AncientPages.com - On July 4, 1456, the Siege of Nándorfehérvár (also known as the Siege of Belgrade or Battle of Belgrade began.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Empire launched an invasion through the Balkans against the Hungarian Kingdom.
Battle of Nándorfehérvár, Hungarian painting from the 19th century. In the middle Giovanni da Capistrano with the cross in his hand. Image scanned by Csanády - Public Domain
However, there were obstacles. Sultan Mehemed II focused on the border fortress of Nándorfehérvár (today Belgrade, Serbia's capital).
The Hungarian defense forces were led by János Hunyadi, the governor of Transylvania. He had fought many battles against the Ottomans in the previous two decades and prepared the fortress's defenses.
The castle was under the leadership of captain Mihály Szilágyi, Hunyadi's brother-in-law.
Janos Hunyadi, General of the Hungarian Army, assembled a relief force and, by mid-July, had arrived in Belgrade with 10,000 men.
On July 21, the Turks launched a massive attack in a week. The horse-tailed banner of the Turks was being raised to the castle wall. In the act of heroism, one of the soldiers, Titus Dugovics, lunged at the Turkish soldier, dragging them both to their death. The battle lasted throughout the night. Hunyadi made a courageous struggle, assuming the roles of leader and fighter.
Hunyadi had planned to attack the following morning, but the Turks had already disappeared. Observing Hunyadi's dauntlessness and weighing the losses his army had suffered, the Sultan had ordered his troops to retreat. Not long after the victory was hailed across Europe, Hunyadi fell victim to the plague epidemic which had swept through the camp.
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