When the Hungarians won the battle of Mohács

Everyone thinks of the battle of Mohács as one of the greatest tragedies in Hungarian history, and only a few people know that one battle was actually won near Mohács, at Nagyharsány. The generals have spent the night after the victory in Suleiman’s tent which had fourteen ornate towers. Vilagszam.hu wrote about the battle that took place 150 years after Mohács.

The battle which decided the fate of Transdanubia and liberated the region – except for Székesfehérvár, Szigetvár, and Kanizsa – took place near Nagyharsány on 12 August 1687 between the Christian army and the Turkish army.

The soldiers stood about 60-70 foot from each other, and the battle started with gunfire at 5pm. Although the Turks had the upper hand in the beginning, the Hungarian cavalry soon caught up and the enemy had no choice but to retreat. As soon as they reached the middle of the Turkish army, the infantry also started to push forward. The Hungarians easily fought off the right wing of the army, but a bloody battle unfolded at the Karasica brook with the left wing. The allied cavalry infiltrated the Turks and seized the enemy’s gun-sites which strategically had great importance.

The Ottoman army split up, and the soldiers ran for their lives. Most of them was killed or captured, and thousands of them tried to hide near the Karasica brook in the swamps; they were either killed by the Hungarian army or were swallowed by the mud.

After sunset, the battlefield grew quiet. The Turks lost approximately 8.000 soldiers, and more than 2.000 was captured. Only 700 people were killed from the allied forces. The incredibly rich Turkish camp was seized by the Hungarian army, which was led by Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and was estimated to worth 5 billion HUF: the loot included 72 cannons, 10 mortars, a great amount of ammunition, hand grenades, bombs and canisters, 7.000 beef cattle, 6.000 horses, 1.500 camels and buffalos, food, and most of the camp’s money.

When the remaining Turkish soldiers tried to cross the Dráva at Eszék, the bridge collapsed and many of them drowned, further humiliating the Ottoman army. Prince Eugene of Savoy carried the news of the victory to Vienna. Although the battle took place at Nagyharsány, historians refer to it as the second battle of Mohács.

based on an article of világszam.hu
translated by Adrienn Sain

Source: http://vilagszam.hu