Kosovo Polje. The battle of Kosovo 15 Jun 1389

The battle on the Kosovo field is a major battle between the United forces of Serbia and the Bosnian Kingdom from the Sultan Murad I and his Turkish army. It happened on 15 June 1389. Kosovo Polje is located near modern Pristina. They are separated by 5 kilometers. The fighting brought heavy losses to both sides.

Something

Sultan Murad I with the troops, winning at Chernomen (1371) and Thawr (1385), continued to step on Serbian land. The Ottoman Empire wanted to subjugate the middle East, North Africa and South-Eastern Europe. And they succeeded after a while. But the Serbs wanted in whatever was to prevent.

A Serious shortcoming of the Serbian Empire was that it broke up into several smaller formations that are constantly at odds with each other. It was natural that they were unable to repel the enemy attack. Serbian and Albanian princes to form a coalition under the leadership of Prince Lazar of Hrebeljanovic, strongly resisted the Ottoman troops.

Kosovo was a Central part of the Serbian lands. It was the intersection of important roads, which opened to the Turks a number of routes to move on to Serbian land. Here and there was an important battle.

Murad I paved your way through the lands of his vassals in Macedonia.

The forces of the parties

The Ottoman army consisted of approximately 27-40 million people. To them were Janissaries (2-5 thousand people), the riders are the personal guard of the Sultan (2,5 thousand persons), sipahi (6 thousand persons), asapy and Akinci (20 thousand) and soldiers of vassal States (8 million).

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Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic led the army from 12 to 33 thousand.

Directly to the Prince obeyed 12-15 thousand people. Vuk Brankovic led 5-10 thousand people the same number of soldiers was under the command of Bosnian nobleman Vlatko vuković. Help the Serbs had knights from Hungary and Poland. In addition, they came to the rescue of the Hospitallers - knights of St John. As a result, in the Serbian army were troops from Bosnia (Tvrtko I sent), Wallachian, Bulgarian, Croatian, and Albanian guards.

The Weak point of the Serbian army was the lack of Central command. In addition, the army was not balanced in its composition. Infantry poorly covered heavy cavalry in armour. The latter accounted for the bulk of the troops.

The Serbs had no such military experience, as the Turkish army, which for 30 years has won battles.

The Battle

Kosovo Polje - a place that remembers the battle of 15 June 1389. On this day, the army led by Prince Lazar of Hrebeljanovic confronted the army, which greatly exceeded in number. In the songs of Serbia States that the battle lasted for three days.

The part of the Ottomans Murad I led the Turkish troops, Prince Bayezid took command of the right flank, and the Prince Jakub - left. Ahead of building on the flanks stood archers 100. The Janissaries occupied the Central position, behind which the soldiers of the guard were the Sultan.

The Prince Lazarus commanded the centre, the right flank was led by Vuk Brankovic, and Vlatko Vukovic - left. The entire front of the Serbian army took heavy cavalry, horse archers were on the flanks.

To represent the course of events in Kosovo, the map can visually show the location of troops.

Unfortunately, Serbian and Turkish sources of information about the battle is so controversial that historians are unable to recreate the battle. It is known that the first rushed into the fight the Serbs, in spite of the numerical superiority of the enemy. The cavalry wedge had entered the Turkish position. At the same time began the bombardment of Serb positions by Turkish archers. The Serbs managed to break through the left flank of the Ottoman army. The latter suffered heavy losses. But in the center and right flank such success was not. After some time, the Serbian army was able to push a few Turks in the center. The right flank of Ottoman army under the command of Prince Bayezid quickly launched a counterattack that pushed back the Serbs, causing a serious blow to the infantry. Some time later, the defense of the Serbian infantry was broken, so she began to retreat.

Easy Turkish cavalry soon attacked by a counterattack. The infantry on armored Serbian riders. The first managed to overturn the cavalry.

No commander...

Vuk Brankovic, saving his troops left Kosovo Polje. His actions gave rise to different interpretations. Some believe that wook saved his soldiers. Others believe that he retreated, afraid not to lose his army. But the people believe that the betrayed Prince Lazar, his father. , Vlatko Vukovic led the remnants of his troops and the troops of Lazarus.

Prince Lazar was captured and executed on the same day.

The Serbian voivode Milos Obilic managed to penetrate into the camp of the Turks, declaring himself a defector. He was able to kill the Ottoman Sultan at the beginning of the battle. Milos stabbed Murad with a knife, but the guards of the Sultan gave him leave.

Bayezid I is now headed by the Turkish army. As soon as he learned of the incident, the Prince sent a messenger to his older brother Yakub. In the letter it was said that Sultan Murad gives new orders. Upon arrival Jacob to Istanbul he was strangled. Now Prince Bayezid is the only successor of Murad.

Winners

The Battle of Kosovo 1389only formally brought victory to the Turks. But the battle was not awarded to anyone. Though the Serbs lost an incredibly strong opponent, but they showed desperate bravery. This has led to large losses from the Turks. They could no longer continue fighting, so I quickly returned to the East, not forgetting Kosovo Polje.

The Battle resulted in the birth of many legends. Many of them are connected with the fact that commanders were killed before the end of the battle. Therefore, none of them did not know the outcome of the battle. The circumstances of their deaths rapidly overgrown with legends.

For Example, there are several versions about how he was assassinated the Sultan Murad. One of them claims that he was killed by a Serbian soldier, who pretended to be dead. But in the Serbian Chronicles you can find more information. The official version is that he was killed by the Duke Milos Obilic. There is a tradition that he was the head of the Order of St. George. This community was aimed at killing the Sultan.

Consequences of the battle of Kosovo

Serbia was able to maintain its independence, but after losing the battle, was very great. And it took a long time to gather a new army. Some time later, the Ottoman army returned and conquered Serbia in 1459. And then went on, almost reached Vienna. Joining the Serbian lands to the Ottoman Empire stopped political and economic development of the country. And cultural development of Serbs finally overturned.

Prince Bayezid, who was now the Sultan was undoubtedly a great military leader. He is better known as Bayezid the Lightning. The internal politics he held quite as his father. New Sultan stopped in the conquered territories, forced assimilation. Local authorities began to control provinces.

The Loss as a victory

The History of Kosovo showed that the loss of the war and the loss of troops can raise the national spirit and consciousness of the people. And even when the Turks 300 years owned the Serbian lands, the Serbs were able to preserve their national identity. Moreover, they managed to preserve Orthodoxy, while their neighbours the Albanians, almost EN masse converted to Islam.

Some historians believe that if the Turks won, it would speed up the conquest of the Balkans. And the death of Sultan Murad and the incredible resistance of the southern Slavs gave them the opportunity to keep their nationality and religion. Europe has not been what it could. Kosovo, Serbia as a whole, has assumed a substantial part of the impact.

The importance of the battle for Serbs

Despite the fact that the Serbs suffered defeat, the battle in 1389 was very important. Its importance lies in the consolidation of existing Serbian principalities. In fact, Kosovo Polje, a place where began the history of the United state of Serbia. Many researchers argue that this battle is one of the most unknown and incomprehensible. Part argues that this history has created legends and speculation, confirmed by sources of the XIV century.

Serbian historians believe that originally there were a number of variations of the battle of Kosovo. Eventually they merged into one.

Why the story has become a legend?

It is Possible that the myth was created in order to influence generations of Serbs. The basis of this legend there is a biblical story. Prince Lazar is often compared with Jesus Christ.

Religious motive also remains in the legend. The battle lasts 3 days, so you can draw a parallel with the Calvary. And the death of almost the entire Serbian army of martyrdom.

Therefore, almost all the folk songs and epic chant of the warriors as martyrs. And the highest value of Serbia became the crown of martyrdom, i.e. the emphasis is on the spiritual meaning of the events, so the Serbs and feel like winners. And this feeling gives inspiration in my life to a new generation.