knight renowned for his military skill. ... Baton of a modern Marshal of France The Marshal of France (French: Maréchal de France) is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. ...

Meanwhile, the riderless horses made their way back to Sigismund's camp. Sigismund came to the aid of the French, and met Bayezid's force on the hill. The battle was about evenly matched^[22] until the Serbians arrived. Sigismund was persuaded by his companions to retreat; troops led by Hermann II of Cilli helped him to reach a Venetian ship for safety. Sigismund allegedly said of the French: "If only they had listened to me... We had men in the plenty to fight our enemies." Sigismund, aged approximately 50, depicted by unknown artist in the 1420s — the only contemporary portrait. ... Sigismund, aged approximately 50, depicted by unknown artist in the 1420s — the only contemporary portrait. ... Hermann II, Count of Celje (Count of Cilli) (about 1365 - 13 October 1435), Ban of Croatia, Slovenia and Dalmatia, was son of Herman I, Count of Celje and his wife Katerina of Bosnia. ...

In the late afternoon, Stefan Lazarević led the charge of the 5,000 Serb Full plate armour knights left wing and encircled the undefended wings of Sigismund's troops. Bayezid and his ally and brother-in-law Stefan Lazarevic immediately recognized the well-known banner of another brother-in-law, Nikola II Gorjanski, fighting on Sigismund's side. A deal was made, and Sigismund's army surrendered. The Wallachian army, having witnessed the disastrous attacks made by the other crusaders and the surrender of Sigismund, retreated and started to head for home. Despot Stefan Lazarevićs Coat of Arms 1415 AD Despot Stefan Lazarević (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Лазаревић) (1374-1427) was the son and heir to Lazar (Serbian: Кнез Лазар), the Serbian prince who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and princess Milica (Милица) from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić (Немањић) dynasty. ... Serbs (in the Serbian language Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... Gothic armour Plate armour is personal armour made from large metal plates, worn on the chest and sometimes the entire body. ... Despot Stefan Lazarevićs Coat of Arms 1415 AD Despot Stefan Lazarević (in Cyrillic: Стефан Лазаревић) (1374-1427) was the son and heir to Lazar (Cyrillic: Лазар), the Serbian prince who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and princess Milica (Cyrillic: Милица) from the subordinate... Nicholas II Garay (Nikola II Gorjanski, Garai Miklós II; 1367-1433) was the ban of Mačva, Usora, Soli (modern Tuzla), Slavonia, Croatia, and Dalmatia. ... Sigismund, aged approximately 50, depicted by unknown artist in the 1420s — the only contemporary portrait. ...

Aftermath

The execution of the prisoners in retaliation for the Rahovo massacre of Ottoman prisoners

On September 26, Bayezid ordered between 3,000 to 10,000 prisoners to be killed, in retaliation for the killing of the Ottoman prisoners in Rahovo by the French. He was also angry that he had lost so many men, especially in the early stages of the battle, despite his overall victory. He kept the younger prisoners for his own army. Those who escaped eventually returned home, although many perished on the way; Sigismund himself was allowed to escape with Nikola Gorjanski and Hermann of Cilli, and he took the sea route back home on a Venetian ship through the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean, suspecting the Wallachians of treachery. Charles VI was informed of the defeat on Christmas. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Oryahovo (Bulgarian: , Romanian: Rahova) is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Oryahovo (Bulgarian: , Romanian: Rahova) is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ...

The knights of Western Europe soon lost their enthusiasm for crusading. Fighting would continue in Spain and the Mediterranean, and among the pagans of northern Europe, but no new expedition was launched from Western Europe to stop the Turkish advance in the Balkans after this defeat, until the period of the Renaissance. The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ...

England and France soon renewed their war. Wallachia continued its stance against the Ottomans, having stopped another expedition in the next year, 1397, and in 1400 yet another expedition of the Ottomans. The defeat of Sultan Beyazid I by Timur (Tamerlane) at Ankara in the summer of 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire and Mircea took advantage of it to organize together with the Kingdom of Hungary a campaign against the Turks. The Hungarians and Poles were defeated at the Battle of Varna in 1444, and Constantinople finally fell in 1453 to the Turks, followed by the Despotate of Morea in 1460 and the Empire of Trebizond in 1461, which brought an end to the last vestiges of the Byzantine Empire as well as the final remaining pockets of Greek resistance against the Ottoman Turks in both the Balkans and Anatolia. For the similar-sounding word Timor, see Timor (disambiguation). ... Combatants Hungary, Poland and others Ottoman Empire Commanders WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw III of Poland † Janos Hunyadi Murad II Strength ~ 20,000 ~ 60,000[1][2] Casualties ~ 11,000 ~ 8,000 The Battle of Varna took place on November 10, 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. ... Combatants  Byzantine Empire Ottoman Sultanate Commanders Constantine XI †, Loukas Notaras, Giovanni Giustiniani †[1] Mehmed II, ZaÄŸanos Pasha Strength 80,000[2] 80,000[1]-200,000[1][3] Casualties 4,000 dead[4] [5][6] unknown The Fall of Constantinople refers to the capture of the Byzantine Empires... The Despotate of Morea in 1450, showing Mystras. ... The Empire of Trebizond and other states carved from the Byzantine Empire, as they were in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911) The Empire of Trebizond (Greek: Βασίλειον τῆς Τραπεζούντας) was a Byzantine Greek successor state of the Byzantine Empire founded in 1204 as a result of the capture of Constantinople by...

The Battle of Nicopolis is also widely regarded as the end of the Second Bulgarian Empire, since hopes for its salvation had come to an end with the defeat of the Crusaders. Imperial Emblem (under the Shisman Dynasty) Bulgarian Empire c. ...

By their victory at Nicopolis, the Turks discouraged the formation of future European coalitions against them. They maintained their pressure on Constantinople, tightened their control over the Balkans, and became a greater menace to central Europe.^[23]

Notes

Thomas F. Madden (born c. ...

References

• Aziz S. Atiya, The Crusades in the Later Middle Ages. New York, 1965.
• Aziz S. Atiya, The Crusade of Nicopolis. New York, 1978.
• Norman Housley, ed., Documents on the Later Crusades, 1274–1580. New York, 1996.
• Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Oxford History of the Crusades. Oxford, 1995.
• Froissart's Chronicles Book IV 1389–1400
• Philip Sherrard, Great Ages of Man Byzantium, Time-Life Books
• Madden, Thomas F. Crusades the Illustrated History. 1st ed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan P, 2005
• Parker, Geoffrey. Compact History of the World. 4th ed. London: Times Books, 2005
• Mango, Cyril. The Oxford History of Byzantium. 1st ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2002
• Grant, R G. Battle a Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2005

Professor Norman Housley is Professor of History and head of the School of Historical Studies at the University of Leicester. ... Froissarts Chronicle was written in French by Jean Froissart. ... Thomas F. Madden (born c. ... Cyril A. Mango (born 14 April 1928 in Istanbul) is a British scholar in the history, art, and architecture of the Byzantine Empire. ...

External links

• Encyclopædia Britannica: Battle of Nicopolis
• History of War: Battle of Nicopolis, 25 September 1396
• The Crusades Wiki

Military history of the Ottoman Empire Portal