Battle of Kosovo, 1389 ⚔️ The Last stand of the Christians against Ottoman expansion ⚔️ DOCUMENTARY

Summary

The Battle of Maritsa in 1371 led to the collapse of the Serbian Empire, as its powerful nobles and Emperor Uroš V perished. The region fragmented, with local lords claiming territories. Sultan Murad I expanded Ottoman influence by turning Christian nobles into vassals, while Serbia's Prince Lazar rose to power. Despite Ottoman incursions, Lazar formed alliances, securing victories like the Battle of Pločnik. However, in 1389, both Lazar and Murad were killed during the Battle of Kosovo. While the battle's outcome is debated, it marked the beginning of Ottoman dominance in the Balkans.

Takeaways

• ⚔️ The Battle of Maritsa in 1371 led to the fragmentation of the Serbian Empire, with the death of key nobles and the last emperor without an heir, ending the Nemanjic dynasty.
• 🏰 Sultan Murad I chose a strategic approach of offering peace and vassalship to the Dejanovic noble family rather than seizing their lands, aiming to avoid provoking an anti-Ottoman coalition.
• 👑 Prince Marko, son of King Vukašin, initially resisted but eventually became an Ottoman vassal after losing troops and territories, recognizing Ottoman suzerainty to maintain power.
• 🛡️ Prince Lazar emerged as a powerful noble, consolidating his position after the fall of the Mrnjavčević family and expanding his territories through strategic alliances and conquests.
• 👥 The formation of a coalition against Prince Nikola Altomanović by Prince Lazar, Bosnian Ban Tvrtko, and Hungarian nobleman Nicholas I Garai led to the division of Nikola’s dominion, strengthening Lazar’s position.
• 🏹 The Ottomans used small contingents to raid Christian territories for plunder, disruption, and fear-mongering, with Bulgaria suffering the most from these incursions.
• 🏰 The Battle of Dubravnica in 1381 saw Prince Lazar's forces defeat an Ottoman detachment that had penetrated deep into Serbian and Bulgarian territories.
• 🎖️ Despite initial Serbian successes, the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 ended with the death of both Sultan Murad and Prince Lazar, leaving the outcome disputed among historians.
• 🏰 After the battle, Sultan Bayezid I consolidated power, and the Ottomans did not immediately continue their campaigns, allowing a temporary respite for the Christian states.
• 🏰 The death of Lazar led to his wife Milica taking power, and the subsequent invasion by Hungary forced her to accept Ottoman suzerainty, demonstrating the lasting impact of the battle on the region.

Q & A

What event marked the end of the Nemanjic dynasty in Serbia?

The death of Emperor Uros V without an heir in 1371, following the defeat at the Battle of Maritsa, marked the end of the Nemanjic dynasty.

How did Sultan Murad I expand Ottoman influence in the Balkans after the Battle of Maritsa?

Instead of directly conquering territories, Sultan Murad I offered peace to defeated noble families like the Dejanovic family, making them Ottoman vassals. This strategy allowed him to secure control over the region without provoking resistance.

What role did Prince Lazar play after the disintegration of the Serbian Empire?

Prince Lazar consolidated power after the collapse of the Mrnjavčević family and became the most powerful nobleman in the region, expanding his territories and positioning himself as the ruler of all Serbian lands.

How did the Battle of Dubravnica in 1381 impact the Ottoman expansion?

In the Battle of Dubravnica, Serbian forces under Prince Lazar defeated an Ottoman detachment, temporarily halting their raids into Serbian territory.

What was the significance of the Battle of Pločnik in 1386?

The Battle of Pločnik was significant because Prince Lazar’s forces defeated the Ottomans, causing them to temporarily withdraw from Serbia, although they retained control of the city of Niš.

How did the death of Sultan Murad I occur according to different historical accounts?

Some accounts suggest that Murad was killed by a Serbian knight during the Battle of Kosovo, either while the knight pretended to surrender or during a melee near the Sultan's tent. The identity of the knight remains unclear, though Serbian tradition attributes it to Miloš Obilić.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Kosovo for the Serbian forces?

Although the Ottomans sustained heavy losses, the Serbian forces were ultimately defeated. Prince Lazar was either killed in battle or captured and executed, which left Serbia vulnerable to further Ottoman expansion.

Why is the result of the Battle of Kosovo still debated by historians?

The result is debated because both rulers, Sultan Murad I and Prince Lazar, died in the battle. While the Ottoman army prevailed on the battlefield, the Serbian forces halted Ottoman advances temporarily, making the battle's outcome ambiguous.

How did Vuk Branković's actions impact the Serbian resistance against the Ottomans after the Battle of Kosovo?

Vuk Branković managed to preserve much of his forces by retreating in an organized manner during the battle, allowing him to continue resisting the Ottomans for several more years after Lazar’s defeat.

What were the consequences for Serbia after the death of Prince Lazar and the Battle of Kosovo?

After Prince Lazar's death, his wife Milica took power, and Serbia was forced to accept Ottoman suzerainty. The Serbian army had been destroyed, and Hungary invaded from the north, ravaging parts of the country.

Outlines

00:00

🛡️ Aftermath of the Battle of Maritsa and the Fall of the Serbian Empire

Following the devastating defeat at Maritsa in 1371, the Serbian Empire collapsed with the deaths of key nobles Vukašin and Uglješa, and Emperor Uroš V. The once-powerful Nemanjic dynasty fell, leading to fragmentation among local lords. Despite Ottoman Sultan Murad I's ability to conquer, he instead sought peace with various Serbian nobles, such as the Dejanovic family, turning them into vassals. Over time, Prince Marko also accepted Ottoman rule to maintain his power. Murad's strategy secured peace in the Balkans, expanded Ottoman influence, and used tribute to finance future conquests. Amidst this turmoil, Prince Lazar emerged as the strongest Serbian noble.

05:04

⚔️ Ottoman Expansion and the Christian Resistance

The Ottomans continued their expansion in the 1380s, capturing key territories such as Serres and Sofia, with a clear path to Serbia. Despite a setback at the Battle of Pločnik, where Lazar defeated the Ottoman forces, the Turks held Niš. As tensions grew, Bulgaria stopped paying tribute but was swiftly subdued again. The fall of Thessaloniki to the Ottomans highlighted their growing power. In 1388, Bosnia, under Vlatko Vuković, successfully repelled another Ottoman incursion, showing the difficulty Murad faced in fully subduing the Balkans.

10:05

🏇 The Battle of Kosovo and Its Turning Point

The famous Battle of Kosovo in 1389 saw the forces of Prince Lazar and Sultan Murad face off. Lazar's heavy cavalry initially made significant advances, particularly on the right flank led by Vuk Branković. The Serbian forces even reached Murad's camp, and it is believed that a Serbian knight killed the Sultan. However, Murad's son Bayezid quickly took command, and the Ottomans launched a counter-offensive. Vuković’s Bosnian forces faltered, and Branković’s organized withdrawal left Lazar vulnerable. Lazar was either killed or captured, marking a critical loss for the Serbs.

15:09

🏰 Aftermath of the Battle of Kosovo: Power Shifts and Consequences

Sultan Bayezid, having taken power after his father’s death, retreated from Kosovo to consolidate his rule. The news of Murad’s death spread across Europe, and from Bosnia’s perspective, the battle was a success, as many forces returned safely. However, for Serbia, the consequences were dire. Lazar's wife, Milica, took power as their son Stefan was still a minor. The army was devastated, and Hungarian invasions from the north further weakened the region. Milica was forced to submit to Bayezid, while Vuk Branković continued his resistance. Historians remain divided on who truly won the Battle of Kosovo, though it effectively marked the decline of the strongest Christian resistance in the Balkans.

Keywords

💡Battle of Maritsa

The Battle of Maritsa in 1371 was a devastating defeat for the Serbian Empire, leading to the deaths of key nobles like Vukasin Mrnjavcevic and his brother Ugljesa. This battle marked the decline of Serbian power and the weakening of Christian resistance against the Ottomans, setting the stage for Ottoman expansion in the Balkans.

💡Nemanjic Dynasty

The Nemanjic Dynasty was a Serbian royal family that ruled for over two centuries, ending with the death of Emperor Uros V. Their fall, following the Battle of Maritsa, led to the disintegration of the Serbian Empire, with local lords seizing territories, further fragmenting the region and making it vulnerable to Ottoman incursions.

💡Ottoman Vassalship

Ottoman vassalship was a strategic arrangement where local rulers, such as the Dejanovic noble family and later Prince Marko, were allowed to maintain power in exchange for recognizing Ottoman authority and paying tribute. This strategy helped the Ottomans secure peace in the Balkans while expanding their influence without direct conquest.

💡Prince Lazar

Prince Lazar emerged as one of the most powerful Serbian nobles after the fall of the Serbian Empire. He consolidated power through strategic alliances and territorial expansion, positioning himself as a leader of resistance against the Ottomans. His role culminated in the Battle of Kosovo, where he led the Serbian forces against Sultan Murad's army.

💡Sultan Murad I

Sultan Murad I was the Ottoman ruler who expanded the empire’s influence in the Balkans through a combination of military campaigns and diplomatic vassal agreements. His leadership culminated in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, where he was allegedly killed by a Serbian knight, a pivotal moment in Balkan-Ottoman history.

💡Battle of Kosovo

The Battle of Kosovo in 1389 was a significant confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and a Serbian-led coalition. While both rulers, Lazar and Murad, were killed, the battle marked the decline of Serbian power and resistance in the Balkans, allowing the Ottomans to continue their expansion into Europe.

💡Bayezid I

Bayezid I, son of Sultan Murad I, succeeded his father after the Battle of Kosovo. Known for consolidating power quickly by killing his brother Yakub, Bayezid became Sultan and resumed the Ottoman campaigns in the Balkans, eventually forcing Serbia to become an Ottoman vassal after Prince Lazar's death.

💡Vuk Branković

Vuk Branković was a Serbian noble and Prince Lazar's son-in-law who commanded the right wing of the Serbian army at the Battle of Kosovo. His forces made significant progress during the battle, breaking through the Ottoman ranks, but he later withdrew, and his role in the battle remains a subject of historical debate.

💡Moravian Serbia

Moravian Serbia refers to the region controlled by Prince Lazar after the disintegration of the Serbian Empire. Despite its small size, it was economically strong and militarily organized, providing the core of resistance against Ottoman expansion until the Battle of Kosovo.

💡Miloš Obilić

Miloš Obilić is a legendary figure in Serbian tradition, believed to have killed Sultan Murad I during the Battle of Kosovo. Though historical accounts vary, his name became synonymous with heroism and resistance, symbolizing Serbian defiance against Ottoman domination.

Highlights

The Serbian Empire collapsed after the defeat at Maritsa in 1371, leading to the deaths of key figures like Vukasin Mrnjavcevic and Emperor Uros V.

The Serbian Empire disintegrated, and local lords carved out their own territories within its fallen borders.

Sultan Murad I chose diplomacy by offering vassalship instead of direct conquest to manage Christian domains in the Balkans.

Prince Lazar rose as the most powerful Serbian nobleman after consolidating power from the fall of other Serbian leaders.

In 1377, Bosnian Ban Tvrtko crowned himself as King of the Serbs and Bosnia, signaling his ambitions for Serbian unification.

In 1386, Prince Lazar’s forces dealt a significant defeat to the Ottomans in the Battle of Pločnik, temporarily halting Ottoman advances.

By 1389, Sultan Murad prepared for a large military campaign to finally defeat Prince Lazar and expand Ottoman control in the Balkans.

Lazar formed an alliance with Bosnian King Tvrtko and other Christian nobles to resist the Ottomans in the lead-up to the Battle of Kosovo.

On June 15, 1389, the pivotal Battle of Kosovo began with both sides employing strategic formations, including Serbian heavy cavalry and Ottoman archers and infantry.

Lazar’s army initially broke through Ottoman lines, threatening Sultan Murad’s camp, but the Ottomans managed to regroup and counterattack.

Historical sources suggest Sultan Murad may have been killed during the battle by a Serbian knight, who is later named Miloš Obilić in Serbian tradition.

Despite Murad’s death, Bayezid led the Ottomans in a successful counteroffensive, turning the tide of the battle.

The Battle of Kosovo ended in a stalemate with the deaths of both Sultan Murad and Prince Lazar, but it weakened Serbian resistance significantly.

After the battle, Moravian Serbia, led by Lazar’s widow Milica, was forced to become an Ottoman vassal, consolidating Ottoman control over the Balkans.

The outcome of the Battle of Kosovo is still debated, with both sides claiming victory, but it marked a turning point in Ottoman expansion into Europe.

Transcripts

After the disastrous defeat at Maritsa, in 1371, the Serbian Empire was left without

its most powerful nobles.

Vukasin Mrnjavcevic and his brother Ugljesa were killed, and only a few months later the

last Serbian Emperor, Uros V, the Weak, passed away without an heir.

This effectively put an end to the Nemanjic dynasty that held the reins of power for over two centuries.

The realm disintegrated, as the local lords carved out their own territories

within the boundaries of the fallen empire.

The Christian domains in the region were now in a difficult position.

Fragmented, none had the strength to hold off the Ottoman armies.

But, although Sultan Murad I could have defeated his neighbors one by one,

he knew that controlling the newly conquered areas would not be easy

and could provoke a potential creation of an anti-Ottoman coalition.

So the Sultan decided on a different strategy.

Instead of seizing lands of the defeated forces, he offered peace to the Dejanovic noble family,

in exchange for vassalship.

A similar strategy was executed in Bulgaria, which was threatened the most by the Ottomans,

but also Byzantium, which could only find safety behind the walls of Constantinople.

Being further west, Prince Marko, the son of the dead King Vukašin,

probably did not become an Ottoman vassal immediately after the defeat at Maritsa.

But having lost much of his troops in the battle,

he was no longer able to stop nearby Serbian nobles from seizing its territories.

To stay in power, he was eventually forced to recognize Ottoman suzerainty.

With this, Sultan Murad secured peace in the Balkans,

and had significantly expanded the Ottoman sphere of influence.

At the same time, he used the annual tribute paid by the Christian vassals to finance preparations for future campaigns,

and establish strongholds that would serve as staging points for spreading Islam further into Europe.

While there was peace in the Balkans, Prince Lazar emerged from the ruins of the Serbian Empire,

as the most powerful nobleman.

He used the fall of the Mrnjavčević family after the Battle of Maritsa to consolidate his position.

His ally and son-in-law Vuk Branković took Skopje from Prince Marko, the former capital of the Serbian Empire.

Then, in autumn of 1373, Lazar banded together with the Bosnian Ban Tvrtko and a Hungarian

nobleman Nicholas I Garai, to form a coalition against his rival, Prince Nikola Altomanović.

Outnumbered, and attacked from all sides, Nikola’s dominion was conquered and divided between the three allies.

And in 1379, the area of Braničevo in the north, also fell to the ambitious Lazar.

These expansions strengthened Lazar’s tax base and manpower,

while the newly acquired mineral wealth financed recruitment of more troops.

Soon enough, Lazar deemed himself the ruler of all Serbian lands,

openly claiming the right over all remnants of the former Serbian Empire.

To the west, the Bosnian Ban Tvrtko was also on the rise, and in 1377

he was crowned as king of the Serbs and Bosnia in the Mileševo monastery,

thus also showing ambition to unite all Serbian lands into one powerful kingdom.

Despite the conflicting ambitions, both Lazar and Tvrtko remained faithful allies,

ignoring their disagreements, guided exclusively by realpolitik.

While the Balkan states were dealing with their problems, Sultan Murad renewed his offensive.

In 1380, Small Ottoman contingents regularly ventured into Christian territory, primarily to plunder,

disrupt the enemy’s economy, and implant fear among the population,

but also to scout rival armies.

Bulgaria suffered the brunt of these raids, especially in the areas south of Balkan Mountains.

One such incursion took place in the summer of 1381,

when an Ottoman detachment broke through so deeply into the Bulgarian lands

that they crossed into the territory of the Serbian Prince Lazar.

However, Lazar's voivodes were quick to react and managed to defeat the Turks in the Battle of Dubravnica.

The Ottoman offensive did not stop here.

With a new attack in 1383, the Turks occupied Serres, one of the most important cities in Macedonia,

and two years later, Sofia was conquered.

The way to Serbia was now open, and indeed in 1386,

a strong Ottoman army attacked, taking the important city of Niš,

from where they proceeded towards Lazar's capital Kruševac.

But, Lazar intercepted and dealt a heavy defeat on the Ottomans in the Battle of Pločnik.

The Turks withdrew from Serbia, but kept hold of Niš.

Encouraged by the Christian victory, Emperor Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria stopped paying tribute

and sending troops to serve under the Sultan.

However, the Turks responded by invading Bulgaria with a huge army, conquering numerous cities

and forcing Ivan to again become a vassal.

On the Aegean coast, in 1387, Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Byzantium, fell

into Turkish hands.

In the summer of 1388, a new detachment led by the Ottoman commander Lala Şahin Pasha

set out for the Serbian lords.

Without attacking Ottoman vassals Marko and Constantine Dejanović, Şahin Pasha probably

marched through Kosovo to attack the Kingdom of Bosnia.

However, under the command of voivode Vlatko Vuković, the Bosnians inflicted a decisive

defeat on the Ottomans.

Their commander Lala Şahin Pasha barely escaped with his life from Bosnia.

It was then that Sultan Murad realized that that these incursions were not enough to destroy

the economy and bring chaos within Lazar’s domain.

Although small, the so-called Moravian Serbia was economically strong and militarily well organised.

Thus, Murad began preparations for a major military campaign to defeat Prince Lazar…

Thousands were recruited from both the European and Asian parts of the Sultanate.

In 1389, with his two sons Yakub Çelebi and Bayezid, Murad set out to settle accounts with the Serbs.

Learning of Murad's plans, Lazar called upon his ally, Tvrtko.

Although busy fighting on the Dalmatian coast, the Bosnian king sent a strong detachment

under the command of Vlatko Vukovic, who had experience in fighting the Ottomans.

Lazar's son-in-law, the master of Kosovo, Vuk Branković, also prepared for war.

Very small detachments of knights from the surrounding Christian countries, such as Hungary,

Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, and Wallachia, may have come to Lazar's aid, who tried to

gather as large a coalition as possible.

But, his primary concern was maintaining a precarious peace with Hungary, where not too

long ago he meddled in the Hungarian civil war against King Sigismund.

With his army gathered, Lazar marched off to meet the Ottomans.

Meanwhile, Sultan Murad passed through the territory of his Serbian vassal, Constantine Dejanovic,

and advanced to meet Lazar.

On June 15, 1389, the opposing forces stood facing each other on the field of Kosovo.

In the first ranks of the Ottoman army, the Sultan positioned his archers.

Behind them was a strong line of infantry, which consisted mostly of Azebs.

Further back were the Akinji light cavalry and the Sipahi heavy cavalry.

The Sultan’s sons Yakub and Bayezid commanded the left and right wing, respectively.

Murad was stationed in the center, accompanied by a detachment of janissaries, who served

as his personal guard.

Across the battlefield, Lazar’s army was mostly made up of heavy cavalry, the main

fighting force in most European countries at the time.

Cavalry was placed in the front rows, with probably some lighter cavalry units next to them.

Behind them stood the infantry.

Lazar commanded the center of the army, with Bosnian voivode Vlatko Vuković at the head

of the left wing and Vuk Branković commanding the right.

Sources are conflicting on the size of the two armies.

However, it is likely that the Ottomans had a numerical advantage with 30,000 troops,

especially in the infantry arm, while Lazar’s smaller force of 20,000 troops were better equipped.

Lazar’s plan was to strike and disperse the enemy formation, knowing that the psychological

pressure created by the charge of his heavy cavalry would test the resolve of the Ottoman troops.

However, Murad expected this, and arrayed his army in a defensive formation.

He planned to use his archers in the opening stage.

While they could not inflict much damage on the heavy cavalry, their arrow volleys could

provoke the enemy into an unorganized charge.

Rows of spikes were placed to slow down the advancing enemy formations.

After first contact, the Ottoman infantry would then bear the brunt of the Serbian cavalry chrage.

And once Lazar’s attack lost momentum, the Sultan would launch a general counterattack.

Artillery opened the engagement.

But the shots fell well short of their intended targets.

Shortly afterwards, Ottoman archers stepped forward.

They unleashed on the Serbian knights, who waited for the signal of their commanders.

Lazar ordered the charge of his entire cavalry.

The thudding of thousands of European knights steamed towards the Ottoman line.

Prince Lazar himself took part in the attack, as well as the commanders of the left and right wings.

The Ottomans probably expected that the first phase of the battle would be the most difficult.

And indeed, the Serbian charge inflicted heavy losses on Murad’s army.

The Serbian left wing and center had some success in driving back the Turks, but the

greatest progress was on the right wing, commanded by Vuk Branković.

His charge was so effective that the enemy’s infantry could not stop his advance.

Murad's left wing, under the command of his son Yakub, gradually started to bend and retreat.

The Serbs were so superior on this part of the front that they broke through to the Ottoman camp.

This was the critical moment of the battle, and most sources agree on the course of the

battle only up to this point.

We will rely on the correspondence that arose immediately after the battle between the Bosnian

King Tvrtko and the administration of the city of Florence.

It said that a group of Serbian knights broke through the Ottoman ranks, and hacked their

way towards Murad’s tent, which was surrounded by camels.

In the melee, one of the knights whose name is unknown, allegedly cut down the Ottoman Sultan.

Meanwhile, the situation on the front improved for the Turks.

The endangered Ottoman left wing received reinforcements and managed to stabilize the

situation, while the right wing, despite the losses, stopped the advance of the Bosnians.

Then, Bayezid brought his cavalry into the fight

and started a counter-offensive against Vlatko Vuković.

If it is true that Murad died during the battle, as some sources claim, and that Bayezid took

control of the entire army, it is truly astonishing how the Ottomans managed to maintain discipline,

and even go on the counter-offensive.

Vlatko Vuković then began to lose control of his troops, which gradually withdrew.

In the end, the entire Serbian left wing fled the field.

The defeat on the left wing threatened Lazar's left flank, which remained completely unprotected.

Bayezid's troops quickly seized on this opportunity and rushed against the Serbian center.

Realizing the situation, Vuk Branković most likely saw that the battle was lost, and initiated

an organized withdrawal from the battlefield.

Lazar, probably unable to carry out his own retreat in an organized manner, either fell

in battle or was captured and decapitated.

According to most Ottoman sources, the death of Sultan Murad took place while his troops

were scattered and while they were chasing the Serbian army.

Allegedly, the Sultan found himself alone momentarily, which was used by a Christian

warrior who pretended to be dead, to kill the Sultan as he walked by.

Most common version in the Western world is that a Serbian knight came to surrender, but

when he was brought before Murad, he drew a dagger and killed the Sultan.

The name of the knight remained unknown, but over time he was named Miloš Obilić and

became a symbol of courage and resistance in Serbian tradition.

Due to contradictory sources, historians cannot determine the time of the Sultan’s death.

But, whenever Murad met his end, his son Yakub was killed soon after by his brother Bayezid,

in his bid to become the new Sultan.

After the battle, Sultan Bayezid retreated from the field of Kosovo to consolidate power

and prevent potential rebellions.

News spread throughout Europe about Sultan Murad’s death and that the Ottoman campaign

against the Christians was stopped.

This news was mostly spread by the Bosnian King Tvrtko, and indeed from his perspective

the Battle of Kosovo was a great victory, especially since most of his forces returned safely to Bosnia.

But, for Moravian Serbia, the battle had catastrophic consequences.

With Lazar's death, his wife Milica took power, because their son Stefan Lazarević was still a minor.

Their powerful army was destroyed and would take some time to recover.

Although the Ottomans did not continue their campaign after the battle, in the autumn of

1389, the Hungarians invaded Serbia from the north, ravaging large areas and besieging smaller cities.

Unable to resist them, Princess Milica was forced to accept the suzerainty of Sultan

Bayezid, and had sent her youngest daughter to his harem as a pledge of peace between

the Lazarević family and the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, Vuk Branković, having preserved much of his troops, continued to

resist the Ottomans until his death.

To this day, there is disagreement among historians about on was victorious in the Battle of Kosovo.

The reason for this dispute is the death of both rulers, which has not happened often in history.

Those who claim that the battle was a Serbian victory, base their argument that the advance

of the Turks was temporarily stopped.

And those who consider it an Ottoman victory, do so because the Ottoman army prevailed on the battlefield.

In any case, by defeating Lazar’s coalition the Ottomans broke the strongest resistance

in the Balkans, and as early as 1390, they resumed their campaigns, primarily aiding

their Serbian vassals in their fight against Hungary.