TheBattle of Mohcs(pronounced[mohat];Hungarian:Mohcsi CsataorMohcsi Vsz;Turkish:Moha SavaorMoha Meydan Sava;Polish:Bitwa pod Mohaczem;Croatian:Bitka na Mohakom polju;Slovak:Bitka pri Mohi;German:Schlacht bei Mohatsch) was fought on 29 August 1526 nearMohcs,Hungaryand was a decisive event for the history ofEast-Central Europefor the following centuries. In the battle, forces of theKingdom of Hungaryled byKingLouis II of Hungary and Bohemiawere defeated by forces of theOttoman Empireled by SultanSuleiman the Magnificent.The Ottoman victory led to the partition of Hungary for several centuries between the Ottoman Empire, theHabsburg Monarchy, and thePrincipality of Transylvania. The death of Louis II as he fled the battle marked the end of theJagiellon dynastyin Hungary and Bohemia, whose dynastic claims were absorbed by the Habsburgs via the marriage of Louis' sister.Contents[hide] 1Background 1.1Decline of they royal power (14901526) 1.2European events, and the Franco-Ottoman alliance 2Preparations 3Battle 4Aftermath 5Legacy 6Notes 7References 8External linksBackground[edit]Decline of they royal power (14901526)[edit]After the death of theabsolutistKingMatthias Corvinusin 1490, the Hungarian magnates, who did not want another heavy-handed king, procured the accession ofVladislaus II(reigned 14901516), King ofBohemia, because of his notorious weakness: he was known as King Dobe, orDobzsein Hungarian orthography (meaning "good" or, loosely, "OK") from his habit of accepting, without question, every petition and document laid before him.[10]The freshly elected King Vladislaus II donated most of the royal estates,rgalesandroyaltiesto the nobility. By this method, the king tried to stabilize his new reign and preserve his popularity amongst the magnates. After the naive fiscal and land policy of the royal court, the central power began to experience severe financial difficulties, largely due to the enlargement of feudal lands at his expense. The noble estate of the parliament succeeded in reducing the tax burden by 70-80 percent, at the expense of the country's ability to defend itself.[11]Vladislaus became the magnates' helpless "prisoner"; he could make no decision without their consent.[12]The standing mercenary army (theBlack Army) of Matthias Corvinus was dissolved by the aristocracy. The magnates also dismantled the national administration systems and bureaucracy throughout the country. The country's defenses sagged as border guards and castle garrisons went unpaid, fortresses fell into disrepair, and initiatives to increase taxes to reinforce defenses were stifled.[13]Hungary's international role declined, its political stability shaken, and social progress was deadlocked.In 1514, the weakened and old King Vladislaus II faced a major peasant rebellion led byGyrgy Dzsa, which was ruthlessly crushed by thenobles, led byJohn Zpolya. After the Dzsa Rebellion, the brutal suppression of the peasants greatly aided the 1526 Turkish invasion as the Hungarians were no longer a politically united people. The resulting degradation of order paved the way for Ottoman pre-eminence. In 1521, the strongest Hungarian fortress in the South (Nndorfehrvr) fell to the Turks. The strongest nobles were so busy oppressing the peasants and quarrelling with the gentry class in the parliament that they failed to heed the agonized calls of King Louis II against the Turks. The early appearance ofProtestantismfurther worsened internal relations in the country.

Louis II of Hungary and Bohemiathe young king, who died at the Battle of Mohcs, painted byTitianThe Hungarians had long opposed Ottoman expansion insoutheastern Europe, but the fall of Nndorfehrvr (present-dayBelgrade,Serbia) and Szabcs (nowabac, Serbia) in 1521 meant that most of southern Hungary was left indefensible. KingLouis II, King ofHungaryand Bohemia, entered into marriage withMary of Habsburgin 1522. The Ottomans saw that growing alliance as a threat to their power in theBalkansand worked to break this alliance. AfterSuleiman Icame to power, theHigh Portemade the Hungarians at least one and possibly two offers of peace. It is unclear why Louis refused the offer. It is possible that King Louis was well aware of Hungary's situation (especially after theBattle of Chaldiranand Polish-Ottoman peace from 1525) and he believed that war was a better option than peace. Even in peacetime the Ottomans raided Hungarian lands and conquered small territories (with border castles), but a final battle still offered a glimmer of hope. To such ends, in June 1526, an Ottoman expedition advanced up theDanube River.European events, and the Franco-Ottoman alliance[edit]KingFrancis I of Francewas defeated at theBattle of Paviaon 24 February 1525 by the troops ofHabsburgH.R. EmperorCharles V. After several months in prison, Francis I was forced to sign theTreaty of Madrid.

Suleiman the MagnificentIn a watershed moment in European diplomacy, Francis came to an understanding with theOttoman Empire, which then led to a formalFranco-Ottoman alliance. The objective for Francis I was clearly to find an ally against the powerful Habsburg EmperorCharles V, in the person of Ottoman SultanSuleiman the Magnificent. The Ottoman-French strategic, and sometimes tactical, alliance lasted for about three centuries.[14]It did however cause quite a scandal in the Christian world.To relieve the Habsburg pressure on France, Francis asked Suleiman to make war on the Holy Roman Empire, and the road from Turkey to the Holy Roman Empire led across Hungary. The request of the French king coincided nicely with the ambitions of Suleiman in Europe and gave him an incentive to attackHungaryin 1526, leading to the Battle of Mohcs.[14]Preparations[edit]

GeneralPl Tomori, the captain of the army, in his golden renaissance armour (1526)The loss of Belgrade (Nandorfehervar) in 1521 caused great alarm in Hungary, but the too-late and too-slowly-recruited 60,000 strong royal army led by the king - forgot to take food along, so therefore the army disbanded spontaneously under the pressure of hunger and disease without even trying to recapture Belgrade, the southern key of Hungary, from the newly installed Turkish garrisons. In 1523, ArchbishopPl Tomori, a valiant priest-soldier, was made Captain of Southern Hungary. The general apathy that had characterized the country forced him to lean on his own bishopric revenues when he started to repair and reinforce the second line of Hungary's border defense system.Three years later, an Ottoman army set out fromIstanbulon 16 April 1526, led by Suleiman the Magnificent personally. The Hungarian nobles, who still did not realize the dimensions of the approaching danger, did not heed their King's call to the colours. Louis II ordered them to encamp on 2 July but no one reported on that day not even the King. Only when Louis himself furnished an example with his appearance in the camp did things start to move. The Hungarian war council without waiting for their reinforcements only a few days march away made a serious tactical error by choosing the battlefield near Mohacs, an open but uneven plain with some swampy marshes.The Hungarian army was divided into three main units: theTransylvanianarmy underJohn Zpolya, charged with guarding the passes in theTransylvanian Alps, with between 8,000 and 13,000 men; the main army, led by Louis himself (beside numerous Spanish, German, Czech and Serbian mercenaries); and another smaller force, commanded by theCroatiancountChristoph Frankopan, numbering around 5,000 men. Due to geography, the Ottoman army's ultimate goal could not be determined until it was crossing theBalkan Mountains. Unfortunately for the Hungarians, by the time the Ottoman army had crossed, the Transylvanian and Croatian army was further fromBudathan the Ottomans were. Contemporary historical records, though sparse, indicate that Louis preferred a plan of retreat, in effect ceding the country to Ottoman advances, rather than directly engaging the Ottoman army in open battle.The Hungarian forces chose the battlefield, an open but uneven plain with some swampy marshes nearMohcsleading down to the Danube. The Ottomans had been allowed to advance almost unopposed. While Louis waited in Buda, they had besieged several towns and crossed theSavaandDravaRivers. Louis assembled around 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers (with Croatian and Polish contingents and about 800-1,000 soldiers of the Papal States) while the Ottoman army numbered around 50,000.[2][3]However, military history books from the 21st century calculate the number of the Ottoman Army around 100,000 men.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]The Ottomans are said to have numbered over twice as many though this figure is exaggerated and had up to 160 cannon. "[22]The Hungarian army was arrayed to take advantage of the terrain and hoped to engage the Ottoman army piecemeal. The only advantage the Magyars had that day was that their troops were well-rested, while the Turks had just completed a strenuous march in scorching summer heat. But rather than attacking their fatigued enemy then, the Hungarians just watched as they struggled through the marshy terrain. It would have been "unchivalrous" to attack the enemy when they were not yet ready for battle.[23]