Dumbest Battle in History: Battle of Karánsebes

Summary

In September 1788, during the Habsburg-Ottoman War, the Austrian army led by King Joseph II faced a bizarre and chaotic situation near the town of Carabas, modern-day Romania. The multi-ethnic, hundred-thousand-strong force, with many soldiers not even speaking German, encountered a group of Roma people offering schnapps. This led to a drunken scuffle between the Hussars and the infantry, which escalated into a full-blown fight. Amidst the confusion, a shot was fired, and the soldiers, in their inebriated state, mistakenly believed they were under Ottoman attack. The ensuing panic led to the entire camp believing in an ambush, causing a disorganized retreat and self-inflicted casualties. The Austrian officers' attempts to restore order were misunderstood due to the language barrier, further fueling the chaos. The incident, which may have resulted in up to ten thousand casualties, led to the loss of strategic ground to the Ottomans. While the exact details of the event have been distorted over time, it is clear that a significant military blunder occurred, impacting the course of the war.

Takeaways

• 🏰 In September 1788, the Austrian army, led by King Joseph II, was engaged in the Habsburg-Ottoman War.
• 👥 The Austrian army was large and diverse, composed of numerous ethnicities, some of whom did not speak German.
• 🏙️ The army was scouting near the town of Carabas, modern-day Romania, and decided to set up camp near the Timis River.
• 🥃 A contingent of hussars encountered Roma people offering schnapps, leading to drinking and a scuffle with infantry over the alcohol.
• 🔥 A shot was fired, which escalated the scuffle into a full-blown fight, with soldiers mistakenly believing they were under Ottoman attack.
• 🗣️ Confusion was exacerbated by language barriers, with Austrian officers' commands being misinterpreted as the Ottoman battle cry.
• 💥 The ensuing chaos led to the Austrian camp being fired upon by their own artillery, believing they were under attack.
• 🏃 The Austrian army, thinking they were retreating from an Ottoman ambush, suffered significant casualties and lost equipment.
• 👑 Emperor Joseph II was knocked off his horse during the confusion, highlighting the disarray within the ranks.
• 📰 There were contemporary accounts of a military blunder in Carabas, although the exact details and scale of the incident are disputed.
• 🤔 While the exact sequence of events may never be fully known, it is clear that a significant event led to the Austrian withdrawal from a strategically important location.

Q & A

What year did the incident involving the Austrian army and the Ottomans occur?

The incident occurred in September 1788.

What was the approximate size of the Austrian army during the Habsburg Ottoman war?

The Austrian army was around a hundred thousand strong.

Why was the Austrian army made up of numerous ethnicities?

The army was composed of various ethnicities because it was drawn from all corners of the Austrian Empire, including people who didn't even speak German.

Who led the Austrian army during the Habsburg Ottoman war?

The Austrian army was led by the Holy Roman Emperor himself, King Joseph II.

What was the Austrian army doing near the town of Carabas?

The Austrian army was scouting for the forces of the Ottoman military near the town of Carabas in modern-day Romania.

What river was the Austrian army camped next to?

The Austrian army set up camp next to the Timis River.

What led to the scuffle between the Hussars and the infantry?

The scuffle started when the infantry demanded some of the barrels of alcohol that the Hussars had bought and refused to share, leading to a conflict between the two groups.

How did the drunken confusion escalate into a full-blown battle?

The drunken confusion escalated into a battle when a shot was fired, causing the soldiers to believe they were under attack by the Ottomans.

Why did Austrian officers' attempts to restore order make the situation worse?

The situation worsened because many soldiers did not speak German and misheard the command 'halt halt' as 'Allah-Allah', which is the Ottoman battle cry.

What was the reported number of casualties for the Austrian army?

The reported number of casualties ranged from around 1,000 to as high as ten thousand.

What was the outcome of the incident for the Austrian army?

The Austrian army ended up retreating in disarray, believing they were fighting an imaginary enemy, and had to leave the town of Carabas unprotected from the Ottoman forces.

What evidence supports the occurrence of a military blunder in the Austrian army during the Habsburg Ottoman war?

Evidence includes historical records and articles from the time, as well as the strategic importance of the area and the Ottomans' awareness of Austrian army confusion during September.

Why is there debate about the exact details of the Battle of Karánsebes?

The debate arises because the story has changed over time due to exaggerations, fabrications, multiple retellings, and sometimes bad research.

What was the strategic significance of the town of Karánsebes during the war?

Karánesebes was strategically significant as it protected the road towards the Hungarian plain, making it an important valley for the Austrians to control.

Outlines

00:00

🤯 The Battle of Krantz Abbas: A Tale of Miscommunication and Confusion

In September 1788, during the Habsburg-Ottoman War, the Austrian army, led by King Joseph II, was stationed near the town of Carabas in modern-day Romania. The large, ethnically diverse army of around 100,000 soldiers encountered a group of Roma people offering schnapps. The soldiers, including the Vanguard, began drinking and lost focus on their mission. A dispute over the liquor escalated into a scuffle, which was further complicated by language barriers and misunderstandings. The confusion led to a mistaken belief of an Ottoman attack, causing a chaotic retreat. Austrian officers' attempts to restore order were misunderstood as the Ottoman battle cry, exacerbating the situation. The disarray resulted in significant casualties, estimated between 1,000 to 10,000, and the loss of equipment and payroll. The aftermath revealed a military blunder that led to the Austrian army's retreat from a strategically important location, leaving it vulnerable to the Ottoman forces.

Keywords

💡Habsburg Ottoman War

The Habsburg Ottoman War refers to a series of conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire, which were significant in shaping the political landscape of Europe. In the context of the video, it sets the stage for the chaotic events that unfolded in September 1788, where the Austrian army, led by King Joseph II, was engaged in conflict with the Ottomans, leading to the Battle of Karánsebes.

💡Austrian Army

The Austrian Army represents the military force of the Habsburg Monarchy during the period of the script. It was a large and diverse force, composed of various ethnicities from across the empire, which sometimes led to communication issues as not all soldiers spoke German. The Austrian Army's actions and the ensuing chaos are central to the video's narrative, culminating in the disastrous retreat from Karánsebes.

💡King Joseph II

King Joseph II was the Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Habsburg domains during the late 18th century. In the video, he is depicted as leading the Austrian Army during the Habsburg Ottoman War. His leadership during the confusion and ensuing panic within the army highlights the challenges faced by commanders in maintaining order amidst chaos.

💡Carabas

Carabas, now known as Karánsebes, is a town in modern-day Romania. It is significant in the video as the location where the Austrian Army was stationed and where the confusion and subsequent retreat took place. The geographical setting is crucial to understanding the strategic importance of the area during the war.

💡Timis River

The Timis River is a geographical feature mentioned in the script that played a role in the unfolding events. The Austrian Army's vanguard crossed this river while scouting for Ottoman forces, and later, the drunken antics of the soldiers took place near its banks, contributing to the confusion that led to the battle.

💡Hussars

Hussars were a type of light cavalry in the Austrian Army, known for their mobility and prowess in battle. In the video, they are depicted as having a higher status than infantrymen and were involved in the initial skirmish over barrels of schnapps, which escalated into a larger conflict.

💡Schnapps

Schnapps, a type of alcoholic beverage, is pivotal in the video as it triggers the series of misunderstandings and fights among the Austrian soldiers. The soldiers' consumption of schnapps led to their intoxication and subsequent loss of discipline, which played a key role in the chaos that ensued.

💡Miscommunication

Miscommunication is a central theme in the video, highlighting how language barriers and misunderstandings can lead to disastrous consequences. The Austrian officers' attempts to restore order were misunderstood by soldiers who did not speak German, exacerbating the situation and leading to a full-scale retreat.

💡Allah

In the video, the word 'Allah' is mistakenly heard by some soldiers as 'Halt', the German word for 'stop'. This misinterpretation led the soldiers to believe they were under an Ottoman attack, further escalating the chaos and contributing to the army's retreat.

💡Casualties

Casualties refer to the losses suffered by the Austrian Army during the confusion and retreat. The video mentions that the army suffered up to ten thousand casualties, although more credible sources suggest the number was closer to one thousand. The term is crucial in understanding the severity of the situation and the impact of the events on the Austrian forces.

💡Strategic Importance

The strategic importance of Karánsebes and the surrounding area is highlighted in the video as a reason why the Austrian Army's withdrawal was significant. The area's position was crucial for protecting the road towards the Hungarian plain, making the Austrian retreat and the subsequent Ottoman advantage a critical turning point in the war.

Highlights

In September 1788, the Austrians faced the Ottomans in the Habsburg Ottoman war.

The Austrian army was large, around a hundred thousand strong, composed of various ethnicities.

The army was led by Holy Roman Emperor King Joseph II.

They were scouting near the town of Carabas, modern-day Romania.

A camp was set up near the Timis River as the day ended.

The Army's Vanguard, who Tsar's, continued scouting and encountered a group of Roma people.

Soldiers were offered schnapps and began drinking, forgetting their duties.

Infantry crossed the river and wanted to join the party, leading to a dispute over alcohol.

A scuffle broke out between the who Tsar's and infantry over the barrels of alcohol.

A shot was fired, turning the scuffle into an all-out fight.

Confusion led to soldiers yelling 'courtesy', mistaken for 'Turks' or 'Ottomans'.

Drunken who Tsar's fled, fearing an Ottoman attack, followed by the infantry.

Austrian officers' attempts to restore order were misunderstood, escalating the chaos.

An officer mistook the fleeing soldiers for Ottomans and ordered artillery fire.

The entire camp believed an Ottoman attack was happening, leading to disarray.

Soldiers fired at shadows, believing them to be Ottomans, and Emperor Joseph was knocked off his horse.

The army suffered up to ten thousand casualties, with credible sources suggesting around one thousand.

Equipment was lost, including the Army's payroll, and several soldiers went missing.

The Austrians had to retreat, leaving the town unprotected from the Ottoman forces.

Second-hand sources and historical debates suggest the Battle of Krantz Abbas did happen.

Strategic positioning and Ottoman awareness of Austrian confusion support the battle's occurrence.

The Austrian military's withdrawal from a strategically important place implies a significant event.

Articles from the time and later retellings suggest a military blunder in Krantz Abbas.

The exact details and extent of the battle may never be fully known due to exaggerations and retellings.

Transcripts

in September the year 1788 the Austrians

were yet again finding the Ottomans in

the so-called Habsburg Ottoman war most

of the Austrian army was large around

hundred thousand strong but was made up

of numerous ethnicities from all corners

of the Empire some who didn't even speak

German this crude army led by the Holy

Roman Emperor himself King Joseph ii was

scouting for the forces of the ottoman

military near the town of Carabas in

modern-day Romania as the day was coming

to an end the army decided to set up a

camp near the town next to the timís

River the Army's Vanguard a contingent

of who Tsar's continued to scout for the

Ottomans and cross the river however

found nothing more than some group of

Roma people or valakians offering to

sell barrels of schnapps liquor to the

soldiers naturally the soldiers took the

deal and got to drinking right away

seemingly forgetting their purpose there

in the first place

shortly after Somme de Infantry crossed

a river as well only to find a drunk

contingent of who Tsar's partying the

infantry wanted to join in and demanded

some of the barrels of alcohol for

themselves but the hussars refused as

they were the ones who bought it and

also were of higher status than a meager

infantryman soon a scuffle broke out and

the drunk who Tsar's made up makeshift

defences around the barrels suddenly in

the confusion a shot was fired by

someone and the drunken scuffle turned

into an all-out fight during the battle

some of the infantry started to yelled

courtesy toward sea meaning the Turks or

Ottomans the drunken confused who Tsar's

fled in fear of an ottoman attack with

the infantry being quick to follow all

while still attacking each other the

situation was made even worse when

Austrian officers made aware of the

problem tried to restore order by

yelling halt halt meaning stop however

many of the soldiers didn't speak German

and misheard the words as allah-allah

the Ottoman battle cry the hasar is now

convinced of an ottoman ambush ran

through the camp where an officer

mistook them for charging Ottoman

soldiers and ordered and artillery fire

with the entire camp now persuaded of an

ottoman attack the disorganized army

tried to flee the scene from an

imaginary enemy soldiers fired on every

shadow

thinking it could be the Ottomans and

the Emperor Joseph himself was knocked

down of his horse into a creek the

entire army now fighting a retreating

battle against itself suffered

reportedly anywhere up to ten thousand

casualties our credible sources for the

number more around 1,000 also in

addition to lost equipment a chest

containing the entire Army's payroll was

quote-unquote lost and several soldiers

were recorded as missing it was only

when the entire army finished its

retreat that the Austrians found out

what actually happened in count sabes

but now disorganized and in no position

to fight they had to leave the town

unprotected from the Ottoman forces now

there are many second-hand sources and

people who know better than to start a

pointless argument in the comments

section that will argue that such a

battle of krantz Abbas never happened

and that's not entirely true

so let's look at the facts we know for

sure we know that at one point during

the war the austrian army was in

conscious order surrounding area we also

know that this positioning makes

strategical sense as cannabis is an

important valley protecting the road

towards the hungarian plain on top of

that we know that the ottomans were

aware of some kind of a confusion within

the austrian army during september and

used this to their advantage forcing a

blockade of the upper Daniel so looking

at these facts and makes no sense for

the Austrian military to have withdrawn

from such a strategically important

place giving the Ottomans an upper hand

if something major like the disastrous

Battle of cannon savez didn't happen

thus we know something have had to have

happen for the Austrians to withdrew

from Kant's Abbas and we do know

something happened because few days

after at the start of October there was

an article about it in the real Isaiah

there were also other articles later

written about the battle but there were

very few and far apart but what they all

had in common was they all told a story

of some kind of a military blunder in

Karnes Abbas during that September now

that the actual battle happened exactly

as I presented it at the start of this

video no it did not the story changed

over time due to exaggerations by

soldiers fabrication by

countries to Austria multiple retellings

and sometimes just bad research power as

I mentioned before a true military

blunder did happen in cannabis but how

it exactly happened and to what extent

it happened we may most likely never

know