- The Ottoman Victory That Divided Hungary -
The Battle of Mohács was part of the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars. It was a key victory for the Ottomans. The defeat of the Hungarians and their allies would decide the future of almost half of Hungary. The enormous army of the Ottomans would win over the allied forces. They would not only conquer Hungary but make the Zápolya dynasty their vassals.
Prelude to the Battle of Mohács
By the end of 1522, Suleiman had added the important cities of Belgrade and Rhodes to the Ottoman dominion. His eyes were set on Hungary, the last Southeastern European power, which could stand against the Magnificent and his army. Suleiman’s initial decision was to simply turn Hungary into a Turkish vassal. The Hungarians, as expected, refused to bow before the Ottomans.
Armies in the Battle of Mohács
In the blossoming spring of 1526, Suleyman the Magnificent organized his army in the capital city of Istanbul. Historians have debated the size of his army, but it was at least 100,000 strong, with 300 cannons.
The reserves from Croatia and Transylvania could not even make it in time for battle. Louis II had to defend against the Ottomans with 200,000 men.
The Battle of Mohács
It was the end of August 1526. At noon on the 29th day, when the inevitable battle between the Ottoman Conqueror and the Hungarian king began. The army of the defenders was deployed in two lines, an infantry center with cavalry wings, and a second line made up of heavy infantry.
The forces of Suleiman took their usual deployment, with a strong front line of Rumelian cavalry, a Janissary second line, and Sipahi wings. When the Ottoman Rumelian cavalry of Akinci initiated the first attack, they were pushed back by the defending army’s right wing. The commander of the wing, Pal Tamory, ordered the enemy to be chased.
The offensive action took him to the very center of the Ottoman army. Just as in numerous other battles across history, this would be counted as the second vital mistake.
This exact moment gave the Janissaries the opening to regroup and attack the Hungarians. They quickly wiped out the scattered units of Tamory. After they were finished with Tamory’s men, the Ottoman conquerors attacked the rest of the defending army. All Hell broke loose under the thunder of the cannons.
The defenders fell one after another, and soon the left wing of the army weakened. Suleiman’s Sipahis made an all-out attack on what remained of the left wing, and the results were fatal. The Hungarian heavy cavalry was helpless. Their leader Louis II’s attempt to retreat from the battlefield cost him his life. The Hungarian king fell off his horse and drowned in the nearby river.
At the end of the short battle, the Hungarians had lost around half of their original number. The Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent won with almost no effort. He was amused, that this excuse for an army was all that was gathered to.