Battle of Breadfield

Overview

The Battle of Breadfield was the most tremendous conflict fought in Transylvania up to that time in the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars, taking place on 13 October 1479, on the Breadfield near the Saxon village of Alkenyér next to the river Maros (Mureș). The Hungarian army was led by Pál Kinizsi, István Báthory, Vuk Branković, and Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Breadfield, fought on 13 October 1479 near the Saxon village of Alkenyér on the Breadfield next to the river Maros, was described as the most tremendous conflict fought in Transylvania up to that time in the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars. A Hungarian force of 12,000 to 15,000 men under Paul Kinizsi, Stephen V Báthory, Bartholomew Drágfi, Vuk Grgurević-Branković, Dmitar Jakšić, and Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân engaged an Ottoman force under Ali Bey recorded at 30,000. The engagement produced extreme asymmetric losses: the Ottomans suffered casualties equal to their entire stated force while the Hungarians lost 8,000 men. Within the long Ottoman–Hungarian contest for control of the Danubian frontier and Transylvania, the battle represented one of the most significant Hungarian defensive successes of the fifteenth century, halting a substantial Ottoman penetration into the Transylvanian interior.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)