Battle of Varna
November 10, 1444
The last real crusade, under young King Wladyslaw III of Poland and Hungary, was crushed by Sultan Murad II on the Black Sea coast. Wladyslaw, charging the sultan's tent, was decapitated and his head paraded on a pike. The Ottomans' path to Constantinople was now clear of European armies. The young king had broken a peace treaty, and his death was seen as divine punishment, further discrediting crusading warfare.
In context
Also in 1444 (4 other events on record)
- Company of Lagos Buys African Slaves · Africa · Politics
- Sejong Creates Korean Water Clock · East Asia · Technology
- Cape Verde Islands Sighted by Portuguese · Africa · Exploration
- Truce of Tours · Europe · Politics
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
Late Middle Ages (1301–1500), one of 874 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources