Pressure on the frontier
The fall of Belgrade and the weakness of Hungarian defences make the next great Ottoman expedition foreseeable without the kingdom being able easily to gather a coalition.
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War
Ottoman–Hungarian Wars
1521 — 1568
A Danubian frontier where Ottoman depth overwhelms Hungarian decision
Military history
The strategic problem
The Ottoman–Hungarian Wars pit an empire able to organize large expeditions against a frontier kingdom that must defend strongholds, mobilize quickly and secure outside aid. Mohács is a brief decision because the Hungarian army commits its shock before its reserves and allies can alter the balance of forces.
The march to Mohács
Suleiman advances with an army in depth and substantial artillery. Louis II gathers a smaller force that must choose between waiting and letting the plain open.
Partition and fortress warfare
After Mohács, the succession divides Hungary among the Habsburgs, Hungarian powers, and the Ottoman Empire. The struggle shifts to the fortresses: Eger resists in 1552, while Szigetvár falls in 1566. The 1568 Peace of Adrianople provisionally stabilizes this frontier.
Explore
4 published battles, in chronological order
MohacsHungarian charges reach the Ottoman vanguard, but artillery, reserves and Ottoman depth trap the army.First Siege of ViennaAfter Buda, the Ottoman army encloses Vienna and opens several breaches; countermines, repairs, the difficulty of sustaining assaults and the timetable for returning prevent it from establishing a durable lodgement.Siege of EgerBatteries and mines open several sectors without creating a durable lodgement; mobile reserves, repairs, countermines and reliefs hold until the Ottoman withdrawals of 17–18 October.Siege of SzigetvárHow did a fortress spread across several islets impose a month of attrition on Suleiman's army without preventing its fall?
Military history
Sources
Indirect contemporary sourceIbrahim Peçevi, chronique ottomane
Ottoman perspective on Suleiman’s campaign and the victory at Mohács.
Specialist studyGábor Ágoston, The Last Great Muslim Conquest
Artillery, imperial organization and the context of the Hungarian campaign.
Comparative overviewGeoffrey Parker, The Military Revolution
Fortifications, taxation and comparison of European and Ottoman military systems.
Contemporary primary source, national libraryIstván Brodarics, Igaz leírás a magyaroknak a törökökkel Mohácsnál vívott csatájáról
Document HTML, sections « A csata előkészületei » et « 1526. augusztus 29. » : deux colonnes, artillerie derrière la première ligne, relief/Földvár, première attaque, retraite dans la vallée et conclusion sur la durée d’environ une heure et demie.
Relative terrain, Hungarian order of battle, waiting, initial attack, fire, rupture, flight and death of Louis II; source read with Kasza’s critical reservations. Limited to the case of Mohacs; this reference does not cover the whole conflict.
View ↗Institutional synthesisIllik Péter, Az egri hősnők (1552) két história tükrében, Magyarságkutató Intézet
Article du 8 septembre 2022, deux premiers paragraphes : campagne de 1552, siège d’Eger et stabilisation provisoire par la paix d’Andrinople de 1568.
Context for the fortress war, Eger’s resistance in 1552, and the provisional stabilization of the frontier in 1568. This notice alone does not document all operations from 1521 to 1568.
View ↗Institutional synthesis with archival documentsH. Németh István, Szigetvár: 1566, Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár
Article du 3 septembre 2012, mis à jour le 7 septembre 2017 ; récit de la campagne et de la prise de Szigetvár, accompagné de lettres d’archives.
The 1566 campaign, siege, and fall of Szigetvár. This reference is limited to this case and its immediate context.
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