1. Varna November 10, 1444 Strategic Context Stakes
Encouraged by the King of Poland and Hungary, Vladislav III, John Hunyadi chases the Ottomans out of the Balkans after successive victories in The Ottoman Sultan, Murad II, and Vladislav agree to a ten-year truce which Vladislav breaks in 1444 by declaring a crusade and invading Bulgaria. Vladislav calls on the support of the Venetian fleet but it fails to rendezvous with the Crusader army at Varna. This permits Murad to cross the Bosphorus into the Balkans with an army. Confronted by a superior force, Hunyadi convinces the council of war of the need to boldly risk battle.
Stakes
+ An Ottoman victory would confirm its influence in the Balkans.
+ A Crusader victory would isolate the Ottomans from the Balkans and Europe.
By Jonathan Webb, 2011 ©

2. Varna, 1444 Strength Ottomans Well Crusaders Well Murad II
John Hunyadi
25,000
20,000
By Jonathan Webb, 2011 ©

4. Ottomans (Murad II) 25,000 Crusaders (John Hunyadi) 20,000
Murad entrenches himself with the elite Janissaries and levy infantry at the center behind the main line. He deploys the sipahi – feudal cavalry – on each wing, the more numerous Rumelians on the left under Sahin Pasha and the Anatolians on the right under Karaca Bey. Murad deploys the azabs and akincis – irregular infantry and cavalry – in rough terrain on the extreme left. Hunyadi deploys in a concave crescent, his flanks protected by a lake on the left and wagons on the right. Hunyadi and King Vladislav command the center, Szilagyi the left, while Cesarini attempts to command the various bishops and nationalities on the right. Hunyadi keeps his Wallachian allies in reserve.
Seeing their flank and rear are insecure, the Wallachians flee the battlefield and raid the Ottoman baggage train. Hunyadi turns his force around to hit the right rear of the Ottoman left wing. He leaves Vladislav with a small cavalry force at the center with specific instructions not to attack until the rest of the army can reform.
As Hunyadi defeats the Ottoman left wing, Vladislav makes a grave mistake. His Polish knights do not wish to let Hunyadi have all the glory and urge him to enter the battle. Vladislav leads 500 cavalry in a suicidal attack against the Ottoman infantry before Hunyadi can reform.
Sahin Pasha succeeds in outflanking and overpowering the Crusader right wing; the Ottomans pursue the routed Crusaders from the field. Only Cesarini is able to extricate his force and retreat to the safety of the wagons but he too is hotly pursued. However, Hunyadi succeeds in outflanking the Ottoman right wing and killing its commander, Karaca Bey. It too is pursued from the field, leaving each army without a right wing. On the Crusader side, the Wallachians advance to occupy the center.
For a moment, Vladislav’s cavalry make progress but they are quickly surrounded and massacred by the elite Janissaries. The Janissaries kill Vladislav and display his head on a pole for all the Crusaders to see. Seeing the graphic death of their king, the disheartened Crusaders panic and retreat.
Murad launches an attack with his wings. He sends his skirmishers against the Crusader right, Cesarini is unable to prevent the bishops on his left from rashly charging; this charge leaves their left flank exposed to the approaching Ottoman cavalry. Meanwhile, the Ottoman right wing cavalry attack engage the Crusader left wing.
The impetuous bishops on the Crusader right disperse the skirmishers but find themselves surrounded by the Ottoman cavalry; Cesarini must dash forward in support. Meanwhile, Hunyadi leads his center against the left flank of the Ottoman right wing which is heavily engaged with the Crusader left.
Ottomans
(Murad II)
25,000
Ottomans
(Murad)
Murad
Karaca Bey
Sahin Pasha
Davud Pasha
Hunyadi/Vladislav
Vladislav
Sahin Pasha
Szilagyi
Hunyadi/Vladislav
Cesarini
Hunyadi
Crusaders
(John Hunyadi)
20,000
Cesarini
Crusaders
(Hunyadi)

5. Varna, 1444 Casualties & Aftermath
Ottomans:
Crusaders:
≈8,000 or
32%
≈6,000 or
30%
The Crusaders retreated during the night, allowing Murad to survey the wreckage of the battlefield and reportedly state: “May Allah never grant me another such victory!” News of the defeat reached the crusading states slowly but definitively ended the crusade when it did. Hunyadi fought against German Emperor Frederick III in Austria before renewing hostilities with the Ottomans. Hunyadi lost the Battle of Kosovo in 1448 against Murad but successfully defended Belgrade in 1456 against Murad’s successor, Mehmed II.
By Jonathan Webb, 2011 ©

6. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps
By Jonathan Webb, 2011 ©