Battle of Kosovo

Overview

The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Murad I. It was one of the largest battles of the Late Middle Ages.

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

Significance

The Battle of Kosovo, fought on 15 June 1389 between Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović's Serbian-led army and Sultan Murad I's Ottoman forces, was one of the largest engagements of the Late Middle Ages and a decisive moment in the Ottoman advance through the Balkans during the broader Ottoman Wars in Europe. The battle brought together commanders from Moravian Serbia — including Prince Lazar, Vuk Branković, and Vlatko Vuković — against an Ottoman force under Murad I, with Şehzade Bayezid and Yakub Çelebi also commanding on the Ottoman side. The opposing forces were substantial on both sides, with Ottoman strength estimated at 27,000–30,000 and the Serbian coalition at 12,000–20,000. Both Murad I and Prince Lazar are reported to have died in the engagement, giving the battle a singular place in the history of the region and the wider Ottoman campaign of expansion into Europe.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)