How Did Suleiman the Magnificent Conquer Hungary?

Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, like any new sultan, had the idea of strengthening his reign with a significant victory. Therefore, the capture of Belgrade, which his great ancestor Fatih Sultan Mehmet couldn’t achieve, was an important objective. The conquest of Belgrade would provide the Ottoman Empire with a crucial stronghold for future European campaigns and would also earn the newly enthroned sultan great prestige. When Kanuni Sultan Süleyman ascended the throne, V. Karl was elected as the Holy Roman Emperor in Europe. V. Karl had important ancestral ties and used his financial resources to ascend the throne around the same time as Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. During V. Karl’s reign, a national consciousness began to emerge in France, and King François I was a significant rival to V. Karl. This rivalry between the two figures resulted in a struggle that could change the fate of Europe and perhaps even the Ottomans.

The First Phase of Conquests

During Sultan Süleyman’s reign, Belgrade was a Hungarian fortress and territory. With the capture of Belgrade, the first phase of Hungarian conquests began for the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Süleyman initiated the Belgrade campaign in the summer of 1521. The Ottoman forces first captured Böğürdelen on July 7, 1521, and then took control of other important fortresses in the region. Towards the end of August, Belgrade Fortress was also captured. The capture of Belgrade not only brought great prestige to Sultan Süleyman but also marked an important milestone for the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe. During Sultan Süleyman’s conquest of Belgrade, the rivalry between V. Karl and François I escalated in Europe. The two rulers clashed over the issue of the Duchy of Milan, but this confrontation was essentially a concrete manifestation of national consciousness and old throne rivalries.

After the conquest of Belgrade by Sultan Süleyman, the situation in Europe became even more heated. During this period, Bourbon Duke Charles, who served under V. Karl, and King François I confronted each other. François I, unable to resist this military force combined with German troops, was defeated and captured in battle. In response to this situation, the mother of the French king wrote a letter to Sultan Süleyman, requesting assistance and alliance from the Ottoman Empire. Although this seemed like an important development for Christian-Muslim friendship, both states acted in their own interests, and such an alliance was formed. This alliance, or rather the call for assistance, constituted the second phase of the Ottoman Empire’s Hungarian policy. With war now in their hands, Sultan Süleyman, who was already preparing for the conquest of Hungary, had a casus belli. During this period, internal turmoil arose in Hungary, and the rule and actions of King Louis II were questioned, leading to popular uprisings. The opposition rallied around Janos Zapolya. The Ottomans wanted to take advantage of this situation to some extent.

The Battle of Mohács and the Siege of Vienna

In 1526, Sultan Süleyman launched a campaign against Hungary. It was stated that the primary objective of this campaign was to assist France. On August 29, 1526, the Ottoman forces quickly annihilated the forces of King Louis II in the Battle of Mohács. Louis II and his forces fled the battle but got stuck in a swamp, where they lost their lives. After the victory at Mohács, the Ottoman forces advanced towards Buda. On September 10, 1526, the city was captured by the Ottoman forces, but its administration was not handed over to Ottoman rule. Instead, Janos Zapolya was supported, and the city was left under his protection. V. Karl and his supporters, on the other hand, backed Archduke Ferdinand as the Hungarian king. In 1527, Ferdinand expelled Zapolya from Buda, and efforts were made to secure the Hungarian throne under the protection of the Holy Roman Empire. With the condition that Zapolya remained under Ottoman rule, the Ottoman forces supported Zapolya, who regained a position of strength.

In September 1529, the Ottoman forces reached the outskirts of Vienna and besieged the city. The main objective of the Ottoman Army was to confront Ferdinand near Buda and resolve the issue. However, due to Ferdinand’s absence, the strategy shifted towards the Siege of Vienna. Although the siege was lifted shortly due to the approaching winter and lack of complete knowledge of the terrain, the fact that the Ottoman forces had reached Vienna caused great excitement in Europe. The third phase of the Hungarian conquest can be considered as being determined administratively through the siege. The administration of Buda was handed over to Zapolya, and Hungary became a buffer zone between Europe and the Ottomans, with Hungary being under Ottoman influence.

Alliance with the French

The fourth phase of the Ottoman Empire’s Hungarian conquests was aimed at consolidating its power in Hungary through the German campaign. In 1532, after hearing news of Sultan Süleyman’s expedition, V. Karl formed an army of approximately a hundred thousand soldiers from different ethnic backgrounds by reaching an agreement with the German princes. The main purpose of this army was not Hungary but rather defending the territories of the Holy Roman Empire, especially Vienna. Sultan Süleyman and V. Karl were trying to employ a clever strategy by not initiating action against each other. The fourth phase of the Hungarian conquest ended without any action being taken. In 1533, a ceasefire was signed between the two states, and Ferdinand was recognized as the Hungarian king, but the Ottoman Empire did not renounce its rights over Hungary.

The Ottoman-Habsburg conflict, with Hungary as its center, continued to be felt even after the ceasefire. However, the confrontation between these two imperial dynasties led to the emergence of a significant alliance against the Habsburgs. France, in particular, persistently advocated for Sultan Süleyman to launch a major campaign against the Habsburgs. In 1536, this alliance further developed with the granting of the first commercial privileges to the Ottomans in France through capitulations. Although these two states presented a comprehensive operation plan between 1537 and 1538, they suddenly changed their minds due to changing circumstances and did not reach a final outcome.

The Conquest of Buda

The final stage of the Ottoman Empire’s Hungarian policy was the complete control of Buda and, more precisely, Hungary. The Ottoman forces learned about the secret treaty between Ferdinand and Zapolya. According to this treaty, Zapolya would be recognized as the Hungarian king, but after his death, the Hungarian throne would belong to Ferdinand. Upon the sudden death of Zapolya’s son Sigismund, Ferdinand claimed rights over Hungarian territories and began to annex them. In response, the Ottoman forces launched a campaign into Hungarian territories to resolve this issue definitively. Around 1541, Sultan Süleyman, along with his advanced troops and the rest of the army, expelled Ferdinand’s forces from Hungary and turned Buda into a provincial capital. Thus, Buda and Hungary came under full Ottoman rule, and the borders between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans were redrawn.

With the Ottoman Empire reaching its borders in Central Europe, the natural boundaries within the state were more or less achieved. Europe, now facing a powerful Ottoman Empire, began to realize the need to unite and postpone their disputes, marking the beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s period of stagnation and decline a few centuries later. Although directly integrating the impact of these conquests with the Ottoman Empire’s period of stagnation and decline would be incorrect, the mentioned cities such as Belgrade and Buda had significant economic and cultural importance within that geography. Even these cities coming under Ottoman rule made the Europeans increasingly aware of the need to counter a powerful Ottoman Empire. They didn’t know which city would be the next target, and a formidable Ottoman Empire stood before them.

Author: Ahmet Gül

Editor: Merve Bektaş

References:

• Emecen, M. F. (2019). Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Kuruluş ve Yükseliş Tarihi (1300-1600). İstanbul: İş Bankası Kültür.
• İnalcık, H. (2021). Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Klasik Çağ. İstanbul: Kronik.
• Afyoncu, E. (2019) Herkes İçin Kısa Osmanlı Tarihi. İstanbul: Yeditepe

Image Sources:

• https://www.tarihcantasi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/belgratin-fethi-tarihcantasi.jpg
• https://www.kanunisultansuleyman.gen.tr/images/kanuni-sultan-suleyman-donemi.jpg
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs%2C_Turkish_miniature.jpg/300px-Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs%2C_Turkish_miniature.jpg
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/1526-Suleiman_the_Magnificent_and_the_Battle_of_Mohacs-Hunername.jpg/220px-1526-Suleiman_the_Magnificent_and_the_Battle_of_Mohacs-Hunername.jpg https://i2.cnnturk.com/i/cnnturk/75/700×0/563b467dae78492bd86c3eea