Siege of Bobovac
| Siege of Bobovac | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bobovac Fortress | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
Template:Country data Kingdom of Bosnia Republic of Venice | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Mehmed II Mahmud Angelovıć |
Template:Country data Kingdom of Bosnia Knez Radak  | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Cavalry Light cavalry Infantry | Garrison | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
20,000 Cannons | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Template:Campaignbox Bosnian–Ottoman Wars (Medieval)
The Siege of Bobovac. In 1463, the Turkish army under the command of Mehmed II captured Bobovac Castle, which was held by Knez Radak. The siege lasted a total of three days and was one of Mehmed II’s most effective sieges, during which he employed his mobile cannon-casting tactic.
Before
Stephen Tomašević’s harsh attitude towards the Turks had alarmed the Sultan. Stephen had refused to pay his tribute, imprisoned the envoys who had been sent to him and threatened to have them killed, and burned Ağaçhisarı, which was under Ottoman control. Mehmed II spent the winter months making preparations for a campaign against Bosnia.[1]
Campaign
With the arrival of spring, Mehmed II departed from Edirne with an army composed of cavalry and infantry.[2]
In the face of the approaching Turkish threat, Stephen Tomašević issued warnings to both the Venetians and the Papacy. These warnings reached the Papal States and the Republic of Venice in early 1463. The king reported that he had received information from his informants in the Sultan’s court that an Ottoman attack on Bosnia was imminent. He added that after the conquest of Bosnia, Mehmed’s objectives would be Venetian Dalmatia, Hungary, Carniola, Istria, and Rome. The Venetians sent some military supplies, but no weapons or Crusader support arrived, contrary to what the Bosnians had hoped for.[3]
In light of these circumstances, Stephen sent envoys to Mehmed II, offering to conclude a 15 year peace treaty. Mehmed II accepted this proposal in an attempt to prevent the Bosnians from receiving support from the Croats and Hungarians. His aim was to face a defensive force that was unprepared for his campaign.[4]
The peace treaty that had been concluded, together with the direction in which Mehmed and his army had departed, had dispelled the Bosnians’ fear that they themselves were the target of this new campaign. The sultan first went to Skopje, then to Vučitrn via Kosovo, and turned north towards Bosnia along the Sitnica trade route. By this point, no one had any doubts about the objective of the campaign. Behind the army of 20,000 light cavalrymen under the command of Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha, the sultan advanced with his main army.[5]
Siege
After invading the region of Podrinje, Mehmed conquered Bosnia proper, that is, Upper Bosnia. The strongest and most important fortress there was Bobovac, where the royal throne had once stood. The ruins of this fortress, once the kingdom's foremost stronghold, can still be seen from a high mountain east of Sutiska, at the confluence of two streams. Those inside this fortress had until then bravely resisted all Turkish attacks. The vanguard under Mahmud Pasha reached the walls of Bobovac on May 19. The fortress was defended by Knez Radak, who had once been a fervent Patarene but had later been forcibly converted to Catholicism.[6]
A fierce and unprecedented clash took place between Mahmud Pasha's army and the defenders.[7] The following day, May 20, the sultan arrived with his main army. Realizing that bringing the siege to a conclusion would take a long time, Mehmed decided to destroy the walls and had large cannons cast on the spot. Unable to withstand the bombardment any longer, the fortress surrendered one day later, on May 21.[8]
By the time the envoys arrived to negotiate peace, it was already too late.[9] After the fall of Bobovac, the sultan divided the population into three groups. He left one group in the city, distributed another among his pashas and army, and sent the third to Istanbul. While Knez Radak had expected to be rewarded for surrendering the fortress, Mehmed harshly reprimanded him. Accusing him of betraying his master, he ordered that his head be cut off. It is reported that he said, “If you cannot remain loyal even to a king who shares your own faith, how can you be expected to remain loyal to a Turk like me?” Knez Radak was then executed by the sword.[10]
References
- ↑ Tansel, Selahattin (1953). Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Askeri Faaliyetleri. Türk Tarih Kurumu. p. 168-169. ISBN 9789751610812. Search this book on
- ↑ Krıtovulos, Mıchael (2005). İistanbul'un Fethi. Kaknüs. p. 202. ISBN 9789756698846. Search this book on
- ↑ Agoston, Gabor (2024). Avrupa'nın Fethi. Kronik. p. 120. ISBN 9786256228351. Search this book on
- ↑ Babinger, Franz (2021). Fatih Sultan Mehmed ve Zamanı. ALFA. p. 354. ISBN 9786254493607. Search this book on
- ↑ Babinger, Franz (2021). Fatih Sultan Mehmed ve Zamanı. ALFA. p. 355. ISBN 9786254493607. Search this book on
- ↑ Babinger, Franz (2021). Fatih Sultan Mehmed ve Zamanı. ALFA. p. 355-356. ISBN 9786254493607. Search this book on
- ↑ Beg, Tursun (2013). Fetih Babası Fatih`in Tarihi. Kapı. p. 153. ISBN 9786054683987. Search this book on
- ↑ Babinger, Franz (2021). Fatih Sultan Mehmed ve Zamanı. ALFA. p. 355-356. ISBN 9786254493607. Search this book on
- ↑ Mihailović, Konstantin (2013). Bir Yeniçerinin Hatıratı. Ayrıntı. p. 106. ISBN 9789755397542. Search this book on
- ↑ Babinger, Franz (2021). Fatih Sultan Mehmed ve Zamanı. ALFA. p. 356. ISBN 9786254493607. Search this book on
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