Battle of Pelekanon

Battle of Pelekanon

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Pelekanon


caption=
partof=the Byzantine-Ottoman wars
date=June 10-11, 1329
place=Near Nicomedia, Bithynia
result=Ottoman victory
combatant1=Byzantine Empire
combatant2=Ottoman Beylik
commander1=Andronicus III
commander2=Orhan I
strength1=~ 2,000 soldiers from Constantinople, and something less than this number from Thrace.Bartusis, "The Late Byzantine Army", p. 91 "In June 1329 he [Andronicus III] and Kantakouzenos led a major expedition into Asia with 2,000 soldiers from Constantinople, and something less than this number from Thrace. At Pelekanos their army encountered the forces of Orhan, Osman's son and successor, encamped with about 8,000 men."]
strength2=~ 8,000

The Battle of Pelekanon also known by its latinised form Battle of Pelecanum occurred on June 10-11, 1329 between an expeditionary force by the Byzantines led by Andronicus III and an Ottoman army led by Orhan I. The Byzantines were defeated, with no further attempt made at relieving the cities in Anatolia under Ottoman siege.

Clash and Outcome

By the accession of Andronicus in 1328, the Imperial territories in Anatolia had dramatically shrunk from almost all of the west of modern Turkey forty years earlier to a few scattered outposts along the Aegean Sea and a small core province around Nicomedia within about 150km of the capital city Constantinople. Everywhere the Turks were hostile and encroaching on Imperial lands. Andronicus decided to relieve the important cities of Nicomedia and Nicaea and hopefully restore the frontier to a stable position.Together with the Grand Domestic (or Imperial Chancellor) John Cantacuzene, Andronicus led the army, which was the greatest he could muster along the Sea of Marmara towards Nicomedia. At Pelekanon, an Ottoman Turkish army blocked their way. Parts of each army clashed and the Turks were driven off. However, the bulk of the Turkish army withdrew into the hills north of the battlefield and Andronicus could advance no further while it was intact. Further skirmishes resulted in the emperor sustaining light wounds while morale plummeted. When the Turks occupied the roadway behind them, the Grand Domestic arranged for the army to return to Constantinople by sea.

Consequences

A campaign of restoration was aborted. Never again did a Byzantine army attempt to regain Asian territory. The historic former capitals of Nicomedia and Nicaea were not relieved and the maintenance of Imperial control across the Bosphorus was no longer tenable. The Ottomans built up a strong base from which they eventually swept away the Byzantine Empire.

Notes

References

* Bartusis, Marc C. "The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204-1453", University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
* Treadgold, W. "A History of the BYzantine State and Society", Stanford University Press, 1997.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Battle of Maritsa — Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe Serbian Ottoman Wars The Ottoman advance after the battle of Chernomen …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Samos (1824) — Battle of Samos Part of the Greek War of Independence Date August 5, 1824 (julian calendar) Location Off Samos Result …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Gerontas — Part of Greek War of Independence Date August 29, 1824 Location Southeast Aegean Result Greek v …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Vienna — This article is about the 1683 battle. For the earlier Ottoman siege of 1529, see Siege of Vienna. For the 1485 Hungarian siege, see Siege of Vienna (1485). For 1945 battle, see Vienna Offensive. Battle of Vienna Part of the Great Turkish War,… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Kosovo — This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389. For other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation); for the 1989 film depicting the battle, see Battle of Kosovo (film) Battle of Kosovo Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe Serbian Ottoman… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Nicopolis — For other uses, see Battle of Nicopolis (disambiguation). Last Crusade redirects here. For the 1989 movie, see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Battle of Nicopolis Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe Ottoman–Hungarian Wars …   Wikipedia

  • Naval Battle of Elli — Part of First Balkan War …   Wikipedia

  • Orhan I —    Orhan I اورخان غازی Ottoman Sultan …   Wikipedia

  • Palaiologan army — Infobox War Faction name= Byzantine army war= the Byzantine Ottoman Wars, the Byzantine Bulgarian Wars and other conflicts caption=Imperial flag and dynastic insignia of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologoi active= 1261 1453 AD leaders=… …   Wikipedia

  • List of battles 601–1400 — List of battles: before 601 601 1400 1401 1800 1801 1900 1901 2000 2001 current 7th century * 603 Battle of Degsastan Northumbrian king Aethelfrith defeats Scots under Áedán mac Gabráin * 612 ** Battle of Yodong fortress Korean Goguryeo defeat… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”