Siege of Belgrade (1456)

Lore & Background

As the "key to the realm", the castle of Belgrade was the largest and most fortified border stronghold of Hungary, regarded as the southern gate of the kingdom and being considered one of the strongest fortresses in Europe. Captain in Chief of Hungary, John Hunyadi, had garrisoned and strengthened the fortress city at his own expense. The Hungarian defenders, led by Michael Szilágyi, put up a determined resistance against the larger Ottoman army from 4 July. The siege lasted for several weeks, during which both sides suffered heavy losses. The defenders used innovative tactics, including heavy artillery and firearms, to repel the Ottoman assaults. On 14 July, Hunyadi's relief force destroyed a Turkish flotilla on the Danube, and Hunyadi entered to the fortress with fresh troops. The Ottomans launched a major assault on 21 July, but it was repulsed. Wounded Mehmed II was compelled to lift the siege and retreat on 22 July. This victory boosted the morale of European Christian forces and was seen as a turning point in their efforts as it provided a crucial buffer and temporarily halted Ottoman expansion towards Europe beyond the Balkans for 70 years. John Hunyadi's successful defence of Belgrade earned him widespread acclaim and respect as a military leader though he died of the plague a few weeks later. The Ottomans would continue their expansion in other directions, and the struggle between the Ottoman Empire and European powers persisted for centuries. The battle's significance also extended beyond its immediate aftermath, as it demonstrated the importance of firearms and artillery in warfare, heralding a new era in military technology and tactics.

Reader's Guide

The Ottoman Empire, under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II, had recently achieved a significant victory by capturing Constantinople in 1453, making it the new capital of the Ottoman Empire, thereby ending the Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans became more ambitious in their expansionist aims, seeking to extend their influence further into Europe. They considered Belgrade, a strategically positioned fortress city at the confluence of the Danube and Sava river, as a crucial gateway for their advance northward. The Ottoman Empire's expansionist ambitions posed a significant challenge to the stability and security of European states, leading to a united effort to resist further Ottoman encroachment. In 1452 former gubernátor John Hunyadi surrendered the regency to King Ladislas V, who came of age, and became Count of Besztercze and captain general of Hungary. After conducting two campaigns against the Serbian Despotate in 1454 and 1455, Sultan Mehmed decided to continue his conquests towards the northwest by capturing the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Kingdom of Hungary. Significant preparations were made by the Ottoman sultan for the conquest of the city, including the casting of 22 large cannons alongside many smaller ones and the establishment of a navy that would sail up the Danube to assist the army during the siege. At the end of 1455, after receiving reports of the imminent Ottoman attack, Hunyadi began preparations of his own for the fortification of the Danube, informing the papal legate that he was ready to contribute, at his own expenses, 7,000 men in the fight against the Ottomans and asking for military assistance. Hunyadi then armed the Belgrade fortress with 5,000 mercenaries that he placed under the command of his brother-in-law Mihály Szilágyi and his own eldest son László. Belgrade inhabitants came to help transporting the war machines. Hunyadi then proceeded to form a relief army of 12,000. In April 1456 general mobilisation was decreed following a Diet between the king and the noblemen. An Italian Franciscan friar allied to Hunyadi, Giovanni da Capistrano, sent as an inquisitor to Hungary to eliminate or convert so-called heretics, (non-Catholics) started preaching a crusade to attract peasants and local countryside landlords to join the defence of Europe. The crusaders numbering about 25,000 included an inexperienced peasan

Did You Know?

• The source states the Ottoman army had 300 cannons, but also mentions 22 large cannons were cast; the number is not reconciled in the article.
• The source says the Ottoman fleet had 200 river war vessels, but historical estimates vary and the article does not address that variation.
• John Hunyadi armed the fortress with 5,000 mercenaries at his own expense, according to the source.
• The victory temporarily halted Ottoman expansion beyond the Balkans for 70 years, per the source.