As soon as the empire had resolved the Black Death, the situation escalated rapidly.
As he had long resolved to do, John supported Büyük Bayezid, the youngest son of Bayezid as the new Sultan of the Ottomans. Furthermore, the young emperor dismissed the harsh warnings and protests of the Ottoman envoys, who condemned the betrayal of their alliance, with a single remark:
“I am merely helping the rightful heir reclaim what is his.”
John’s intention to divide the Ottoman Empire perfectly aligned with Venice’s interests. The Venetian Senate had neither forgotten nor forgiven the Ottomans for threatening their dominance over the Aegean Sea, nor Constantine, the Prince of Morea, for his atrocities against Venetian trade ships under the guise of suppressing the plague—burning their cargo and causing significant losses. The division of the Ottoman Empire presented an excellent opportunity not only to weaken a mutual threat but also to pressure the defiant prince.
Soon, Büyük Mustafa secured foreign support through Venetian negotiation. The sponsor was none other than Wallachia, which had observed the political situation in the Balkans from afar during the previous Serbian-Ottoman War. Despite Hungary’s intervention, the Ottomans had emerged unscathed, proving their formidable strength and inspiring fear in others.
(TL : Büyük means great in Turkish)
The realization that the menacing Ottoman blade could one day turn toward them sparked fear, which quickly transformed into determination to strike first. With Wallachian support secured, Büyük Mustafa began receiving promising news. Even the Bulgarians, long subjugated under Ottoman control, joined his cause in exchange for promises of religious freedom.
Under Büyük Mustafa’s banner, an army of 12,000 men gathered. Determining it was time to act, Mustafa launched an offensive southward across the Danube, initiating attacks on Bulgaria. The Ottoman governor of Bulgaria attempted to delay him while urgently requesting reinforcements from Edirne.
When Sultan Murad II received the urgent report, he didn’t hesitate. Without a word, he rose from his seat, drawing the curiosity of his attendants. To their questioning gazes, Murad responded calmly:
“My enemy is approaching, and yet you all stand idle?”
With that single statement, Edirne bustled with preparations for war. The speed of the new sultan’s mobilization testified to how firmly he had consolidated his power. In just one month, he assembled 6,000 infantrymen, 1,000 Janissaries, and 800 Sipahis from the Rumelia provinces, who would serve as the cavalry on his right flank.
Waiting for reinforcements from Anatolia would have allowed Murad to muster a force capable of matching Mustafa’s army. However, Murad had no intention of giving his enemy time.
Two months had already passed since the Bulgarian governor had begun his desperate struggle. Though loyal to the Sultan’s command, the local governors’ forces were undeniably limited. Mustafa’s southward march across the Danube had incited a Bulgarian uprising, isolating and scattering the Ottoman forces.
Even the strongest army is powerless when fragmented and surrounded. Murad knew he had to act swiftly to save them. After all, the besieged Ottoman troops in Bulgaria were his soldiers.
Murad II’s forces soon began a forced march.
His first objective was to punish the Bulgarians who had disrupted the rear. To this end, Murad detached two separate units of 1,000 men each. At the forefront of these detachments marched grim-faced men, their armor replaced by the scars etched into their bodies from their past as enslaved laborers. Murad issued a special order for these men.
“Place masks on them and deliver this warning: should they attempt to flee, they will be executed. However, if they achieve remarkable feats in battle, they will be granted the opportunity to convert and join our ranks as soldiers. If they truly value freedom and honor over death, they will willingly charge at the enemy, even without armor.”
The appearance of the new detachment immediately produced results. The yearning for freedom and a change in status imbued the soldiers with a madness that overcame even the fear of death. Thanks to their light equipment, they moved swiftly to strike the Bulgarians from the rear, and the beleaguered Ottoman forces, surrounded and nearing death, realized the tides were turning. True to their reputation as a formidable army, they launched a counterattack. Faced with assaults from both sides, the Bulgarian forces had only two options:
To die or to flee.
News soon spread that the main Ottoman army was on its way. Alarmed, the Bulgarians withdrew their siege, recognizing the need to consolidate their forces. Meanwhile, those who had prematurely declared victory were captured and executed. Mercy and forgiveness are virtues reserved for those who practice peace; Murad had no intention of sparing those who delighted in cornering his loyal warriors.
Fortunately for Murad, the feared guerrilla warfare never materialized.
The Bulgarians began gathering in one place. Whether this was to consolidate their resolve or to make it easier for Büyük Mustafa to send reinforcements was unclear. What they did not realize, however, was that this consolidation played directly into Murad’s hands.
He had faith in the sharp sword passed down by his predecessors—the sword that had, for centuries, brought cries of victory in the name of the Prophet. The soldiers, strengthened further by their victory over the Crusaders at Nicopolis, were the reason Murad was confident of success.
“Teach them the virtue of submission. Show them who their true ruler is, and ensure they never again harbor such futile ambitions—through death!”
The gathered Bulgarians numbered roughly 8,000, equal to Murad II’s forces. The leaders of the rebellion may have thought they had a chance. But Murad thoroughly crushed those hopes.
Murad’s first move was to send forward Bulgarian captives who had been released as a gesture of mercy. As expected, the rebel army hesitated to kill their countrymen, who were placed in the vanguard.
During this hesitation, Ottoman skirmishers maneuvered around to attack the poorly armed Bulgarians on their flanks, following Murad’s orders. Although some units noticed the maneuver and hastily adjusted their positions, their lack of formal training caused significant delays. This delay was exploited by the Sipahi cavalry, who had circled around to attack from the rear.
“Damn it…! They’re everywhere!”
The rebel formations collapsed. Lacking the morale to face the charging cavalry head-on, the rebels scattered in chaos, tripping over each other as they fled from the terrifying speed of the horses. The Sipahis focused solely on breaking through the enemy lines, leaving the disoriented rebel units vulnerable to the skirmishers attacking from the flanks.
Piece by piece, the rebellion was dismantled.
The battle did not last long.
After the fighting ended, Murad surveyed the battlefield slowly.
Amidst the lifeless bodies, the air was filled with terrified screams and the sharp stench of blood pooling as evidence of retribution. Above it all rang the triumphant cries of his soldiers—shouts of joy and exultation, as they always were after a hard-fought victory. The few who survived and managed to earn the Sultan’s mercy trembled as they knelt in submission.
“My Sultan, a glorious victory! Behold the fate of those who betrayed your trust!”
One of the Janissaries could not hide his excitement as he shouted, but Murad showed no trace of similar emotion. The only change in his expression was the deepening of his previously faint anger.
“How many had to die because of their schemes?”
This rebellion, in truth, should never have arisen. Misled by the ambitions of power-hungry leaders, the rebels likely believed they were fighting for a noble cause, unaware of the lies they had been fed. And among them were Murad’s own warriors, who had swung their swords in loyalty only to meet their deaths on this battlefield.
“I shall never forgive them.”
Murad tightened his grip on the reins of his horse.
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