Lower-Sava campaign

Lower-Sava campaign (1445)
Part of the Hungarian–Ottoman Wars
DateFebruary 1445
Location
Sava river, Serbia
Result
  • Hungarian victory
  • The Turkish camp was looted
Belligerents
Kingdom of Hungary Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
John Hunyadi Unknown
Strength
Unknown More than the Hungarians
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy or
Entire army killed

The Lower-Sava campaign was a 1445 night-time attack by John Hunyadi in the lower parts of the Sava river on a Turkish raiding force.

Background

After the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Varna, Sultan Murad II launched a raiding force deep into Serbian territory. When John Hunyadi found out about this, he quickly assembled an army of his own in order to deal with the threat.

Battle

Ottoman Campaigns of John Hunyadi, 1440–1456
Ottoman Campaigns of John Hunyadi, 1440–1456

Hunyadi made camp right in front of the Ottoman army who had their own camp near the river side 1 mile away from Belgrade. Hunyadi silently approached the Ottoman's camp and began to slaughter every single soldier in sight. Some sources state that a few Ottomans had managed to escape while other sources say that the Ottomans were cut down to the last men.

Aftermath

After the "battle" which was more like an ambush, Hunyadi had no time to return home since the Counts of Celje had made some incursions into the Kingdom of Croatia which was in a personal union with Hungary at the time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Heltai, Gáspár (1575). Krónika az magyaroknak viselt dolgairól (in Hungarian) – via MEK.
  2. 1 2 Péczely, József (1837). A Magyarok történetei (in Hungarian). Vol. 2. Debrecen. pp. 209–210 – via Internet Archive.
  3. 1 2 3 Bánlaky, József. "Az 1445. évi alsó-szávai hadjárat". A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme (in Hungarian). Budapest: Grill Károly Könyvkiadó Vállalat – via MEK.
  4. 1 2 3 Czuczor, Gergely (1832). Hunyadi János viselt dolgai (in Hungarian). Buda: A Magyar Királyi Egyetem – via Internet Archive.
  5. 1 2 Pór, Antal (19 August 1873). Hunyadi János (in Hungarian). Budapest: A Szent István-Társulat. pp. 114–115 – via Internet Archive.

See also