Battle of Sibiu

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Battle of Sibiu
Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe Ottoman-Hungarian Wars
Date March 18-March 25, 1442 Location Sântimbru and Sibiu, Transylvania (now Romania) Result Hungarian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Hungary	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
John Hunyadi György Lépes † Simon Kamonyai †	Mesid bey † Shehabbedin Beylerbey of Rumelia
Strength
10,000 men (Hungarians, Transylvanian Saxons, Vlach volunteers and Polish cavalry)	ar. 35,000 above all irregulars, and some regulars
Casualties and losses
3-4,000 killed	15-20,000 killed

v • d • e Ottoman-Hungarian Wars Campaign of Louis I (1) – Treviso – Campaign of Louis I (2) – Nicopolis – Doboj – Radkersburg – Lower Danube War – Smederevo – Sibiu – Iron Gate – Long campaign – Varna – Kosovo – Belgrade – Vaslui – Breadfield – Otranto – Krbava field – Mohács – Ottoman–Habsburg wars

The Battle of Sibiu or Battle of Szeben (Hungarian: Szebeni csata) was a battle between Hungarians under John Hunyadi and the Ottoman Turks on March 18 and March 25, 1442, near Sântimbru (Marosszentimre) and Sibiu. It was the first victory for Hunyadi over the Ottomans.

The Hungarian Kingdom in the 14th century was in conflict with the Ottoman Empire. Louis I of Hungary in Bulgaria was a match for the Turks, but the Wallachian voivods would not support the Hungarians.
In the Battle of Nicopolis the Ottoman army crushed the Hungarian-European crusaders and their Wallachian allies. In 1438 Ottoman marauders attacked Transylvania, where in 1437 the Ottomans had been beaten by an uprising under Antal Nagy de Buda. For up to 45 days the Ottomans without let or hindrance attacked the Transylvanian Saxon lands and Hungarian villages and market towns.

In 1441 John Hunyadi came to power. Hunyadi attacked the Ottomans in Serbia and at the Battle of Smederevo get the best of Ishak bey.
Murad II wanted revenge, and gave the task to Mesid Bey in Transylvania.

The army of Mesid numbered 17 thousand men. He was joined by Shehabbedin Beylerbey of Rumelia. His forces allegedly quadrupled Mesid's army, but may actually have just been equal to Mesid's forces. Many were presumably not regular forces, but some were janissary and spakh.
Hunyadi's forces consisted of Hungarian, Transylvanian and Saxon forces, with some Polish and Romanian soldiers. The commander of the vanguard detachment was bishop György Lépes. Lépes was responsible for the outbreak of the Transylvanian peasant-revolt in 1437.
Hunyadi's forces numbered about 10,000 men.

Battle of Sântimbru:(Marosszentimre) On March 18 Lépes's forces (2,000 men) clashed with Mesid near Sântimbru. The Ottomans won by forces of numbers and Hunyadi was forced to retreat, but Mesid did not pursue Hunyadi. Lépes was taken prisoner and Mesid beheaded the bishop.

Battle of Sibiu: Hunyadi's army regrouped near Sibiu. Simon Kamonyai swapped his armour for Hunyadi's armour so that the Turks would believe he was Hunyadi. Kamonyai was to execute a head-on attack, while Hunyadi went around Mesid's army. Kamonyai was killed in action, however Hunyadi with the Hungarian heavy cavalry charged Mesid, and crushed the Turks. Mesid was killed, while Shehabbedin escaped with the remaining Ottomans. Hunyadi eas able to ransom Lépes's head with Mesid's head.

In the two battles, 3-4,000 Hungarian and 15-20,000 Ottoman soldiers were killed. Out of revenge Shehabbedin again entered Transylvania. In the Battle of the Iron Gate, near the Danube, he was defeated.

[edit] Literature

• Pál Földi. Nagy hadvezérek ("Great Warlords"), Anno Publisher, ISBN 963 9066 66 4