Battle of Nicopolis(1396)
Exact site. The pin marks a documented battlefield location rather than a broad area.
Nikopol fortress, modern Nikopol, Bulgaria on the Danube
Coordinate source: latitude.to GPS Nikopol Bulgaria
Background
Pope Boniface IX called a crusade to counter Ottoman expansion. Sigismund of Hungary assembled a multinational force; the Wallachians under Mircea joined. French knights' impatience led to a disastrous premature charge.
Campaign: Crusade of Nicopolis 1396
Forces Engaged
The Battle
The last major crusade of the Middle Ages. French knights charged prematurely against Ottoman spahis; the Christian center collapsed. Mircea's Wallachian cavalry on the right wing performed well initially but could not compensate. Sigismund escaped by boat; thousands of crusaders captured and executed.
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied Crusader army, assisted by the Venetian navy, at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the Second Bulgarian Empire. It is often referred to as the Crusade of Nicopolis, as it was one of the last big Crusades of the Middle Ages, together with the Crusade of Varna in 1443–1444. By their victory at Nicopolis, the Turks discouraged the formation of European coalitions against them. They maintained their pressure on Constantinople, tightened their control over the Balkans, and became a greater threat to Central Europe.
“He reportedly stated, "To take up the rear is to dishonor us, and expose us to the contempt of all" and declared that he would claim front place as Constable and anyone in front of him would do him mortal insult. Coucy, who declared D'Eu's words to be a "presumption", asked for the counsel of Vienne, who noted, "When truth and reason cannot be heard, then must rule presumption." Vienne commented that if D'Eu wished to advance, the army must follow, but that it would be wiser to advance in concert with the Hungarians and other allies. The rest fought on, "no frothing boar nor enraged wolf more fiercely", in the words of one contemporary chronicler.
Casualties & Outcome
Considerable losses
Ottoman Empire achieved victory over Crusade (Hungary/France/Wallachia/Allied).
Thousands of crusaders executed. Western Europe gave up on crusading into the Balkans. Only Mircea continued active resistance.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Ended Western Europe's last organized crusade effort against the Ottomans. Secured Ottoman dominance over the Balkans. Mircea remained the only major ruler to continue resistance.
The Battle of Nicopolis is also widely regarded as the end of the Second Bulgarian Empire, since hopes for its revival had come to an end with the defeat of the Crusaders. They were greeted by minstrels, parties and parades as they journeyed across the kingdom, though Tuchman notes, "the receptions probably represented not so much popular enthusiasm as organized joy, in which the 14th century excelled." With a historian's hindsight Johan Huizinga remarked upon "the lamentable consequences of statecraft recklessly embarking on an enterprise of vital import in the spirit of a chivalrous adventure", though participants and contemporary chroniclers did not analyse the event in these terms. Sigismund, fearful of Wallachian treachery, sailed to the Black Sea and Constantinople before making his way home by sea.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Battle of Nicopolis?
- The Battle of Nicopolis took place in 1396. Sep 25, 1396.
- What was the outcome of the Battle of Nicopolis?
- The Ottoman Empire were victorious against the Crusade (Hungary/France/Wallachia/Allied).
- What was the significance of the Battle of Nicopolis?
- Ended Western Europe's last organized crusade effort against the Ottomans. Secured Ottoman dominance over the Balkans. Mircea remained the only major ruler to continue resistance.