Battle of Giurgiu (1595)

Battle of Giurgiu (1595)
Part of the Long Turkish War and Ottoman-Wallachian wars
The battle as depicted by Theodor Aman
Date 27–30 October 1595 Location Giurgiu Result Transylvanian–Wallachian victory
Belligerents
Transylvania Wallachia Moldavia Holy Roman Empire	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Stephen Bocskay Michael the Brave Sigismund Báthory Ștefan Răzvan	Sinan Pasha
Strength
50,000–51,000 37,000–38,000 Transylvanians 8,000 Wallachians 3,000 Moldavians 1,500 Austrian mercenaries 300 Italian knights	c. 40,000 (October 1595)
Casualties and losses
Unknown, thousands	5,000–10,000 killed, 2 ships sunk

The Battle of Giurgiu, also known as the Bridge Disaster (Turkish: Köprü Faciası), took place on 27–30 October 1595. It was part of the Long Turkish War (1593–1606), a border conflict between the Christian powers and the Ottoman Empire over Balkan territories.

Background

The Ottoman army under the command of Grand Vizier Koca Sinan Pasha went on a campaign in the summer of 1595 against the Wallachia, which rebelled shortly after the start of the Long Turkish War. The army, which crossed the Danube via on 20 August, was in a difficult situation in the Battle of Călugăreni on 23 August, but forced the Wallachian army to retreat with a counter-attack. The Ottoman army, which entered Bucharest on 28 August, built a wooden castle there, and then occupied Târgoviște, the capital of the Wallachia, on 18 September, and also built a castle here.

However, with the arrival of the soldiers under the command of the Prince of Transylvania Sigismund Báthory, the Wallachian army, which reached a strength of 30,000–40,000 soldiers and 53 cannons, counter-attacked and captured Târgoviște on 17 October. besieged. When the Ottoman army retreated to Bucharest to gather, the Wallachian army captured Târgoviște on 18 October.

These latest developments (most of the soldiers were on their way back) increased the disorganization in the Ottoman army. Realizing this fact during the poll in Bucharest, Koca Sinan Pasha gave the order to withdraw first to and then to Rusçuk by crossing Danube. He removed the cannons and ammunition from the Bucharest castle to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Wallachian army and had the castle destroyed. He left a rear guard in Bucharest to secure the army's withdrawal and advanced towards. Sokolluzade Hasan Pasha joined the main army a day later with artillery and ammunition, and the rearguard in Bucharest joined the main army four days later.

The army arrived around the castle and stayed here for three days by the order of Koca Sinan Pasha. Sinan Pasha banned the passage from the bridge to the other side of the Danube and appointed an emin and a clerk to the bridgehead and collected the pencik tax for two days. During this process, a huge accumulation occurred at the beginning of the bridge due to the presence of more than 10,000 animals and thousands of prisoners along with the soldiers. For this reason, some of the soldiers drove along the Danube and Svishtov, and Rahova He crossed with ships from Nikopol.

Battle

The news that the Wallachian army was approaching further increased the disorder in the Ottoman army gathered at the bridgehead. Koca Sinan Pasha had his Kapıkulu soldiers cross the bridge to the Rusçuk side on the night of 26-27 October. He also had the big guns Shahi and ammunition transported at night. A large number of soldiers crossed to the other shore by ship without waiting in line at the bridge. After performing the morning prayer, Koca Sinan Pasha went to Danube. However, the bulk of the soldiers, the weights, the captives, and the beasts of burden remained on the side.

After the departure of Koca Sinan Pasha, some of the remaining soldiers took shelter in Yörgöğü Castle, while the rest attacked the bridge. At the beginning of the already narrow bridge, pack animals and soldiers created a huge stampede and some soldiers fell into the Danube and drowned. When the troops under the command of Sokolluzade Hasan Pasha, who were given the duty of Karavul (outpost), were dispersed in the conflict with the vanguards of the Wallachian army.

Then, the entire Wallachian army came to the region and infantrymen with rifles attacked the Ottoman soldiers waiting to cross. Simultaneously, Transylvanian artillery destroyed the bridge. Akinjis, and Yörüks tried to resist by taking battle formations, but many of them died. Akinji Corps suffered heavy casualties that day, causing them to withdraw from the stage of history.

The Wallachian army, which almost destroyed what was left of the Ottoman army, then besieged and captured this castle on 27 October with the skill of Italian artillery (from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany) under the command of Silvio Piccolomini.

Sources

Zsigmond Báthori, Michael the Brave, and Giorgio Basta; Сигизмунд Батори, Михай Храбри и Джорджо Баста