Battle of Užice

The Battle of Tahtalu took place during the campaign launched by Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus against the Ottomans.^[2]

Battle of Tahtalu/Užice
Part of Ottoman-Hungarian Wars
Uzice Fortress
Date 1458, Autumn Location Serbia, Užice Result Ottoman victory There was no power left to protect Serbia from the Ottomans.
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Kingdom of Hungary Serbian Despotate
Commanders and leaders
Mahmud Pasha Mehmed II (strategic coordinator)	Matthias Corvinus(Uncertain, doubtful?)[1]
Strength
unknown	unknown

Background

Serbian Despotate

Following turmoil in Serbia with the death of Serbian Despot Vılkoğlu Brankovic on 24 December 1456 and his successor Lazar Brankovic (who swore allegiance to Mehmed II in 1457) on 20 February 1458. Mehmed sent a second army under the command of Veli Mahmud Pasha to Serbia (while he was in the Peloponnese Expedition). Mahmud Pasha added Güzelcehisar, Sivricehisar (Ostrvica), Böğürdelen (Šabac), and Rudnik to Ottoman lands. The Ottoman army attacked again and captured Güvercinlik (Golubac) in mid-August. Then, after a raid to the north of the Danube, Veli Mahmud Pasha came to Skopje and met with Mehmed II, who returned from the Peloponnese Expedition.^[3]

Battle

Upon the threat of an army under the command of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus,^[4] Mahmud Pasha and Mehmet the conqueror ensured that some units were kept under arms in case the Hungarian army attacked before winter after the Ottomans withdrew.^[5]

During autumn, the Hungarian army under the command of Corvinus crossed the Danube and entered Ottoman lands in Serbia. They came to the Ottoman castle Tahtalu in the Mokra Gora - Užice region and began to plunder the surrounding areas.

However, the Hungarian army was attacked by the reserve units left by Mahmud Pasha and Sultan Mehmet in the region and quickly retreated north of the Danube. Mehmed and Veli Mahmud Pasha returned to Edirne in December 1458.^[6]

Aftermath

The Battle of Tahtalu, although not a military engagement directly won by the main Ottoman army, was a significant development in the history of the Despotate of Serbia. Since Helena did not want the Serbian people to be under the command of the Catholic Hungarians, she handed Smederevo castle to the Ottomans and the Serbian despotism ended.

References

1. İnalcık, Halil. Kuruluş dönemi Osmanlı Sultanları (PDF) (in Turkish). p. 170.
2. Tansel, Selahattin. Osmanlı Kaynaklarına Göre Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Askerî Faaliyetleri (PDF) (in Turkish). p. 131.
3. Stavrides, Theoharis (2021). The Sultan of Vezirs: The Life and Times of the Ottoman Grand Vezir Mahmud Pasha Angelovic (1453-1474). p. s.123–125.
4. İnalcık, Halil (2021). Kuruluş Dönemi Osmanlı Sultanları. p. 195.
5. Freely, John (2009). The Grand Turk.
6. "MEHMED II". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-09-16.