Siege of Bihać (1592)
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The siege of Bihać ( hr, Opsada Bihaća) was the besieging and capture of the city of Bihać,
Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to: * Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom * Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary * Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...
within
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, by the Ottoman Empire in June 1592. With the arrival of Hasan-paša Predojević as the
Beylerbey ''Beylerbey'' ( ota, بكلربكی, beylerbeyi, lit=bey of beys, meaning the 'commander of commanders' or 'lord of lords') was a high rank in the western Islamic world in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, from the Anatolian Seljuks ...
of the Bosnia Eyalet in 1591, a period of peace established between Emperor
Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–160 ...
and Sultan
Murad III Murad III ( ota, مراد ثالث, Murād-i sālis; tr, III. Murad; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Saf ...
ended and the provincial Ottoman armies launched an offensive on Croatia. Bihać, a nearly isolated city on the Una River that repelled an Ottoman attack in 1585, was one of the first targets.
Thomas Erdődy Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas th ...
, the Ban of Croatia, used available resources and soldiers to protect the border towns, but the Ottomans managed to take several smaller forts in 1591. As the offensive gained pace, the Croatian Parliament passed a law on a general uprising in the country on 5 January 1592. In early June 1592 Hasan Pasha led his troops towards Bihać, which was defended by around 500 soldiers and commanded by Captain Joseph von Lamberg. The siege lasted from 10 June to 19 June, when Lamberg surrendered the city due to a lack of reinforcements and an insufficient number of defending troops. Lamberg was for this act later tried for treason. Although under the terms of the surrender its citizens were to be allowed to leave or remain in the city without harm, more than 2,000 civilians were killed and 800 were taken captive after Hasan Pasha's troops entered Bihać. The offensive lasted until June 1593 when Hasan Pasha was killed in the Battle of Sisak, which was the cause for the Long Turkish War (1593-1606).


Background

From the 1520s the Ottoman advance into Croatia gained pace. The Croatian nobles elected
Ferdinand I of Habsburg Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando I; 10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1526, and Archduke of Austria from 1521 until his death in 1564.Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabo ...
at the
1527 election in Cetin The 1527 election in Cetin ( hr, Cetinski / Cetingradski sabor, meaning Parliament on Cetin(grad) or Parliament of Cetin(grad), or ) was an assembly of the Croatian Parliament in the Cetin Castle in 1527. It followed a succession crisis in the Kin ...
as the new monarch, but continuous Ottoman incursions resulted in a significant loss of territory. In 1537 the fall of Klis meant the loss of the last Croatian stronghold in the south of the country. In the 1540s the Ottomans advanced into Slavonia and in the next three decades through western
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
in the direction of Zagreb. By the late 16th century Croatia lost two thirds of its pre-war area and more than half of the population. It was reduced to 16,800 km2 of free territory and had around 400,000 inhabitants. The remaining land was referred to as the "''remnants of remnants of the once great and renowned Kingdom of Croatia''" ( la, reliquiae reliquiarum olim magni et inclyti regni Croatiae). Numerous ceasefires were signed or renewed between the Ottoman Empire and the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, but they were not respected by local Sanjak-beys. Depending on the weather conditions and available military forces they conducted raids without taking into account a truce. Uskoks, irregular soldiers in Croatia, responded with their own raids into Ottoman-held territory. Ottoman authorities settled Vlachs, mainly of Orthodox faith, on the conquered territory and used them as auxiliary units in their wars. In 1578 Archduke Charles II decided to respond to Ottoman attacks with an offensive to push the frontier back to the Una River. The offensive began in August and the joint Austrian-Croatian troops took back Cazin, Zrin, and Ostrovica, but they were stopped at Bužim and pushed back to the north, losing all gains. Bihać remained basically isolated on the Una River. To strengthen the southern defences the construction of
Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
as a city-fortress began in 1579. The string of garrisoned forts at the border became known as the Croatian Military Frontier.


The role of Bihać

Following the fall of Knin in 1522 Bihać took the leading role in the
Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to: * Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom * Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary * Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...
south of the
Sava River The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...
. It became an important stronghold that protected the area from the Croatian Littoral to the lands around the Una River. From the times of King Matthias Corvinus a garrison was stationed in the city. In 1528 Bihać became a center of a captaincy due to its position near the border with the Ottoman Empire and a relatively large number of residents. There were 25 forts under the command of the Bihać Captain in 1576. However, the number of forts was reduced to only three by 1579: Ripač, Sokol, and Izačić. The rest were either conquered by the Ottomans or were included into the Slunj captaincy. By the 1580s the city was in a dire state. It was almost surrounded by Ottoman territory, villages in its vicinity were abandoned and there were frequent reports of food shortages. Many of its citizens fled the city and there was a large influx of refugees into Bihać from nearby places that were conquered by the Ottomans.


1585 siege and aftermath

In 1584 the Ottomans suffered a heavy defeat in the
Battle of Slunj The Battle of Slunj ( hr, Bitka kod Slunja) was fought on 26 October 1584 between the Ottoman forces of the Bosnian Beglerbeg, Ferhad Pasha Sokolović, and Germanic and Croatian forces led by Jobst Joseph von Thurn and Tamás Erdődy, the Ban ...
against the forces of Ban Erdődy. This defeat calmed the situation on the border as Ottoman commanders put a halt on their raids. Erdődy used that time to strengthen the border fortifications and called a session of the Croatian Parliament on 11 March 1585. A decision was made to complete the work on Fort Brest near Sisak and the construction of a new tower in Šišinec on the Kupa River. As the country was affected by a drought in summer, the rivers were drained which made it easier for Ottoman forces to cross into Croatian territory. Ferhad Pasha Sokolović,
Beylerbey ''Beylerbey'' ( ota, بكلربكی, beylerbeyi, lit=bey of beys, meaning the 'commander of commanders' or 'lord of lords') was a high rank in the western Islamic world in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, from the Anatolian Seljuks ...
of the Bosnia Eyalet, prepared an army for an attack on Bihać and its surrounding forts. On 14 September 1585 Ferhad Pasha besieged Bihać, but did not have enough infantryman at his disposal. The defenders of the town, commanded by Captain Franz Horner, used their artillery and inflicted heavy losses on the Ottomans, forcing Ferhad Pasha to lift the siege on the following day. The Ottomans burned several nearby villages during their departure. Local sanjakbeys then turned north and started attacking forts in Slavonia. Ali-beg, Sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Pakrac, was killed in the Battle of Ivanić in 1586. Following an Ottoman defeat near Nagykanizsa in 1587, a relatively lengthy period of peace began on the border. There were no clashes in 1588 and 1589, besides an unsuccessful Ottoman attack on Senj. On 29 November 1590 a truce was renewed between Emperor
Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–160 ...
and Sultan
Murad III Murad III ( ota, مراد ثالث, Murād-i sālis; tr, III. Murad; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Saf ...
.


Renewal of hostilities

Contrary to an agreement to extend the truce, with the arrival of belligerent Telli Hasan Pasha (Hasan Pasha Predojević) as the beylerbey of the Eyalet of Bosnia in early 1591, tensions once again increased along the border between Croatia and the Ottoman Empire. Hasan Pasha immediately began to gather an army around Banja Luka and prepared for an offensive on Croatia.
Croatian Ban Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
Thomas Erdődy Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas th ...
expected attacks on Bihać and Sisak. Discussing the situation at a session of the Croatian Parliament on 26 July 1591, the nobles concluded that in the case of a large scale invasion, a general uprising was to be called, and that all the nobles and citizens, as well as their subordinates, should answer the call. On 1 August 1591
Hasan Predojević Hasan Predojević ( 1530 – 22 June 1593), also known as Telli Hasan Pasha ( tr, Telli Hasan Paşa), was the fifth Ottoman Empire, Ottoman beylerbey (Wāli, vali) of Bosnia Eyalet, Bosnia and a notable Ottoman empire, Ottoman Bosnian people, Bosn ...
attacked
Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
. The city's position was crucial as it defended the left bank of the Kupa River, but also the approach to Zagreb. Upon hearing of the siege of Sisak, Ban Thomas Erdődy sent help to the city and Hasan Pasha was forced to retreat on 11 August. Erdődy then led a counterattack and took back the town of Moslavina on 12 August. This angered Hasan Pasha and he requested the
High Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire. History The name ...
to cancel the truce and declare war on the Habsburg Monarchy. He ordered the imprisonment of commanders that surrendered Moslavina and sent them to Istanbul. In November the Ottomans captured
Ripač Ripač ( sr-cyrl, Рипач) is a village in the municipality of Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ripač is the location of a border crossing with Croatia, across Užljebić. Demographics According to the 2013 census, its population was 1,31 ...
on the Una River, south of Bihać. On 5 January 1592 the Croatian Parliament passed a law on a general uprising for the defence of the homeland. Nobility, small landowners, military nobility (armalists), and citizens were obliged to report to the ban's camp or risk losing all lands and property. The nobility had to equip and arm two infantryman and one cavalryman for every ten households, while richer merchants had to equip one cavalryman. All royal and free cities had to ensure wagons and carts to transport weapons and ammunition. The law also regulated mandatory provision of food from serfs for the army, which was stored in Zagreb.


Prelude

After an unsuccessful siege of Sisak, the Ottomans were preparing to capture a stronghold near Sisak and make it a base for their further incursions into Croatia. On 14 April Hasan Pasha started building the fort of Petrinja south of Brest. Material for its construction was prepared in advance and the fort was finished on 2 May. As he expected an attack on Bihać, Captain Krištof Obričan ordered the strengthening of city's defences in spring, but he was soon captured by the Ottomans while he supervised the work outside the city walls. Captain Josip Dornberg was appointed in his place, but as he was absent the command was temporarily given to Captain Joseph von Lamberg. At Lamberg's request, reinforcements numbering a hundred Uskoks arrived from Karlovac with food and ammunition. These were the last reinforcements Bihać received.


Siege

In early June,
Hasan Predojević Hasan Predojević ( 1530 – 22 June 1593), also known as Telli Hasan Pasha ( tr, Telli Hasan Paşa), was the fifth Ottoman Empire, Ottoman beylerbey (Wāli, vali) of Bosnia Eyalet, Bosnia and a notable Ottoman empire, Ottoman Bosnian people, Bosn ...
raised an army and headed to Bihać with 5,000 soldiers and a large number of cannons. The first part of the Ottoman troops arrived near Bihać on 10 June and encamped at the Pokoj hill north of it. Three days later the main army arrived led by Hasan Pasha and started encircling Bihać. Hasan Pasha detached a part of them to capture
Izačić Izačić (Serbian Cyrillic: Изачић) is a village of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Izacic is a part of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It shares a border with Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat ...
, the last remaining Christian-held settlement between Bihać and the Korana River. Izačić was defended by Gašpar Babonozić who had 16 soldiers at his disposal. They held out the first attack, but left the town on 14 June and fled to Slunj. The Bihać garrison was commanded by Captain Joseph Lamberg. The garrison numbered between 400 and 500 soldiers, mostly regular Croatian soldiers, Uskoks, and German mercenaries, as well as several hundred militiamen. Around 5,000 civilians were located in the city. Lamberg sent a letter to Colonel Andreas von Auersperg on 12 June asking for military aid. He sent another letter to Auersperg on 13 June and rejected Hasan Pasha's demand for the surrender of the city. Auersperg's deputy, Captain Juraj Paradeiser, feared for the safety of Karlovac and therefore did not send help. He forwarded the request to the Carniolian nobles, however they did not believe that the threat to Bihać was serious. To keep up the morale of his troops and Bihać's citizens, Lamberg organized a public oath on 13 June where they pledged to defend the city to the last man. By the end of 13 June Bihać was completely surrounded and Lamberg could not send couriers past the Ottoman lines. Hasan Pasha organized his artillery into three groups and deployed it around Bihać, so they were able to shell it from all directions. The bombardment of the city began on 14 June, which could be heard in Slunj 25 miles (40 km) away. The first phase of it did not cause significant damage to the walls, but the sheer number of cannons and the lack of reinforcements caused fear in the city and the loss of hope in the possibility of its defence. On 19 June Hasan Pasha ordered an infantry assault on the fortress. As the first siege ladders reached the walls, Bihać's judges and councilors asked Lamberg to start negotiations with Hasan Pasha, saying that the defenders were too weak to withstand the assault and there were no reinforcements. Lamberg was compelled to negotiate an honourable surrender and together with three judges went to Hasan Pasha's tent. Ottoman conditions were an immediate surrender of Bihać, but they assured that its citizens would be allowed to leave with their property or remain and acknowledge Ottoman rule. Lamberg agreed to it and on the same day Ottoman forces entered Bihać.


Sack of the city

Lamberg, his soldiers and their families were escorted by several hundred cavalrymen towards Slunj. When the column moved away from the city, the escorting Ottoman soldiers started looting and harassing the wife of some soldier called Tomo Gal, who in turn killed Turk Veli-aga and wounded another
Turk Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
called Ibrahim. As they reached Mečevićev Brod (near Vaganac on Korana river) this turned into an all-out scuffle between two parties and most of the Christians were killed in the end. Only Lamberg and several men managed to flee and reach Brest. Lamberg and the surviving defenders were later tried by court-martial for surrendering Bihać. A majority of the population was reluctant to leave their homes and decided to stay in Bihać. However, Hasan Pasha did not hold up his end of the deal and the city was sacked. In the first days following the capture more than 2,000 citizens were killed, while 800 children were taken captive and sent to Istanbul. A contemporary news article (''Zeitung'') from Vienna about the battle reported that 5,000 Christians were killed.


Aftermath and legacy

Together with captives from the Battle of Brest, the prisoners from Bihać were taken to Istanbul, where a triumphant celebration was held in honour of the victory. Wagons were carrying 172 captives and 22 flags captured in Brest and Bihać to the
High Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire. History The name ...
. Hasan Paša also sent paintings of Bihać and Slunj to the Sultan, though he did not manage to seize Slunj. The Habsburg imperial envoy in Istanbul protested for the cruelty of Hasan Paša's forces and in the name of the Emperor asked for the return of Bihać. The Ottomans responded that "every reasonable person can figure out that Bihać can not be returned", as a mosque was already built in it and prayers for the Padishah were held. The fall of Bihać caused fear in Croatia as it stood on the border for decades. It was the last Croatian stronghold in the south and with its fall the defensive line moved north and extended from Ogulin, through Karlovac and along the Kupa River to Sisak. During its spring-summer offensive of 1592, the Ottoman Empire seized Bihać and Ripač on the Una River, and Dreznik, Floriana, and Cetingrad on the Korana River. Thus the Ottomans rounded the area around Bihać and made it the starting point of their further offensives. The town of Karlovac assumed the role of Bihać as the most important fort on the border. Pope Clement VIII, who was elected Pope in February of the same year, was distressed after hearing news of the fall of Bihać. He proposed a league against the Ottoman Empire, but it was rejected by the Signoria of Venice. From July to October 1592 the raids of Hasan Pasha into Bohemia, Croatia, and Hungary resulted in the capture of 35,000 people. A month after the fall of Bihać, on 19 July the Ottomans defeated the forces of Ban Erdődy in the Battle of Brest. In 1593 Hasan Pasha directed his forces towards
Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
, where he suffered a heavy defeat on 22 June and was killed in action. The Battle of Sisak triggered the Long War that lasted until the
Peace of Zsitvatorok The Peace of Zsitvatorok (or Treaty of Sitvatorok) was a peace treaty which ended the 15-year Long Turkish War between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy on 11 November 1606. The treaty was part of a system of peace treaties which put an ...
on 11 November 1606. The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua was converted to a mosque and renamed to ''Fethija'', meaning ''conquered''. It is notable for containing the epitaphs and graves of the Croatian noblemen who died protecting the city.''Fethija džamija sa haremom, devet grobnih ploča i natpisima, graditeljska cjelina '' – Članak
Komisija za očuvanje nacionalnih spomenika. (10. novembar 2013.)
The Ottoman-held area from Velika Kladuša in the northwest to Vrbas River in the east became known as Ottoman Croatia.


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Bihać Bihać 1592 Bihać 1592 Bihać 1592 Bihać 1592 Bihać 1592 Conflicts in 1592 Massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire Bihać History of Bihać 1592 in Croatia Battles involving Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina