TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1448
The Second Battle of Kosovo was a land battle between a Hungarian-led Crusader army and the Ottoman state at Kosovo field (the Field of Blackbirds) that took place from 17–20 October 1448. It was the culmination of a Hungarian offensive to avenge the defeat at the Battle of Varna four years earlier. In the three-day battle the Ottoman army under the command of Sultan Murad II defeated the Crusader army of regent John Hunyadi. After the battle, the path was clear for the Turks to conquer Serbia and the other Balkan States; it also ended any hopes of saving Constantinople. The Hungarian kingdom no longer had the military and financial resources to mount an offensive against the Ottomans.
| Date | 17–20 October 1448 (O.S.), (3 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kosovo Field, Serbian Despotate |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Belligerents | Ottoman state supported by: Karamanids Principality of Wallachia | Kingdom of Hungary Kingdom of Croatia Principality of Moldavia Principality of Wallachia supported by: Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Murad II Mehmed II | John Hunyadi Michael Szilágyi Franko Talovac † Peter III Vladislav II |
| Strength | 50,000–60,000 | 31,000–47,000 (7,000 cavalry, 24,000–40,000 infantry) |
| Casualties | 4,000 or 34,000 to 35,000 | 6,000–17,000 17,000 (9,000 Hungarians, 2,000 Mercenaries, 6,000 Wallachians) |
The Christian Balkan states were unable to resist the Ottomans after this defeat, eventually falling one after the other under the control of the Ottoman state. Hunyadi was captured by Branković in retaliation for the damage perpetrated by the Hungarian army in Serbia. Hunyadi's release was negotiated against a ransom of 100,000 florins, the return of the domains that Hunyadi had revocated from Branković, and the engagement of Hunyadi's heir to Branković's daughter, other sources cite the restitution of the despot's estates in Hungary while leaving Hunyadi's elder son László at Smederevo as a hostage.
Took place during the reign of Murad II (1446–1451). Murad II
Open the reign of Murad II on the mapText: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.