Serbia Expedition (1477)

Serbia Expedition
Part of the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars
Smederevo Castle
Date January 1477 Location Serbia, Danube River, Smederevo Result Ottoman victory The Ottomans captured the Haram Ram and Koyluca Kulič fortresses built by the Hungarians
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Kingdom of Hungary
Commanders and leaders
Mehmed the Conqueror Koca Davud Pasha Mihaloğlu Ali Bey
Casualties and losses
Small	1,100 in total 500 dead 600 prisoner

The Serbia Expedition was the expedition of Sultan Mehmed II to Hungary in 1477 after his Moldavian campaign.

Background

While the Ottoman army was crossing the Danube after the Moldavian campaign, news came from Mihaloğlu Ali Bey that the Hungarians had built two castles at the junction of the Danube and Sava rivers and on the right bank of the Danube.

Matthias Corvinus returned to his capital after strengthening these forts and surrounding them with moats. However, the right bank of the Danube belonged to the Ottomans. There, on the right bank of the new Sava river, the Ottomans had built the Šabac Fortress in 1470. Hungarian king Matthias took it four years later.

Sultan Mehmed considered it necessary to prevent this situation immediately. He came to Edirne during winter, something the Hungarians did not believe he would do.

Expedition

The Sultan reached the Danube after difficulty and suffering.

When the Ottoman army arrived at Smederevo, it repelled several attacks and the garrisons of the two Hungarian forts around the city fled. However, those in the third fortress stood firm and suffered 500 casualties as a result of the Ottoman attack. Mehmed besieged the fort, but he knew that he could not continue the siege for a long time due to the harsh winter conditions. He had his soldiers cut down trees and had these fill in the ditch up to the level of the walls. Respecting the promise of safe passage, the garrison agreed to surrender as Mehmed prepared to burn the timber he had piled up to set the castle on fire.