This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page.(June 2024)
This is a list of military conflicts in which Hungarian armed forces participated in or took place on the historical territory of Hungary.
The list gives the name, the date, the Hungarian allies and enemies, and the result of these conflicts following this legend:
Victory
Defeat
Result of civil or internal conflict
A treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, an unknown or indecisive result
Between 899 and 970, according to contemporary sources, the researchers count 47 (38 to West and 9 to East)[1] raids in different parts of Europe. From these campaigns only 8 were unsuccessful and the others ended with success.[2]
Many tributes were paid to the Hungarians.
Many times the rulers of Europe hired the Hungarian warriors against each other.
The most significant result of the Battle of Pressburg is that the Hungarians secured their lands in 907, prevented a future German invasion, the Germans did not attack Hungarian land until 1030.
The Hungarians also used a preemptive war against the Germans and the German unification.
Berengar I of Italy accepts to pay tribute. He started to pay to the Hungarian tribute regularly, and until his death in 924, and in exchange the Hungarians helped him against every enemies that he had. The Hungarians became Berengar's friends.
The most significant result of the Battle of Pressburg is that the Hungarians secured the lands they gained during the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, and prevented a future German invasion, the Germans did not attack Hungary until 1030.
This battle is considered one of the most significant battles in the history of Hungary. The Hungarian victory forced the new Bavarian prince, Luitpold's son, Arnulf to conclude a peace treaty, the prince recognized the loss of Pannonia and Ostmark, pushing Hungary's borders deep in Bavarian territory, the river Enns became borderline, paid tribute, and agreed to let the Hungarian armies, which went to war against Germany or other countries in Western Europe, to pass through the duchies lands.
After this victory the Hungarian campaigns against the German duchies continued until 910, the battles of Augsburg and Rednitz, ended with disastrous German defeats, after which the German king Louis the Child concluded peace with the Principality of Hungary, accepting to pay tribute to the latter, and recognizing the Hungarian territorial gains during the war.[1]
Upon destruction of the Hungarian forces, the German army proclaimed Otto I father of the fatherland and emperor.[8] In 962, on the strength of this, Otto I went to Rome and had himself crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XII.[9]
Prince Andrew and Levente returned to Hungary from their exile and quickly gained popular support for the throne, especially among the pagan populace, despite the fact that Andrew was Christian (Levente had remained pagan). On their return, a rebellion began, which Andrew and Levente initially supported. The princes accepted the claims of the rebellers in exchange for fighting against King Peter.
King Peter decided to flee from Hungary and take refuge in Austria. Andrew's envoys tricked the king before he reached the frontier. King Peter fled to a fortified manor at Zámoly, but his opponents captured him. King Peter was blinded, which caused his death.
German Emperor Henry III undertook a fifth campaign against the Kingdom of Hungary, and besieged Pozsony without success, as the Hungarians sank his supply ships on the Danube river.
Pecheneg troops pillaged Syrmia in 1071. The king and the duke suspected that the soldiers of the Byzantine garrison at Belgrade incited the marauders against Hungary, they decided to attack the fortress.
The Hungarian army crossed the river Sava, although the Byzantines used Greek fire against their boats. The Hungarians defeated the Pechenegs who helped the Byzantines to relief the siege. Finally the Hungarians took Belgrade after a siege of three months.
King Solomon and Prince Géza marched along the valley of the river Great Morava as far as Niš. The Hungarians seized the Byzantine city without any resistance.[14]
The first five Hungarian saints, including the first king of Hungary, Stephen I, and Stephen's son, Emeric, were canonized during Ladislaus's reign. Ladislaus released Solomon at the time of the ceremony. After his release, Solomon made a final effort to regain his crown. He persuaded a Cuman chieftain, Kutesk, to invade Hungary. Solomon promised Kutesk, that he would give him the right of possession over the province of Transylvania and would take his daughter as wife. King Ladislaus defeated the invaders.
At the head of a large contingent Solomon joined a huge army of Cumans and Pechenegs who invaded the Byzantine Empire in 1087. The Byzantines routed the invaders, Solomon seems to have died fighting in the battlefield.
The widow of King Zvonimir, Helen tried to keep her power in Croatia during the succession crisis. Several Dalmatian cities and Croatian nobles around Helen asked King Ladislaus I to help Helen and offered him the Croatian throne, which was seen as rightfully his by inheritance rights.
In 1091 Ladislaus I crossed the Drava river and conquered the entire province of Slavonia without encountering opposition, Ladislaus I had success in his campaign, yet he wasn't able to establish his control over entire Croatia.
Ladislaus I appointed his nephew Prince Álmos to administer the controlled area of Croatia, established the Diocese of Zagreb as a symbol of his new authority and went back to Hungary.
Petar Snačić uprised against the Hungarian rule between 1093 and 1097.
The Cumans invaded and plundered Hungary leading by chieftain Kapolcs, they broke first in Transylvania, then the territory between the Danube and Tisza rivers. The Cumans tried to leave Hungary with their huge booty and prisoners, but King Ladislaus I reached and defeated them near the Temes river.[16]
The rumor of the losing battle reached the Cuman camp, the Cumans threatened King Ladislaus I with revenge and demanded to free the Cuman prisoners.[16]
King Ladislaus I marched to the Hungarian border to prevent the next invasion. The two army clashed near Severin / Szörényvár, the Hungarian army was victorious, King Ladislaus killed Ákos, the Cuman chieftain.[16]
King Ladislaus I blamed the Ruthenians for the invasion of the Cumans, he stated the Cumans were incited by them. In retaliation, Ladislaus I invaded the neighboring Rus' principalities, forcing the Ruthenians to ask "for mercy" and to promise "that they would be faithful to him in all things".[17]
Władysław I Herman, Duke of Poland was a cousin of King Ladislaus I of Hungary.[18] King Ladislaus I's intervented in a conflict between Władysław I Herman, Duke of Poland, and the duke's illegitimate son, Zbigniew.
King Ladislaus I marched to Poland and captured Herman's younger son, Boleslaus.
The Hungarian troops captured Kraków during Ladislaus' campaign.[18]
At Ladislaus' demand, Władysław I Herman declared Zbigniew his legitimate son.
When King Coloman of Hungary seized Croatia, Vitale I Michiel, Doge of Venice asked an ally against the Normans who threatened the Dalmatian cities. A huge Hungarian army was transported to Apulia by the Venetian navy, they defeated the Normans, the Hungarians captured Brindisi and Monopoli, thus the Normans was retreated from Dalmatia. The Hungarian army plundered the land and retreated after three months leaving the cities in the hand of the Venetians.[19]
The first group of crusaders was led by Walter Sans Avoir with 150,000 troops. King Coloman received them in a friendly way and allowed them into the kingdom. They proceeded through Hungary without any major conflicts, the only incident occurred near the Hungarian–Byzantine border at Zimony.[20]
The next group was headed by Peter the Hermit with 40,000 troops. King Coloman permitted them to enter Hungary only after Peter pledged that he would prevent them from pillaging the countryside, but Peter could not keep his promise, the crusaders plundered and raped locals. They reached Zimony, where they learned of the story of the previous conflict. The crusaders besieged and took the town, where they massacred many thousand Hungarians. They only withdrew when Coloman's troops approached them.[20]
The third band of crusaders was led by Folkmar with 12,000 men reached Nyitra and when they saw the richness of the countryside they began plundering the region. These were soon routed by the local Hungarians.[20]
A fourth army that came to Moson was led by Gottschalk with 15,000 men. They camped near Pannonhalma, to seize food and wine, the crusaders made frequent pillaging raids against the nearby settlements. King Coloman attacked and massacred the majority of them. The crusader mob of Gottschalk fled with 3,000 men from Hungary.[20]
Following these incidents, King Coloman forbade the crusaders who arrived under the leadership of Count Emicho with 200,000 men to enter Hungary. The crusaders besieged Moson, their catapults destroyed the walls in two places, enabling them to storm into the fortress. King Coloman defended the fortress. After six weeks the morale of the crusader mob began to fail, which inspired the Hungarians, a panic broke out among the attackers that enabled the garrison to carry out a sortie and rout them, and most of the mob was slaughtered or drowned in the river.[20]
The first crusader army organized by the Holy See was led by Godfrey of Bouillon with 80,000 troops. King Coloman agreed to meet with Godfrey in Sopron. The king allowed the crusaders to march through his kingdom but stipulated that Godfrey's younger brother Baldwin and his family should stay with him as hostages. The crusaders passed through Hungary peacefully along the right bank of the Danube, King Coloman and his army followed them on the left bank. He only released his hostages after all the crusaders had crossed the river Sava. The uneventful march of the main crusader army across Hungary established Coloman's good reputation throughout Europe.[20]
Petar Snačić was elected king by Croatian feudal lords in 1093. Petar's seat of power was based in Knin. Petar Snačić's uprised against the Hungarian rule between 1093 and 1097.
King Ladislaus I of Hungary died in 1095, leaving his nephew King Coloman of Hungary to continue the Croatian campaign. Coloman, as was the case with Ladislaus I before him, wasn't seen as a conqueror but rather as a pretender to the Croatian throne.
Coloman assembled a large army to press his claim on the throne and in 1097 defeated King Petar's troops in the Battle of Gvozd Mountain, who was killed in battle.
King Coloman was crowned in Biograd na Moru in 1102 and the title now claimed by Coloman was "King of Hungary, Dalmatia, and Croatia".
Mongol victory at the Battle of Mohi. Mongols retreated within a year from Hungary due to the local Hungarian withstand. Both sides suffered a heavy casualties.[25]
Decisive event for the history of Central Europe for the following centuries. The battle marked the beginning of the ascendancy of the House of Habsburg in Austria and Central Europe.
Árpáds were winning militarily, but Andrew III's death in 1301 extinguished the Árpád dynasty and triggered the Árpád war of succession in Hungary (1301–1308)
The Wallachian army led by Basarab, formed of cavalry, peasants and foot archers, ambushed and defeated the 30,000-strong Hungarian army, in a mountainous region
The campaign of King Louis I against the rebellious Croatian noblesThe campaign of King Louis I against the rebellious Croatian nobles (Chronica Hungarorum, 1488)
The Golden Horde was pushed back behind the Dniester River, the Golden Horde's control of the lands between the Eastern Carpathians and the Black Sea weakened
The establishment of Moldavia in 1346 as a Hungarian vassal state.
War of Chioggia, Hungary defeated the Venetians in several times, and finally expelled Venetians from Dalmatia, however Genoa, Padoa and Austria lost the War. The war resulted in the Treaty of Turin (1381)
King Sigismund of Hungary had experience fighting with the Ottomans, but the French knights refused his battle plan. The French knights rushed to the Ottoman lines, while the other allies stayed with the Hungarian forces under King Sigismund, this caused confusion and divided the strength of the Crusader army.
Ottomans defeat Crusades and no new Anti-Ottoman alliance is formed till the 1440s.
Ottomans maintain pressure on Constantinople, tightened control over the Balkans, and became a greater threat to central Europe.
John Hunyadi marked his third victory over the Ottomans after the relief of Smederevo (1437) and the defeat of Ishak Beg midway between Semendria and Belgrade (1441).[34]
When John Hunyadi defeated Mezid Bey and the raiding Ottoman army in the south part of the Kingdom of Hungary in Transylvania, Hunyadi chased the Ottomans beyond the Hungarian borders and the Hungarian army penetrated Wallachia at the Red Tower Pass, Hunyadi forced Voivode Vlad II Dracul to became again a Hungarian vassal. Later continuing his campaign, Hunyadi also forced the Moldavian voivodes Ilie and Stephen II, who until that time had recognized the authority of the Polish king, to renew their loyalty to the Hungarian king.[34]
This was the first time that a European army defeated such a large Ottoman force, composed not only of raiders, but of the provincial cavalry led by their own sanjak beys (governors) and accompanied by the formidable janissaries.[36]
Hunyadi gained a huge booty. He put lots of treasures and weapons on a wagon that ten horses could hardly pull and sent it to King Vladislaus I of Hungary to Buda.
Vladislaus I of Hungary, the young king, ignoring Hunyadi's advice, rushed 500 of his Polish knights against the Ottoman center. They attempted to overrun the Janissary infantry and take Murad II prisoner, and almost succeeded, but in front of Murad's tent Vladislaus's horse either fell, and the king was slain.
Murad's casualties at Varna were so heavy, it was not until three days later that he realized he was victorious.
The Ottoman victory in Varna, followed by the Ottoman victory in the Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448, deterred the European states from sending any substantial military assistance to the Byzantines during the Ottoman Siege of Constantinople in 1453.
The Siege of Belgrade was a major issue for the entire Europe, especially after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The fall of the fortress city of Belgrade would have opened the gates of Europe to the Turks and that would have certainly changed the history of the world.
The Battle of Belgrade deserves to be remembered. Hungarians played a key role in the defense of Europe against the invasion of the Turks in the 15th century.
Pope Callixtus III ordered the bells of every European church to be rung every day at noon, as a call for believers to pray for the defenders of the city. But because in many European countries the news of victory arrived before the Pope's order for prayer, the ringing of the church bells was believed to be in celebration of the victory. Therefore, the significance of the church bells ringing is now the commemoration of Hunyadi's victory against the Turks.
Plague broke out in the camp, from which John Hunyadi himself died three weeks later.
After initial Hungarian-moldavian victories Hungary stopped the advocating of Moldavia, so Stephen III moldavian ruler became vasal of the Ottoman Empire.
Hungary defeats the highly outnumbered Ottoman army in Transylvania. Ottoman casualties were extremely high. The battle was the most significant victory for the Hungarians against the raiding Ottomans, and as a result, the Ottoman Turks did not attack southern Hungary and Transylvania for many years thereafter.
At the end of the campaign, Hungary controlled all of Upper Austria as well, which remained under the control of King Matthias until his death, in 1490.
Royal power declined in favour of the magnates, who used their power to curtail the peasants' freedom. Gyorgy led a revolt but was eventually caught, tortured, and executed and became known as a martyr or a dangerous criminal.[44]
Destruction of the Kingdom of Hungary as an independent and powerful European nation.
The territory of Hungary was split into two parts in 1529 and into three parts in 1541.
Around two hundred years of constant warfare with and between two empires, Habsburg and Ottoman, turned Hungary into a perpetual battlefield. The countryside was regularly ravaged by armies moving back and forth devastating the population.
Captain Jurisics Miklós defended the small border fort of Kőszeg with only 700–800 men (46 soldiers, 700 peasants) with no cannons and few guns, preventing the advance of the 120,000–140,000 strong Turkish army towards Vienna.
The whole Hungarian-Croatian army (2300–3000) is killed, Miklós IV Zrínyi is killed in the final battle.
Miklós IV Zrínyi ordered a fuse be lit to the powder magazine. After cutting down the last of the defenders the Ottoman Army entered the remains of Szigetvár and fell into the trap. 3,000 Turks perished in the explosion.[48][49][50][51]
20,000–30,000 Ottomans were killed.
Ottomans captured Szigetvár fortress and it became part of Budin Eyalet.
The victory was strategically important, it isolated Upper Hungary from any further Turkish incursions. But eventually even after the victory in the Battle of Saint Gotthard, Emperor Leopold I – to the outrage of Hungarian nobility – signed the unfavorable Peace of Vasvár.[52]
As a consequence of the recapture of Buda from the Turks, as well as the victory in the Battle of Mohács (1687), the Hungarian parliament recognized at Pressburg in 1687 that the inheritance of the Hungarian crown had passed to the Habsburgs.
Annexation of a border strip between eastern Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia
1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945Hungary entered: 27 June 1941Hungary exited: 11 May 1945
World War IIHungarian Arrow Cross militia and a German Tiger II tank in Budapest, October 1944Hungarian Toldi I tank used during the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union
"Afghanization" of Afghan conflict. Withdrawal of most US troops by 2014
End of Operation Enduring Freedom; start of 2015 phase of war, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel. End of US and ISAF led combat mission; beginning of NATO-led training and assistance mission.
^ abcdefSzabados, György (August 2005). "Vereség háttér nélkül? Augsburg, 955" [Defeat without background? Augsburg, 955]. Hitel – irodalmi, művészeti és társadalmi folyóirat [literary, artistic and social journal] (in Hungarian) (8).
^Nagy Kálmán: A honfoglalás korának hadtörténete; Heraldika Kiadó, Budapest, 2007, p. 168
^Kristó Gyula: Levedi törzsszövetségétől Szent István államáig; Magvető Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1980 p. 248 From Miracula Sancti Georgii. Hungarian translation: "A nyugati népek, azaz a bolgárok, magyarok, szküthák, médek és türkök leghevesebb felkelése történt" English translation from the Hungarian: It was the most violent upraising of the Western nations: the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Scythians, Medians and Turks
^ abBánlaky, József. "A 984. évi mölki összecsapás" [The Clash at Melk in 984]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Kosztolnyik, Z. J. (1981). Five Eleventh Century Hungarian Kings: Their Policies and their Relations with Rome. Boulder. p. 82. ISBN0-914710-73-7.
^Érszegi, Géza; Solymosi, László (1981). "Az Árpádok királysága, 1000–1301" [The Monarchy of the Árpáds, 1000–1301]. In Solymosi, László (ed.). Magyarország történeti kronológiája, I: a kezdetektől 1526-ig [Historical Chronology of Hungary, Volume I: From the Beginning to 1526] (in Hungarian). Akadémiai Kiadó. p. 89. ISBN963-05-2661-1.
^Bánlaky, József. "A belgrádi hadjárat 1071-ben és a nisi hadművelet 1072-ben" [The Campaign of Belgrade in 1071 and the Campaign of Nis in 1072]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "IV. Henrik hadjárata László ellen 1079-ben" [Campaign of Henry IV Against Ladislaus in 1079]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^ abcdBánlaky, József. "László második hadjárata a kúnok ellen 1091-ben" [The Second Campaign of Ladislaus Against the Cumans in 1091]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "Az 1092. évi orosz hadjárat" [The Russian Campaign of 1092]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^ abBánlaky, József. "Az 1094. évi lengyel hadjárat" [The Polish Campaign of 1094]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "Az 1095. évi horvátországi és apuliai hadjárat" [The Croatian and Apulian Campaign of 1095]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "A dalmát kérdés. Bjelograd (Ó-Zára) meghódítása 1096-ban" [The Dalmatian Question. Conquest of Biograd (Old Zadar) in 1096]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^ abcBánlaky, József. "Az 1099. évi orosz hadjárat" [The Russian Campaign of 1099]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "Az 1107. évi apuliai hadjárat" [The Apulian Campaign of 1107]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^ abBánlaky, József. "A szebeni csata 1442. március 25-én" [The Battle of Szeben on 25 March 1442]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
^Bánlaky, József. "A vaskapui diadal 1442 július havában" [The Triumph of the Iron Gate in July 1442]. A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.
Bánlaky, József (1928). A magyar nemzet hadtörténelme [The Military History of the Hungarian Nation] (in Hungarian). Budapest.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Barta, Gábor; Granasztói, György (1981). "A három részre szakadt ország és a török kiűzése (1526–1605)". In Benda, Kálmán; Péter, Katalin (eds.). Magyarország történeti kronológiája, II: 1526–1848 [Historical Chronology of Hungary, Volume I: 1526–1848] (in Hungarian). Akadémiai Kiadó. pp. 361–430. ISBN963-05-2662-X.
Engel, Pál (2001). The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895–1526. I.B. Tauris Publishers. ISBN1-86064-061-3.
Fine, John V. A. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. The University of Michigan Press. ISBN0-472-08260-4.
Madgearu, Alexandru (2017). The Asanids: The Political and Military History of the Second Bulgarian Empire, 1185–1280. BRILL. ISBN978-9-004-32501-2.
Pop, Ioan-Aurel (2005). "Romanians in the 14th–16th Centuries: From the "Christian Republic" to the "Restoration of Dacia"". In Pop, Ioan-Aurel; Bolovan, Ioan (eds.). History of Romania: Compendium. Romanian Cultural Institute (Center for Transylvanian Studies). pp. 209–314. ISBN978-973-7784-12-4.
.svg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
_painter_The_Hungarian_at_Kiev_(1896-99).jpg)
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
_1.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
_(1526-1540).svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
.jpg)
_t%C3%A9r_a_Vay_%C3%81d%C3%A1m_utca_fel%C5%91l_a_N%C3%A9psz%C3%ADnh%C3%A1z_utca_fel%C3%A9_n%C3%A9zve._Fortepan_23577.jpg)
Horici_sovetsky_tank.jpg)
