On August 29, 1526, under the command of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman army achieved a swift and decisive victory over the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohács, making it one of the shortest recorded battles in world history. Despite its brevity, this battle holds significant importance in both European and global history.
Causes of the Battle of Mohács
Since the 15th century, the Kingdom of Hungary had been in territorial disputes with the Ottoman Empire. Despite Ottoman attempts to negotiate and assert dominance, Hungary aligned itself with the Habsburgs, the ruling family of Austria, rejecting all Ottoman demands.
Following the Battle of Pavia between Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Charles the 5th) and King Francis I of France, where Francis I was taken captive, his mother sought assistance from Sultan Suleiman. Concurrently, border conflicts persisted between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. When Yahyapaşaoğlu Bali Bey proposed to Sultan Suleiman the idea of acquiring Hungarian territories, Sultan Suleiman decided to embark on a campaign against Hungary to weaken Charles V.
Preparations for the Battle of Mohács
On March 10, 1526, Sultan Suleiman ordered the Anatolian Beylerbey Behram Pasha, as well as the Beylerbeys of Rumelia, Bosnia, and the Crimean Khanate, to prepare for the campaign. Subsequently, on April 23, 1526, an Ottoman army consisting of approximately 60,000 soldiers and 300 cannons, led by Sultan Suleiman, set out for the Hungarian campaign.
The Ottoman forces captured fortresses like Ujlak, Peter-Varadin, and Eslek along the way, advancing towards the Hungarian capital, Buda. Meanwhile, the Hungarian army, commanded by King Louis II, positioned itself on the Mohács Plain by the banks of the Danube to confront the approaching Ottoman army.
The Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács saw the Ottoman forces, gathered from Anatolia, Syria, Rumelia, and the Balkans, along with troops from the Crimean Khanate, facing off against the Hungarian Kingdom army, which was strongly supported by the Papacy and Charles V.
On August 28, 1526, the Ottoman army reached the Mohács Plain. Prior to this, Sultan Suleiman had dispatched raiders to disrupt any external communication and reinforcements for the Hungarian army.
Sultan Suleiman, wearing his royal battle attire, positioned himself on a vantage point overlooking the Mohács Plain, later known as Hünkartepesi or Turkish Hill. While inspecting the troops, he is said to have addressed the soldiers within the ranks of the Rumelian Sipahi Corps with the words, "The spirit of the Prophet is watching over you."
The Ottoman forces were arranged with Vizier Ibrahim Pasha and the Rumelian army at the forefront, Behram Pasha and the Anatolian army in the second line, and at the rear, Sultan Suleiman leading the Janissary corps. The Ottoman strategy at Mohács was to await the Hungarian attack and, upon the enemy's approach, open up on both sides, exposing the Hungarian cavalry to surprise cannon fire.
The Hungarian army placed great confidence in their heavily armed cavalry. The battle commenced when the Hungarian cavalry on the right flank attacked the Ottoman cavalry on the left, initiating a clash. Subsequently, the Hungarian cavalry advanced against the Rumelian army in the front line. The Ottoman front line engaged in combat, gradually and deliberately withdrawing while opening up to the sides. The Ottomans employed a feigned retreat tactic in Mohács. As the Ottoman army feigned a retreat, luring the Hungarian army deeper into the battlefield, the Macars, believing they had won, charged forward. However, they were unaware of the trap.
The Ottoman army effectively employed mobile cannons, a weaponry not commonly seen in Europe at that time, contributing significantly to their victory. Additionally, it is reported in Ottoman sources that the renowned "Ottoman slap" of the Deliler unit was instrumental in killing Hungarian soldiers.
The Aftermath of the Battle of Mohács
Sultan Suleiman's colossal war machine laid Hungary to rest in history. With the Battle of Mohács, the 657-year-old Kingdom of Hungary came to an end, and its entire army was annihilated. Following the battle, the Hungarian royal family and the majority of the population abandoned the capital, Buda. Only the Jews remained in one city, and on September 13, 1526, the representative of the Jewish community handed over the keys of the city to Sultan Suleiman.
Although Sultan Suleiman had destroyed the Kingdom of Hungary at Mohács, he did not directly assume control of its territories. Instead, he established it as a vassal state. The Hungarian throne was left to János Szapolyai, chosen by Hungarian nobles, who pledged allegiance to the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Mohács stands as the shortest recorded battlefield encounter in the history of the Ottoman Empire.
Today, the Battle of Mohács is regarded as a national trauma in Hungary and is seen as a turning point in history.
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