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EspañolBATTLE OF KOSOVO
:''This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389; for other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation)''.
The 'Battle of Kosovo' (or ''Battle of Amselfeld''; Serbian: Косовски бој or Бој на Косову, ''Kosovski boj'', or ''Boj na Kosovu''; Turkish: ''Kosova Meydan Muharebesi''; see also ''names in other languages'') was fought on St Vitus' Day (June 15, now celebrated on 28) 1389 between the coalition of Serb lords and the Ottoman Empire.
Reliable historical accounts of this battle are scarce, however a critical examination of them and comparison with similar contemporary battles (such as the Battle of Angora or Nikopolis) enables a reliable reconstruction. Vojna Enciklopedija, , , , Vojnoizdavački zavod, 1972,
After the Ottoman defeat by the Serbs in the Battle of Plocnik, Murad I, ruler of the Ottoman empire, started to gather his troops in Philippoupolis (Plovdiv) in the spring of 1389, and arrived in Ihtiman after a three-day long march. From there, he chose the route across Velbužd (Kyustendil) and Kratovo. Though longer than the alternative route across Sofia and Nišava valley, which would give him direct access to Lazar's lands, it led him to Kosovo, which was strategically important as one of the most important trade crossroads on the Balkans: from Kosovo Murad could attack either Lazar's or Vuk's lands or into Italy. After staying in Kratovo for a while, Murad passed across Kumanovo, Preševo and Gnjilane to Priština, where he arrived on June 14.
There is less information about Lazar's preparations, but it could be assumed that he gathered his troops near Niš, possibly on the right bank of the Južna Morava. He likely stayed there until he learned that Murad moved to Velbužd, when he too moved, probably across Prokuplje to Kosovo. Lazar arrived at the Kosovo Field (''Amselfeld'') right after Murad's arrival at Priština. This was the optimal choice for the battlefield as it controlled all possible directions Murad could take.
It is not certain how large the armies were, especially as later sources tend to exaggerate on their size, launching it into the hundreds of thousands. Vojna Enciklopedija, , , , Vojnoizdavački zavod, 1972,
Murad's army might have numbered 27-40,000. Taking the 40,000 estimate, it probably included some 5,000 Janissaries, 2,500 of Murad's cavalry guard, 6,000 sipahis, 20,000 azaps and akincis and 8,000 of his vassals. Lazar's might have been 12-30,000. Taking the estimate of 25,000, some 15,000 were under Lazar's command, 5,000 Vuk's, and as many of Vlatko's. Of those, several thousands were cavalry, but perhaps only several hundreds were clad in full plate armour.
Both armies included some foreign troops: for example, the Serbian force included the Croatian ban Ivan Paližna with a small number of troops, probably as a part of Bosnian contingent while the Turkish army was helped by the Serbian noble Konstantin Dejanović. This led some authors to describe the armies as coalitions.
The armies met at Kosovo Field. The center of the Turkish army was led by Murad, while his son Bayezid was on the right wing and Yakub on the left. Around 1,000 archers were in the first line of the wings, followed with azap and then akinci; in the front of the center were janissary, behind whom was Murad, surrounded by his cavalry guard; finally, the supply train was at the rear, guarded by a small number of troops.
The Serbian army had Lazar at the center, Vuk on the right wing and Vlatko on the left. In the front of the Serbian army were placed the cavalry, with the infantry to the rear. While parallel, the dispositions were not symmetric, as Serbian center overlapped the Turkish.
The battle started with Turkish archers shooting at the Serbian cavalry, which then moved into the attack. They managed to break through the Turkish left wing, but were not as successful against the center and the right wing.
The Serbs initially gained the advantage after their first charge, which heavily damaged the Turkish wing commanded by Jakub Celebi. In the center, the Serbian fighters managed to push the Ottoman forces back with only Bayezid's wing holding off the forces commanded by Vlatko Vuković. The Ottomans, in a counter-attack, pushed the Balkan forces back and prevailed later in the day. Bayezid I, who would after the battle become the Ottoman sultan, gained his nickname "the thunderbolt" in this battle, after leading the decisive counter-attack. In the main, superb Turkish military techniques and weapons eventually won them the day.
Based on the Turkish historical records, it is believed that the Sultan was killed by Miloš Obilić, who was pretending to be dead, while the Sultan was walking in the battlefield after the battle. On the other hand, according to Serbian records he was assassinated by Miloš Obilić, who made his way into the Turkish camp on the pretext of being a deserter and knelt before the Sultan. He stabbed him in the stomach while about to kneel before him. Miloš Obilić was immediately killed by the Sultan's bodyguards. The Serbian leader Vuk is now remembered as a coward due to the withdrawal of 5000 troops from the battle.
The battle of Kosovo was a tactical victory for Serbs but a strategic victory for Ottomans. Due to heavy losses Turkish army retreated back to Jedrene, while Serbs remained in control of Kosovo. However, due to heavy losses and a subsequent Hungarian invasion from the north Serbia was greatly weakened and was soon reduced to the status of a vassal state. Some (although by no means all) of the Serbian nobles started paying tribute and supplying soldiers to the Ottomans after the battle. The Ottomans had the initiative now since the toll on the Serbian side was very heavy.
In the wake of the engagement and the death of the Serbian King Lazar, who had also fallen during the battle, Bayezid I formed a crucial alliance with Lazar's son Stefan. Bayezid took Stefan's sister as his wife, and with the marriage Stefan became a loyal ally of Bayezid and contributed significant forces to many of Bayezid's future military engagements, including Ankara.
The battle of Kosovo is regarded to this day as a milestone in the Serbian national identity and was evoked several times during the Kosovo War.
★ Ottoman Empire
★ Ottoman wars in Europe
★ Albanian: ''Beteja e Kosovës''
★ Bulgarian: Битка на Косово поле (''Bitka na Kosovo pole'') or Косовска битка (''Kosovska bitka'')
★ Croatian: ''Bitka na Kosovu polju'' or ''Kosovska bitka''
★ Czech: ''Bitva na Kosově poli''
★ Dutch: ''Slag op het Merelveld''
★ English: ''Battle of Amselfeld'', ''Battle of Kossovo'' or ''Battle of Kosovo''
★ Estonian:''Lahing Kosovo väljal'', ''Kosovo lahing''
★ French: ''Bataille de Kosovo ou du champ des Merles''
★ Italian: ''Battaglia del Kosovo''
★ German: ''Schlacht auf dem Amselfeld''
★ Greek: Μάχη του Κοσσυφοπεδίου (''Máchē tou Kossyphopedíou'')
★ Hungarian: ''Rigómezei csata''
★ Polish: ''Bitwa na Kosowym Polu''
★ Portuguese: ''Batalha de Kosovo''
★ Romanian: ''Bătălia de la Câmpia Mierlei''
★ Russian: Битва на Косовом поле (''Bitva na Kosovom pole'')
★ Serbian: ''Kosovski Boj'' or ''Boj na Kosovu Polju'' or ''Kosovska bitka''
★ Serbian Cyrillic: Косовски бој or Бој на Косову Пољу or Косовска битка
★ Slovak: ''Bitka na Kosovom poli''
★ Slovenian: ''Bitka na Kosovem polju''
★ Spanish: ''Batalla de Kosovo''
★ Swedish: ''Slaget vid Trastfältet'' or ''Slaget vid Kosovo Polje''
★ Turkish: ''Kosova Savaşı''
1. Battle of Kosovo, '' Encyclopedia Britannica''
2. Kosovo Field, ''Columbia Encyclopedia''
3. Kosovo, Battle of, ''Encarta Encyclopedia''
★ Battle of Kosovo as National Narrative by Dr. Seth Ward
★ The Battle of Kosovo: Early Reports of Victory and Defeat by Thomas Emmert
★ The Kosovo Legacy by Thomas Emmert alternate URL
★ The events Surrounding the Battle of Kosovo 1389 and its cultural effect on the Serbian people by Mark Gottfried
★ The Battle of Kosovo ''Serbian Epic Poems'' edited by Charles Simic Alternate URL
The 'Battle of Kosovo' (or ''Battle of Amselfeld''; Serbian: Косовски бој or Бој на Косову, ''Kosovski boj'', or ''Boj na Kosovu''; Turkish: ''Kosova Meydan Muharebesi''; see also ''names in other languages'') was fought on St Vitus' Day (June 15, now celebrated on 28) 1389 between the coalition of Serb lords and the Ottoman Empire.
Reliable historical accounts of this battle are scarce, however a critical examination of them and comparison with similar contemporary battles (such as the Battle of Angora or Nikopolis) enables a reliable reconstruction. Vojna Enciklopedija, , , , Vojnoizdavački zavod, 1972,
| Contents |
| Preparations |
| Army movement |
| Army composition |
| The battle |
| Troop disposition |
| Start |
| Turkish counterattack |
| Murad's death |
| Aftermath |
| See also |
| Name in different languages |
| References |
| External links |
Preparations
Army movement
Prince Lazar Coat of Arms
After the Ottoman defeat by the Serbs in the Battle of Plocnik, Murad I, ruler of the Ottoman empire, started to gather his troops in Philippoupolis (Plovdiv) in the spring of 1389, and arrived in Ihtiman after a three-day long march. From there, he chose the route across Velbužd (Kyustendil) and Kratovo. Though longer than the alternative route across Sofia and Nišava valley, which would give him direct access to Lazar's lands, it led him to Kosovo, which was strategically important as one of the most important trade crossroads on the Balkans: from Kosovo Murad could attack either Lazar's or Vuk's lands or into Italy. After staying in Kratovo for a while, Murad passed across Kumanovo, Preševo and Gnjilane to Priština, where he arrived on June 14.
There is less information about Lazar's preparations, but it could be assumed that he gathered his troops near Niš, possibly on the right bank of the Južna Morava. He likely stayed there until he learned that Murad moved to Velbužd, when he too moved, probably across Prokuplje to Kosovo. Lazar arrived at the Kosovo Field (''Amselfeld'') right after Murad's arrival at Priština. This was the optimal choice for the battlefield as it controlled all possible directions Murad could take.
Army composition
It is not certain how large the armies were, especially as later sources tend to exaggerate on their size, launching it into the hundreds of thousands. Vojna Enciklopedija, , , , Vojnoizdavački zavod, 1972,
Murad's army might have numbered 27-40,000. Taking the 40,000 estimate, it probably included some 5,000 Janissaries, 2,500 of Murad's cavalry guard, 6,000 sipahis, 20,000 azaps and akincis and 8,000 of his vassals. Lazar's might have been 12-30,000. Taking the estimate of 25,000, some 15,000 were under Lazar's command, 5,000 Vuk's, and as many of Vlatko's. Of those, several thousands were cavalry, but perhaps only several hundreds were clad in full plate armour.
Both armies included some foreign troops: for example, the Serbian force included the Croatian ban Ivan Paližna with a small number of troops, probably as a part of Bosnian contingent while the Turkish army was helped by the Serbian noble Konstantin Dejanović. This led some authors to describe the armies as coalitions.
The battle
Kosovo Field with probable disposition of troops before the battle
Troop disposition
The armies met at Kosovo Field. The center of the Turkish army was led by Murad, while his son Bayezid was on the right wing and Yakub on the left. Around 1,000 archers were in the first line of the wings, followed with azap and then akinci; in the front of the center were janissary, behind whom was Murad, surrounded by his cavalry guard; finally, the supply train was at the rear, guarded by a small number of troops.
The Serbian army had Lazar at the center, Vuk on the right wing and Vlatko on the left. In the front of the Serbian army were placed the cavalry, with the infantry to the rear. While parallel, the dispositions were not symmetric, as Serbian center overlapped the Turkish.
Start
Milos Obilic Coat of Arms
The battle started with Turkish archers shooting at the Serbian cavalry, which then moved into the attack. They managed to break through the Turkish left wing, but were not as successful against the center and the right wing.
Turkish counterattack
The Serbs initially gained the advantage after their first charge, which heavily damaged the Turkish wing commanded by Jakub Celebi. In the center, the Serbian fighters managed to push the Ottoman forces back with only Bayezid's wing holding off the forces commanded by Vlatko Vuković. The Ottomans, in a counter-attack, pushed the Balkan forces back and prevailed later in the day. Bayezid I, who would after the battle become the Ottoman sultan, gained his nickname "the thunderbolt" in this battle, after leading the decisive counter-attack. In the main, superb Turkish military techniques and weapons eventually won them the day.
Yildirim ("Thunderbolt") Bayezid- Oil on Canvas by Haydar Hatemi-1999
Murad's death
Based on the Turkish historical records, it is believed that the Sultan was killed by Miloš Obilić, who was pretending to be dead, while the Sultan was walking in the battlefield after the battle. On the other hand, according to Serbian records he was assassinated by Miloš Obilić, who made his way into the Turkish camp on the pretext of being a deserter and knelt before the Sultan. He stabbed him in the stomach while about to kneel before him. Miloš Obilić was immediately killed by the Sultan's bodyguards. The Serbian leader Vuk is now remembered as a coward due to the withdrawal of 5000 troops from the battle.
Aftermath
''The Kosovo Maiden'' by Uroš Predić
The battle of Kosovo was a tactical victory for Serbs but a strategic victory for Ottomans. Due to heavy losses Turkish army retreated back to Jedrene, while Serbs remained in control of Kosovo. However, due to heavy losses and a subsequent Hungarian invasion from the north Serbia was greatly weakened and was soon reduced to the status of a vassal state. Some (although by no means all) of the Serbian nobles started paying tribute and supplying soldiers to the Ottomans after the battle. The Ottomans had the initiative now since the toll on the Serbian side was very heavy.
In the wake of the engagement and the death of the Serbian King Lazar, who had also fallen during the battle, Bayezid I formed a crucial alliance with Lazar's son Stefan. Bayezid took Stefan's sister as his wife, and with the marriage Stefan became a loyal ally of Bayezid and contributed significant forces to many of Bayezid's future military engagements, including Ankara.
The battle of Kosovo is regarded to this day as a milestone in the Serbian national identity and was evoked several times during the Kosovo War.
See also
★ Ottoman Empire
★ Ottoman wars in Europe
Name in different languages
★ Albanian: ''Beteja e Kosovës''
★ Bulgarian: Битка на Косово поле (''Bitka na Kosovo pole'') or Косовска битка (''Kosovska bitka'')
★ Croatian: ''Bitka na Kosovu polju'' or ''Kosovska bitka''
★ Czech: ''Bitva na Kosově poli''
★ Dutch: ''Slag op het Merelveld''
★ English: ''Battle of Amselfeld'', ''Battle of Kossovo'' or ''Battle of Kosovo''
★ Estonian:''Lahing Kosovo väljal'', ''Kosovo lahing''
★ French: ''Bataille de Kosovo ou du champ des Merles''
★ Italian: ''Battaglia del Kosovo''
★ German: ''Schlacht auf dem Amselfeld''
★ Greek: Μάχη του Κοσσυφοπεδίου (''Máchē tou Kossyphopedíou'')
★ Hungarian: ''Rigómezei csata''
★ Polish: ''Bitwa na Kosowym Polu''
★ Portuguese: ''Batalha de Kosovo''
★ Romanian: ''Bătălia de la Câmpia Mierlei''
★ Russian: Битва на Косовом поле (''Bitva na Kosovom pole'')
★ Serbian: ''Kosovski Boj'' or ''Boj na Kosovu Polju'' or ''Kosovska bitka''
★ Serbian Cyrillic: Косовски бој or Бој на Косову Пољу or Косовска битка
★ Slovak: ''Bitka na Kosovom poli''
★ Slovenian: ''Bitka na Kosovem polju''
★ Spanish: ''Batalla de Kosovo''
★ Swedish: ''Slaget vid Trastfältet'' or ''Slaget vid Kosovo Polje''
★ Turkish: ''Kosova Savaşı''
References
1. Battle of Kosovo, '' Encyclopedia Britannica''
2. Kosovo Field, ''Columbia Encyclopedia''
3. Kosovo, Battle of, ''Encarta Encyclopedia''
External links
★ Battle of Kosovo as National Narrative by Dr. Seth Ward
★ The Battle of Kosovo: Early Reports of Victory and Defeat by Thomas Emmert
★ The Kosovo Legacy by Thomas Emmert alternate URL
★ The events Surrounding the Battle of Kosovo 1389 and its cultural effect on the Serbian people by Mark Gottfried
★ The Battle of Kosovo ''Serbian Epic Poems'' edited by Charles Simic Alternate URL
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