Battle of Niš (Skanderbeg's Uprising)

Timeline

1. 1443Southern Serbia · SerbiaJohn Hunyadi led a Hungarian and Wallachian coalition south from the north; Albanian nobles including Skanderbeg were also serving in the Ottoman army and marched with it into southern Serbia, preparing to launch a surprise attack on Ottoman positions toward Niš.
2. 1443Niš · SerbiaThe coalition launched a sudden attack on the Ottoman garrison at Niš; Hunyadi's forces won a tactical victory, routing the local garrison and capturing spoils, opening the route south into Bulgaria and shaking the Ottoman defenses in the Balkans.
3. 1443–1444Albania · AlbaniaAfter the battle Skanderbeg openly defected from the sultan, leading his men back to the Albanian highlands, organizing resistance centered on the Kastrioti family lands, laying the foundation for the League of Lezhë in 1444 and the long war against the Ottomans.