Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis, fought in 1396, was a significant conflict during the period of the Ottoman expansion into Europe. This battle arose from efforts by Western Christian powers, led by King Sigismund of Hungary, to counter the influence of the Ottoman Turks, particularly after their victory over the Serbs at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The coalition forces included knights from Burgundy, Wallachia, and various parts of Central Europe, who aimed to relieve pressure on Christian territories and threaten the Ottoman stronghold.
Despite their initial advances and encounters with smaller Turkish units, the crusaders were ultimately unprepared for the full might of the Ottoman army, lacking proper siege equipment and discipline in their ranks. As the battle unfolded, the coalition forces found themselves exhausted and overwhelmed by the Turkish forces led by Bayezid I. The outcome of the battle was disastrous for the Western coalition, with only a few leaders, including Sigismund, managing to flee. The defeat at Nicopolis marked a notable moment in the struggle between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, influencing the dynamics of power in the region for years to come.
Battle of Nicopolis
Type of action: Ground battle in Turkish Wars of European Expansion
Date: September 25, 1396
Location: Bulgaria
Combatants: Hungarians, Crusaders, Turks
Principal commanders: Hungarian, Sigismund (1367–1437); Turkish, Sultan Bayezid I (1347–1403)
Result: Roman Catholic Europe failed to drive back the Turks, leaving them in control of the Balkans for the next five hundred years
When the Turks crushed the Serbs at Kosovo (June 15, 1389), they made themselves the dominant power in the Balkans. Western Christians, led by the new king of Hungary, Sigismund of Luxembourg, made plans to rescue the Christians there and to relieve the Muslim pressure on Constantinople by calling on his brother, Holy Roman emperor Wenceslas of Bohemia, and the pope to raise crusaders.
At this meeting, Burgundy was represented by Jean II le Meingre, known as Boucicault, and Enguerrand de Coucy and France by Jean de Nevers. There was a large contingent from Wallachia and volunteers from Poland, Germany, and Bohemia. Without proper siege machines, however, they could not take the strong fortress of Nicopolis except by starvation. While the crusaders spent their time drinking and gambling, Bayezid I hurried north from Constantinople.
Significance
Sigismund, too young and feckless to control his army, had to acquiesce in the French and Burgundian demand to lead the attack. The knights routed the first units they met, but when completely exhausted, they came upon the Turkish army waiting just beyond the skyline. Sigismund and a handful of noble companions escaped down the river to Constantinople; only a handful of French nobles were ransomed.
Resources
Aziz, Atiya. “The Crusade in the Fourteenth Century.” In A History of the Crusades. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1975.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Crusade in the Later Middle Ages. London: Metheuen, 1938.
Froissart, John. The Chronicles of England, France, and Spain. New York: Dutton, 1961.
Urban, William. Tannenberg and After. Chicago: Lithuanian Research and Studies Center, 1999.