← Explore on the interactive map
Battle of the Maritsa River
On September 26, 1371, Ottoman forces launched a night attack on the Serbian–Bulgarian coalition at the Maritsa River (Chernomen, near modern Orestia…
Timeline
- 1371West bank of the Maritsa River · ThraceSerbian King Vukašin Mrnjavčević and his brother Uglješa led the coalition west from Macedonia, intending to strike directly at the Ottoman capital Edirne (Adrianople), and camped to rest along the Maritsa River.
- 1371Chernomen camp · Maritsa valleyLala Şahin Pasha led Ottoman light cavalry in a surprise night attack on the sleeping coalition camp; Vukašin and Uglješa were killed and the coalition suffered a devastating blow. Later estimates suggest extremely heavy coalition casualties, and Balkan Christian powers could no longer organize a counterattack of comparable scale.
Sources
- Battle of Maritsa https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Maritsa-River
- Battle of Maritsa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Maritsa