TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1526
The Battle of Mohács took place on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was fought between the forces of Hungary, led by King Louis II, and the invading Ottoman Empire, commanded by Suleiman the Magnificent and his grand vizier, Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha. The Ottomans achieved a decisive victory through superior planning, firepower, and a well-executed encirclement that overwhelmed the Hungarian forces. The Hungarian army, encouraged by the nobility to engage prematurely, launched a frontal assault that collapsed under coordinated Ottoman counterattacks. King Louis and much of the Hungarian aristocracy were killed, resulting in the destruction of the royal army and the end of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Hungary and Bohemia.
| Date | 29 August 1526 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Kingdom of Hungary Supported by: Serbian Despotate Lands of the Bohemian Crown Holy Roman Empire Papal States Hungarian Slovenes Crown of the Kingdom of Poland |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Suleiman I Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha Malkoçoğlu Balı Bey Gazi Husrev-beg Behram Pasha | Louis II † Pál Tomori † György Zápolya † Ferenc Batthyány Péter Perényi |
| Strength | 50,000–100,000 men 300 cannons | 25,000–30,000 men (on battlefield) Up to 40,000 mobilised 85 cannons (50 arrived in time) |
| Casualties | 1,500–2,000 killed | 14,000 – 24,000 killed 10,000 captured 2,000 prisoners executed |
The victory did not give the Ottomans the security they wanted. Buda was left undefended; only the French and Venetian ambassadors waited for the Sultan to congratulate him on his great victory. Though they entered the unguarded evacuated Buda and pillaged the castle and surroundings, they retreated soon afterwards. On the evening of the battle, Sultan Suleiman and his general staff had no idea of the magnitude of the victory they had achieved.
Took place during the reign of Suleiman I (1520–1566). Suleiman I
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.