The battle of Rusokastro occurred on 18 July 1332 near the village of Rusokastro, Bulgaria. The result was a Bulgarian victory. The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events November 7 - Lucerne joins the Swiss Confederation with Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. ... Burgas Province or oblast (Bulgarian: Област Бургас) is located in southeastern Bulgaria, on the southern Black Sea coast. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 574 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1476 × 1542 pixel, file size: 1. ... Imperial Emblem (under the Shisman Dynasty) Bulgarian Empire c. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Byzantine redirects here. ... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan Aleksandǎr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Andronikos III Palaiologos or Andronicus III Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γ Παλαιολόγος) (March 25, 1297 - June 15, 1341) reigned as Byzantine emperor 1328–1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire 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 South-Western Ukraine or North-Eastern Romania around the... 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 Bulgarian Empire 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 Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Krum Nicephorus I† Strength Unknown around 80,000 Casualties Light almost the whole army, including the emperor The Battle of Pliska (Battle of Vărbitsa pass) (Bulgarian: битката при Върбишкия проход) took place on July 26, 811, between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria, resulting in one of the... 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 Bulgarian Empire 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 Constantinople. ... Samuil redirects here. ... 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 Skopje 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 Thessaloníki. ... 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. ... Imperial Emblem (under the Shisman Dynasty) Bulgarian Empire c. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Despotate of Epirus Commanders Ivan Asen II Theodore Komnenos Doukas Strength 25,000 85,000 Casualties Light Almost the whole army was killed or captured The Battle of Klokotnitsa (Bulgarian: , Bitka pri Klokotnitsa) occurred on 9 March 1230 near the village of Klokotnitsa (today in Haskovo Province... 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. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events November 7 - Lucerne joins the Swiss Confederation with Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. ...

Origins of the conflict

In 1328 the emperors of Bulgaria and Byzantium, Michael Asen III and Andronikos III Palaiologos, signed a secret treaty against Serbia. While Michael Asen III was fighting against the Serbs in 1330, the Byzantines invaded Thrace and captured the Bulgarian towns there. Following the defeat of Bulgaria in the Battle of Velbužd the Byzantines got a firm foothold there. Byzantium (Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city, which, according to legend, was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). ... Tsar Michael Shishman of Bulgaria (ruled 1323-1330) had to face an ingreasingly growing in power Serbia to the west. ... Andronikos III Palaiologos or Andronicus III Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γ Παλαιολόγος) (March 25, 1297 - June 15, 1341) reigned as Byzantine emperor 1328–1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... Tsar Michael Shishman of Bulgaria (ruled 1323-1330) had to face an ingreasingly growing in power Serbia to the west. ... Languages Serbian Religions Predominantly Serbian Orthodox Christian Related ethnic groups Other Slavic peoples, especially South Slavs See Cognate peoples below (* many Serbs opted for Yugoslav ethnicity) [27] Serbs (Serbian: Срби or Srbi) are a South Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak  Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrāíkÄ“ or ThrēíkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ...

Prelude

The Byzantines were to ready for war. Their Empire was rent with civil unrest and the army was fighting against the Turks in Asia Minor. In the Bulgarian Empire there were internecines too but the new Emperor Ivan Alexander knew that the decisive confrontation with Byzantium was yet to come and decidied to improve his relations with the Serbs. In 1332 he concluded a peace treaty with them which lasted till his death. The treaty was fastened with a mariage betweem the Serb king Stefan Dushan and the sister of the Emperor, Elena. In the summer of the same year the Byzantines gathered an army and without a declaration of war headed towards Bulgaria, looting and plundering the villages on their way. The Byzantines seized several castles because Ivan Alexander' attantion was turned in the oposite direction: he fighting rebel nobles in Vidin. He tried to negotiate with the enemy but failed. The the Emperor decided to act swiftly: for five days his cavalry coverred 230 km to reach Aitos and face the invaders. Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan AleksandÇŽr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... DuÅ¡an Silni Stefan UroÅ¡ IV DuÅ¡an Silni (the Mighty) (Serbian: Стефан Урош IV Душан Силни, in English also Stephen Dushan) (c. ... Helena of Bulgaria was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Petritsa. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... Ancient Rocks, Aitos Crafts Alley, Aitos Aitos municipality is located in the eastern part of the Republic of Bulgaria and belongs to the administrative boundaries of Burgas county. ...

The Battle

Ivan Alexander had troops of 8,000 while the Byzantines were only 3,000. There were negotiations between the two rulers but the Bulgarian emperor deliberately prolonged them because he was awaiting reinforcements. In the night of 17 July they finally arrived in his camp (3,000 cavalrymen) and he decided to attack the Byzantines the next day. Andronikos III Palaiologos had no choice but to accept the fight. The Byzantines tried to prevent the Bulgarian cavalry from surrounding them, but their manoeuvre failed and they ran away from the battlefield and hid in Rusokastro. The battle began at 6:00 and ended at 9:00. Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan Aleksandǎr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ... Andronikos III Palaiologos or Andronicus III Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γ Παλαιολόγος) (March 25, 1297 - June 15, 1341) reigned as Byzantine emperor 1328–1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. ...

Aftermath

The Bulgarians returned their lost lands in Thrace and strengthened the positions of their empire. This battle was considered by the medieval Bulgarian historians as a great triumph of emperor Ivan Alexander. That was the last major battle between Bulgaria and Byzantia as their seven-century rivalry for domination on the Balkan was soon to come to an end after the fall of the two Empires under Ottoman domination. Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak  Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrāíkÄ“ or ThrēíkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan AleksandÇŽr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... ... Look up Ottoman, ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...