TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1596
The Battle of Keresztes (also known as the Battle of Mezőkeresztes) took place on 24–26 October 1596. It was fought between a combined Habsburg-Transylvanian force and the Ottoman Empire near the village of Mezőkeresztes in modern-day northern Hungary. The Ottomans routed the Habsburg-led army, but due to their own losses, they were unable to exploit their victory.
| Date | 24–26 October 1596 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mezőkeresztes, Hungary |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate | Habsburg monarchy Holy Roman Empire Transylvania Kingdom of Hungary Kingdom of Bohemia Papal States Spain Walloon and French mercenaries Serbs Cossacks Polish cavalry |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Mehmed III Damat Ibrahim Pasha | Maximilian III Sigismund Báthory |
| Strength | 80,000–100,000 men 100 cannons | 40,000;–50,000 30–300 cannons 14,000 Austrians, Germans and Walloons 13,000 Hungarians 10,000 Transylvanians 3,000 Reiters 5,000 Bohemians Few hundred Cossacks and Poles Few hundred Italians, French and Serbs |
| Casualties | 20,000–30,000 | 23,000–30,000+(Western sources) |
Soon after victory, Mehmed III appointed Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha as the new Grand Vizier. He sent an imperial victory proclamation to Constantinople giving the news of the conquering of Eger (Erlau) Castle and the victory at the Battle of Haçova (Keresztes). This reached Constantinople in October and there were public celebrations and public meetings organized in the city. During these celebrations, four galleys full of state-procured sugar from Egypt arrived at the Golden Horn, which added "sweetness" to the news of a military victory. Mehmed III was awarded the epithet of 'Conqueror of Egri'. The Sultan's army marched for a month, returning to Constantinople victorious.
Took place during the reign of Mehmed III (1595–1603). Mehmed III
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.