The long-awaited world, the King of Hungary and Poland Vladislav III and the despot of Serbia Georgy Brankovich reigned in the Balkans, swear on the Gospel of the world with Sultan Murad II, who brings his oath, respectively on the Quran. The exchange of written abusive assurances took place through ambassadors. A ten-year moratorium on the fighting between Osmans and European participants of the conflict was announced.
However, the Roman dad, already at the beginning of the negotiation, was against the world. The old policy of the Catholic Rome affect the world's device with the hands of the Crusaders and here found her adept in the face of Cardinal Juliano Cesarini, former at the king rate. However, not this time, - Vladislav III, in spite of youth, had enough reason to stop at the successes achieved. Unfortunately, the Balkans, the mind was not enough for a long time ...
Perjury
Murad II loss in small Asia to finish her conquest. There was only one unacted bialle of Caracanides and soon he fell under the blows of the Ottoman troops headed by Sultan. After that, Sultan decided that his mission was completed in the earthly rule, and he could safely engage in spiritual practice, devoting himself to abstinence, prayer and studying the Quran. In 1444, he rents from the throne in favor of his son Mehmed, who was 12 years old at that time and removed in Manisa.
Having heard about it, Cardinal Juliano Cesarini again begins to decline the King of Vladislav III to continue the crusade and "score" on the oath, promising the permission from the pool with the name of Pope Roman. How the Cardinal Guardsmen sang in the famous Musicle of the USSR "Three Musketeers":
"To the one who the Cardinal is true, the pass to paradise is ordered in advance."The young king Vladislav III gives care of persons, but Serbian Despot Georgy Brankovich, not confessing Catholicism, and belonging to the Orthodox faith, will not go to the oath. Cardinal will receive from the Pope "permission from oath" for the king, as well as a small military from papal and Teutonic knights, who considered that the case is faithful and the campaign will bring profit.
On the side of the Cardinal was the voivod Janos Hunyadi, who longed for new victories and saw himself the liberator of all Eastern Europe from Ottoman Iga. And in 1444, violating the peace agreement, the Crusaders resumed a crusade. It seemed good luck to accompanied them. On the Trene Ottomans, even in the essence of the boy - Mehmed II, all the significant forces of the Ottoman army are focused in Anatolia, the papal and the Venetian fleet should have become a guarantor of the sea, and not to transfer the Sultan's army along the water, and they have a long campaign. The purpose of the Crusader was a rapid and victorious campaign on the then capital of Sultanate - Edirne. However, everything went not according to plan.
Murad II Response
The first "Nezhdanchik" flew to the king's field rate with the news that Murad II was angry at a joke and decided to "ask about the concepts" for violations of these promises. He again took power in the Sultanate in his hands and is going to head the campaign against the Crusaders, this time personally. Neither Vladislav III, nor Cardinal Juliano Cezarini did not expect such a turn of events.
The second unpleasant surprise was the transfer of the Ottoman army to Rumelia by Sea, on the fleet, the gallery, which was provided to Muradi II, at his request, the Genoese, - the long-standing competitors of Venice. Apparently the desire to "pump" competitors removed from them any moral principles. Papal and Venetian fleet Christian could not do anything, because And Dardanella and Bosphorus controlled Ottoman coastal artillery.
The army of the Crusaders moved slowly, the fortresses that they met along the way refused to capitulate and beat adequately. The king had to either take their storm, or bypass. And although the Bulgarian and Valah military officers joined the Crusaders on the way to the Crusaders, the total number of more than 7 thousand, the crusaders were moved slower than planned. They did not get to Edirna, the two armies met under the boa.
And in terms of the number of Osmans, exceeded their opponent. The number of crusaders is estimated from 16 to 24 thousand and they were all "pro", only nobles and their squads, as well as mercenaries and "soldiers of good luck" from Europe, went to this crusade. The army of Murad is considered, with the words of the losers, huge, more than 100 thousand people. Although this little converges with the facts, taking into account the fact that they arrived by the sea and they had not so much time for the campaign fees. According to the historian D. Engel there were 40 thousand or not many more.
"Kavalericards, a century is not a lot" or what causes insane heroism
The view of the approaching Army of Ottomans, according to the report of advanced intelligence officers, could not not inspire the congestion congestion. The first of the complexity of the situation was appreciated by Cardinal Cezarini. The fight was to occur on the coast of a wetland lake, from the northern part of it. The area was hilly crossed by elongated between the sorts of valleys, which narrowed just to the north.He suggested a very sensible plan, - to set wagon into a closed square and fight because of the shelter, waiting for the arrival of the Christian fleet and after that or floating, or to counterattack the enemy. The so-called wagon or as it was called the Sagittarius and Cossacks later, - a walk-city. Comable in Europe, in the Late Middle Ages, the way of conducting a battle with the superior and attacking opponent. The king himself and many experienced knights of the troops at the beginning were agreed, but here the word took Janos Hunyadi.
Who or that jerked behind the language of this talented commander is not clear. Although he himself became famous for ingenious performance of the battle in defense, with the superior enemy's forces, his speech was a pathoral and bribal. Hunyadi insisted that these actions are unworthy of the upcoming army coming to victory. So you can only act if the army is defeated and this is its last shelter.
Later, justifying the letter in front of the Pope, he admits in a fatal mistake, indicating that "a certain degree of reckless courage captured our hearts." It remains to make a "correction" - not "our hearts", but "his heart", and he has already infected everyone with his unhealthy enthusiasm.
Last Battle of King Vladislav
As a result, the army launched their combat order opposite each other, wagon and carts Christians were located in the rear of the semicircle. The participant of the battle of Andreas Pallastio, who described everything that happened, told that it was in order to stimulate warriors to fight, not hiding. The commander of both armies occupied positions in the center of their troops.
Murad, - surrounded by his Janichar, behind the trenches and earth shaft, the entrance and access in the bet is strictly guarded. In addition, camels were located there, about 500 heads, loaded with various expensive tissues, values and gold, standing there in case the enemy breaks down to the bet. In this case, it was necessary to open bags and scatter good to distract the enemy to robbery.
Despite the seeming absurdness, the chronicles of Halkokondil, Kallima and Dulgosh, (Byzantic, Italian and Pole) mention about camels. Next to the Sultan Sultan will be discharged Spear, to which instead of the banner there will be a violated contract. Before the battle, he will be carried before the army in testimony of the treachery of "incorrect."
Vladislav III, surrounded by knightly troops from the King Sweetheart, under the banner of the Crusade (Red Cross on the White Field) and the Royal Steps will also stand in the center of his troops. And the hot battle will begin.
The battle went two days, with a break for a night rest. By the evening of the first day of the battle, King Vladislav will make the most reckless act in his short life, which will eventually destroy him and trust the defeat of the Crusaders. So do not believe after that in the rupture for the oath!
So, all day the side fought with varying success, many crusaders were injured, including Hunyadi. However, the voivode tirelessly led the entire battle, moving from the flank to the flank and managing reserves. Crusaders were designed for the shelter of the carts, then counterattacked, invariably holding the position.
Sultan Murad was an experienced and wise warrior, he introduced the basic forces of Yanychar and imperial azoov who had the experience of war with the Europeans when the crusaders were already very tired. The Europeans on the description of Pallatio had the impression that Ottomans were practically not affected in the battle. However, even this Natisk did not lead to a fracture in the battle, both sides carry losses could not break each other's resistance.
At this very moment, "shot" by the pride of King Vladislav III, the Byzantine historian Halcokondil believes that he "encouraged" the retinue, "kapaya" to the Hyunyadi Voyage and convincing the king personally to deal with Sultan. Whatever, it was, but the young king (just 19 years old), the horse spurred and rushed to the Sultan's bet, and about half a thousand knights rushed. As the Ottoman's chronicler writes, Neshry King shouted:
"I want to speak personally with you, Murad! Tribesty from fear! ".However, the feat of Milos Obruch, who killed the master of Sultan Murad on the Kosovo field, Vladislav was not destined to repeat. The "own security service" of Sultan this time worked flawlessly. Yanychars broke up, missing the rider and sharply closed, killing his horse. Vladislav Kubarem fell to Earth.
He managed to shout: "Sultan Murad! Mr ... ". Karaji Hyzir ignored his cry, quickly bent and flawed him, immediately attaching his head to the pouch and having delivered her to Sultan. All those who accompany his riders will follow their king. However, almost no one seen this death and the night of the Crusaders will spend in a camp with confidence that the king is alive.
In the morning, the monarch head-held on a spear, shown in front of their positions of Christians with Ottoman warriors, scatters the illusion of the army of the Crusaders. After an unsuccessful attempt to repel the body of King Hunyadi, the army will go through the mountains and will be able to get to Hungary in two days. However, it takes so far from all, very many crusaders will fall under Varna under the Yatagans of the enemy, in swamps, ravines and the same mountains.
Battle's result
The head of the king king-oath Sultan will be laid in and in a glass vessel, it will be in a bursa. Then, by the words of Serb, who was then at Ottoman, Murad will give her as a gift to Caulifa in Cairo.
It must be said that the fate of Cardinal Juliano Cesarini, who persuaded Vladislava to break the oath, was also very sad. He tried, booting with gold, at the end of the first day of the battle "to drain in quiet" through the swamp, accompanied by the warriors loyal to him, but as is known from the descriptions of his biographer R. Jenkins, - "was found in the swamps nude and mortally wounded"
So sadly ended this crusade, - the intrigue of the Pope and Venice gave rise to chaos in Poland, who lost the king, and condemned the destruction of Byzantium. Soon, Serbia, Valahia, Bulgaria and Albania will be converted again. All the Balkans will be in power of Ottomans for several centuries.
Literature and sources
- N. Zhigalova "Battle at Varna 1444 and its historical consequences" (based on materials of Polish and Serbian sources).
- Mehmed Neshry "Wallowed on the Light: History for Ottoman Dvor."