First Battle of Kosovo Polje (Wallachian involvement)(1389)
Background
The expanding Ottoman Empire under Murad I drove deep into the Balkans; the Serbian coalition — including a Wallachian contingent under Mircea — made a stand at Kosovo field to halt the advance.
Campaign: Ottoman Balkan Expansion
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Mircea the Elder sent a Wallachian contingent to support the Serbian coalition against the Ottoman advance. Both Sultan Murad I and Prince Lazar were killed. Strategic Ottoman victory despite mutual annihilation of core armies.
The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Murad I. It was one of the largest battles of the Late Middle Ages. The battle was fought on the Kosovo field in the territory ruled by Serbian nobleman Vuk Branković, in what is today Kosovo, about 5 kilometers (3.
Casualties & Outcome
Ottoman Empire achieved victory over Serbian coalition / Wallachia.
upright=0.5|right|Miloš Obilić, the alleged assassin of Sultan Murad I. upright=0.5|Turkish armor during battles of Marica and Kosovo. The event of the battle quickly became known in Europe. Not much attention was paid to the outcome in these early rumors which circulated, but they all focused on the fact that the Ottoman Sultan had been killed in the battle. Some of the earliest reports about the battle come from the court of Tvrtko of Bosnia who in separate letters to the senate of Trogir (August 1) and the council of Florence claimed that he had defeated the Ottomans in Kosovo. The response of the Florentines to Tvrtko (20 October 1389) is an important historical document as it confirms that Murad was killed during the battle and that it took place on June 28 (St. Vitus day/Vidovdan).
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Opened the Balkans to Ottoman domination. Marked the start of direct Romanian-Ottoman conflict. Wallachia's involvement signaled its emergence as a regional power willing to resist Ottoman expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the First Battle of Kosovo Polje (Wallachian involvement)?
- The First Battle of Kosovo Polje (Wallachian involvement) took place in 1389. Jun 15, 1389.
- Who won the First Battle of Kosovo Polje (Wallachian involvement)?
- The Ottoman Empire were victorious against the Serbian coalition / Wallachia.
- What was the significance of the First Battle of Kosovo Polje (Wallachian involvement)?
- Opened the Balkans to Ottoman domination. Marked the start of direct Romanian-Ottoman conflict. Wallachia's involvement signaled its emergence as a regional power willing to resist Ottoman expansion.