Battle of Keresztes

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=
partof=the Long War (Ottoman wars)
date=October 24-26, 1596
place=Mezőkeresztes ("Haçova" in Turkish), northern Hungary
result=Ottoman victory
combatant1=Ottoman Empire [The Historians' History of the World By Henry Smith Williams - Page 439] Crimean Khanate
combatant2=Habsburg Austria Holy Roman Empire
Transylvania claimed Kingdom of Hungary [S.J.Shaw (1976) p.102: In 1541 Ottoman Empire annexed Hungary as the Buda Province and ruled it until 1682 (p.214) when Imre Thököly was recognized as the King of Hungry, Austrian Habsburgs also lay claim to the throne of Hungary.] Cossacks Polish cavalrys [In the Long War few thousand cossack and polish soldier give in the austrian, hungarian and wallachian army. Ervin Liptay: Military history of Hungary, Zrínyi Military Publisher, 1985. ISBN 9633263379] Papal State Spain Bohemia Walloon mercenaries
commander1=Mehmed III
Damat İbrahim Pasha Grand Vizier
commander2=Archduke Maximilian Sigismund of Transylvania
strength1=100,000 [S.J.Shaw(1976) p.185] Turks, and Tatar
strength2=~90,000
including ~5,000 cavalry
97 cannonFact|date=January 2008
casualties1=~20,000 [Ágnes Várkonyi: Age of Reform's, 2004. "(Megújulások kora)", 27. page.]
casualties2=~12,000- [Ágnes Várkonyi: Age of Reform's, 2004. "(Megújulások kora)", 27. page.] +30,000 [Richard Hodges, "Last-minute Turkish Victory", "History Today" Vol.46 No.10 pp.35 [http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=10220&amid10200] ]
The Battle of Keresztes or Battle of Mezokeresztes (Turkish: "Haçova Meydan Muharebesi") took place on October 24-26, 1596, between a combined Habsburg-Transylvanian force and the Ottoman Empire, near the village of Mezőkeresztes (or in Turkish "Haçova") in northern Hungary. The battle ended in an unexpected Ottoman victory.

Background

The Ottoman Army marched from Istanbul on 23 June 1594 on what Ottoman sources call the "Hungarian Campaign". Commanded by Sultan Mehmed III, the army went through Edirne, Filibe (present Plovdiv), Sofia and Nis to arrive at Belgrade on the 9th of August. On the 20th of August the army crossed the River Sava by bridge and entered the Austrian territory of Siren. A war council convened at Slankamen Castle. It was decided to conduct a siege of the fort of Eger (Erlau). This fort controlled the communication routes between Habsburg Austria and Transylvania which were in revolt against the Ottoman suzerainty.

However, news arrived that the Austrians had laid siege to and conquered the Castle of Hatvan. The Ottoman Army started to besiege the fort of Eger (Erlau) on the 21st September 1596, and on 12th October the castle was taken over. The defenders of the castle were all put to the sword. The Sultan performed his Friday prayers at the mosque which was converted from the cathedral of the city.

Already very late in campaign season, news reached to the Ottoman command that a mixed army of Austrians and Transylvanians was advancing towards the Ottoman expeditionary force. A war council was conducted under the chairmanship of Grand Vizier Damat Ibrahim Pasha. It was decided that the Ottoman Army should be moved so that it could meet the Austrians. The Sultan was of the opinion that the Ottoman army should disengage and return to Istanbul. He was persuaded with great difficulty to engage in battle.

Battle

The Ottoman army, exhausted after a long siege and march, managed to push through several passes providing access through a swamp managed to reach Haçova (in Turkish means Plain of the Cross) (in Hungarian Keresztes). The Austrian-Transylvanian army was entrenched at this site. The army was under the commands of the Archduke Maximillian of Austria and Sigismund Bathory, the King of Transylvania. The armies met at the plain of Haçova (in Hungarian Mezőkeresztes) and joined the Battle of Haçova (in Hungarian Battle of Keresztes), which lasted two full days, 25-26 October 1596. Both armies used firearms extensively and fought with cannons and rifles.

On the second day, the Ottoman Army appeared to be routed and defeated. According to the description of the 17th Century Ottoman chronicler İbrahim Peçevi:"The Christians broke through the Ottoman army, but the soldiers of the Islam had not yet felt the defeat. Then, they started to plunder and taking of booty at the command headquarters of the Ottomans. Under a few flags, a large group of Christian soldiers attacked the tent where the chests of gold money of the Ottoman Exchequer were kept. They killed and otherwise eliminated the janissary and household cavalry soldiers guarding the State Treasury. The Christian soldiers got on the Treasury chests of gold coin and put up their flags of cross over them and started to dance around them."

Sultan Mehmed III, decided to flee the battle field. However, first he asked the opinion of his tutor high cleric Hoca Sadeddin Efendi, "Effendi what is to be the remedy and action to be taken after this?" The reply of Hoca Sadeddin Efendi was, "My Sultan what is necessary is that you must be staying constant and steadfast at this place of battle. The state of the fighting requires this." Taking heed, Sultan Mehmed III put on his shoulder the mantle of the Prophet Mohammed; had the holy Prophet's Flag furled up and had a rug put under the flag and sat there, trying with great difficulty to keep calm, true and constant according to the advice given by his tutor.

The famous 17th century Ottoman chronicler Mustafa Naima Efendi, then relates the remaining part of the battle. The fighting had become dense and at the close vicinity of the Imperial Majesty's Tent. The viziers and the teachers at the Palace Pages School had formed a wall of flesh around the Sultan's person. The Austrian army soldiers had started to go for booty and plunder instead of continuing fighting. However, all of a sudden the Ottoman grooms of the horses, the cooks, the tent makers, the minders of carrier camels started an attack on these plunderers with whatever arms they could find, including cooks' spoons, blocks of wood, hammers for tent making, adzes, axes for cutting wood etc. The Austrians were surprised and started to retreat in confusion. The cries of the Ottomans that "The Christian enemy is fleeing." were heard by the Ottoman troops fighting what seemed a losing battle on the line and they recoiled and recovered. With a major contribution from artillery, the Ottoman forces started another attack on the Austrians on the full front and managed to outflank the Austrian-Transylvanian army and routed them (26 October 1596).

Aftermath

Soon after victory, Mehmed III appointed Cigalzade Sinan Pasha as the new Grand Vizier. He sent an imperial victory proclamation to Istanbul giving the news of the conquering of Egri (Erlau) Castle and the victory at the Battle of Haçova (Keresztes). This reached Istanbul in October and there were public celebrations and public meetings organised in the city. During these celebrations, four galleys full of state procured sugar from Egypt arrived into Istanbul harbour, which added "sweetness" to the news of battle victory. Mehmed III was awarded the epithet of 'Conqueror of Egri'. The Sultan and the army took one month to journey back to Istanbul. When the Sultan arrived, a great victory procession was organised. This victory procession and the accompanying spectacles started at Buyukcekmece. The poets of Istanbul wrote special poems about the victory. In the streets and markets of the city town-criers were sent to announce that there will be bedecking of the streets of the city. The warehouses and stores were all decorated with 'valuable cloths'. This display of colour all across the city is described in a poem by the poet Kemal as follows:: “All the shops of the city became coloured due to conquerors wishes: Each of which were decorated as if it were the kerchief of the sweetheart”

References

External links

* [http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=10220&amid=10220 Last-minute Turkish victory at Keresztes]
* [http://crowland.uw.hu/images/csata/mezokeresztes.html Battle of Mezőkeresztes (Hungarian)]
* N. Sakaoglu [1999] , Bu Mulkun Sultanlari, Istanbul: Oglak. (Turkish)
* S.J.Shaw [1976] History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Vol.1 Empire of the Gazis, Cambridge University Press.