Battle of Krbava field

Infobox Military Conflict
|

|caption=Ottoman Akincis in battle
|conflict=Battle of Krbava field
|partof=the Ottoman wars in Europe
Ottoman-Croatian Wars
|date=September 9, 1493
|place=Krbava field, southern Croatia
|result=Decisive Ottoman victory [Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture By Richard C. Frucht, pg. 422]
|combatant1=Ottoman Empire
|combatant2=Kingdom of Croatia
|commander1=Bosnian Sandjak-beg Hadum Jakub Pasa
|commander2=Mirko Derenčin †
|strength1=8,000 Akincis
|strength2=2,000 heavy cavalry 8,000 infantry
|casualties1=1,000 killed
|casualties2=8,000+ killed|

The Battle of Krbava field ("Krbavsko polje") _hu. Korbávmezei csata, was fought between the Kingdom of Croatia and Ottoman forces on September 9, 1493 in southern Croatia. It resulted in the total defeat of the Croatian army led by Ban Mirko Derenčin. [Democratic Transition in Croatia: Value Transformation, Education & Media By Sabrina P. Ramet, Davorka Matic, pg. xii]

Background

After the fall of the Bosnian Kingdom into the Ottoman hands in 1463, the southern and central parts of the Kingdom of Croatia remained unprotected, the defense of which was left to Croatian gentry who kept smaller troops in the fortified border areas at their own expense. The Ottomans meanwhile reached the river Neretva and having conquered Herzegovina (Rama) in 1482, they found their way toward Croatia, skillfully avoiding the fortified border towns. Through the conquest of the Kingdom of Croatia, the Ottoman light cavalry pushed its way towards the towns of Carinthia and Carniola, threatening thus to a border area of Venice as well.

Preparations

In order to stop such invasions, in the summer of 1493 the Croats attempted to rally their troops under the command of Viceroy Emerik Derencin at Krbava field (near today's Udbina) in central Croatia, and lay in wait there to trap the Ottomans. In the meanwhile, the Ottoman Sandjak-beg Hadum Jakub Pasha with some 8,000 Akıncı (Turkish light cavalry) was returning from an expedition to Styria and Croatian Zagorje.

Croatian feudal army under the command of Viceroy Derencin at Krbava field had some 2,000 heavy feudal cavalry and some 8,000 infantry from all parts of the Croatia. The Croats overestimated their powers.

The sunrise of September 9, 1493 marked the beginning of one of the bleakest day of Croatian history.

The battle

The Croatian army rushed at the Ottomans. After first luring Croats into plains, where light cavalry were in advantage over heavy feudal cavalry, surrounding it from the front, one flank and rear. Croatian army suffered a total defeat in which the cream of the old Croatian nobility perished to a man, including Mirko Derenčin. [Croatia: A History By Ivo Goldstein, Nikolina Jovanovic, pg.31]

Aftermath

The defeat was resounding. In one single day, around 7,000 Croatian soldiers lost their lives, including many of Croatian feudal nobleman of the time. The defeat at Krbava field shook all the social strata in Croatia; however it did not dissuade the Croats from making even more decisive and persistent attempts at defending themselves against the attacks of the much more powerful enemy. Following the battle, scores of Croatian refugees moved toward Austria while others migrated to Italian coastal areas. [Croatia: A History By Ivo Goldstein, Nikolina Jovanovic, pg.31]

References

*Fred Singleton, "A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples". Cambridge University Press, 1989.