Bulgarian–Hungarian Wars
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The Bulgarian–Hungarian wars were a series of conflicts that occurred during the 9th–14th centuries between the
Bulgarian Empire In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...
and the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. The nearly 500-year conflict encompassed the northern and
western Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whol ...
, or what is known today as north-western
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and northern
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
. The first clashes occurred in the late 9th century, in which the Hungarians were pushed west. Later, during the 10th century, the Hungarians overran the Bulgarian dukes in what is now
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
and conquered the eastern parts of the
Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
. Their raids against Bulgaria continued until the middle of the century when peace was restored. Both countries sustained friendly relations until 1003 when another war broke out, further diminishing Bulgarian power in Eastern Europe. In 1185, after the re-establishment of the
Bulgarian Empire In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...
, both states fought numerous conflicts for control over the provinces of
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Braničevo,
Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...
and the Severin.


Hungarian conquest (War of 894–896)

In 862, at the invitation of their ally the Moravian leader
Rastislav Rastislav or Rostyslav is a male Slavic given name, meaning "''to increase glory''" . The name has been used by several notable people of Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Serbian, Czech and Slovak backgrounds. *Old Slavonic, Serbian, Slovak, Slove ...
, the Hungarians first raided Lower Pannonia. The following year,
Louis the German Louis the German (c. 806/810 – 28 August 876), also known as Louis II of Germany and Louis II of East Francia, was the first king of East Francia, and ruled from 843 to 876 AD. Grandson of emperor Charlemagne and the third son of Louis the P ...
, king of Eastern Francia, retaliated by forging an alliance with the Bulgarians.
Boris I of Bulgaria Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At ...
sent mounted troops to help defeat Rastislav. This retaliation began an ongoing conflict which lasted for 25 years, pitting Hungarians and Moravians against Bulgarians and Franks. The Hungarian Conquest was one of the factors that upset this military balance. In 881, prior to the Conquest, the Moravian Svatopluk received assistance from the Hungarians who advanced as far as Vienna. Two years later, Svatopluk suffered a punishing blow from the Bulgarians. In 892, when Svatopluk once again refused to pay obeisance to the Franks, his Hungarian allies continued to aid him, but the Bulgarians retaliated again. The situation took a decisive turn in September 892, when the Bulgarian
Prince Vladimir Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...
informed the Frankish king
Arnulf Arnulf is a masculine German given name. It is composed of the Germanic elements ''arn'' "eagle" and ''ulf'' "wolf". The ''-ulf, -olf'' suffix was an extremely frequent element in Germanic onomastics and from an early time was perceived as a mere ...
's envoys that the Franks could no longer count on his military aid in the Carpathian Basin; the Bulgarians were only prepared to halt salt deliveries to the enemy. The Frank delegation was still there when
Simeon I of Bulgaria Tsar Simeon (also Symeon) I the Great ( cu, цѣсар҄ь Сѷмеѡ́нъ А҃ Вели́къ, cěsarĭ Sỳmeonŭ prĭvŭ Velikŭ bg, цар Симеон I Велики, Simeon I Veliki el, Συμεών Αʹ ὁ Μέγας, Sumeṓn prôto ...
ascended to the Bulgarian throne. In response, the Byzantine Emperor
Leo VI Leo VI (or Leon VI, notably in Greek) may refer to : * Leo VI the Wise, Byzantine emperor 886 to 912 * Pope Leo VI, 928 to 929 * King Leo VI of Armenia (1342 – 1393), of the House of Lusignan, last Latin king of the Armenian crusader Kingdom of C ...
's envoy Niketas Skleros met on the Lower Danube with the Hungarian ruling princes
Árpád Árpád (; 845 – 907) was the head of the confederation of the Magyar tribes at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. He might have been either the sacred ruler or ''kende'' of the Hungarians, or their military leader or '' gy ...
and
Kurszán Kurszán (died 904), was a kende of the Magyars in the dual leadership with Árpád serving as a gyula - according to a mainstream theory. While ''kende'' probably corresponded roughly to the Khazar title ''khagan'', Kurszán's role equated to the ...
, and they agreed to form an alliance. As a result, a Hungarian force (an army of the Hungarians' Kabar auxiliaries, and possibly the
Székelys The Székelys (, Székely runes: 𐳥𐳋𐳓𐳉𐳗), also referred to as Szeklers,; ro, secui; german: Szekler; la, Siculi; sr, Секељи, Sekelji; sk, Sikuli are a Hungarian subgroup living mostly in the Székely Land in Romania. ...
), led by Árpád's son, Liüntika (
Levente Levente (between 1010 and 1015 – 1047) was a member of the House of Árpád, a great-grandson of Taksony, Grand Prince of the Hungarians. He was expelled from Hungary in 1031 or 1032, and spent many years in Bohemia, Poland and the Kievan Rus'. ...
), was ferried across the Danube by the Byzantines and attacked Simeon's Bulgarians from the rear. Simeon suspended his campaign against Byzantium to turn against the Hungarians. Defeated by the Hungarians, he sought refuge in the castle at Drastar (
Silistra Silistra ( bg, Силистра ; tr, Silistre; ro, Silistra) is a town in Northeastern Bulgaria. The town lies on the southern bank of the lower Danube river, and is also the part of the Romanian border where it stops following the Danube. Sil ...
). That same year, in 894, Hungarian warriors advanced into the Carpathian Basin and Pannonia to aid the Moravians in their fight against the Bulgarians' Frankish allies. When they learned of Svatopluk's death, the Hungarians pulled back, though only as far as the region of the Upper Tisza. In spring 895, Árpád followed with his army and, after some skirmishes on the Great Plain, defeated the Bulgarian army. Having hurriedly made peace with Byzantium, the Bulgarians concentrated their forces to defeat Liüntika's Hungarians. After the Hungarians retreated, Simeon pretended to agree to negotiations – but the Byzantine envoy Leo Chirosphact who arrived to the Bulgarian capital
Preslav The modern Veliki Preslav or Great Preslav ( bg, Велики Преслав, ), former Preslav ( bg, link=no, Преслав; until 1993), is a city and the seat of government of the Veliki Preslav Municipality (Great Preslav Municipality, new B ...
was put in custody and Simeon deliberately prolonged the peace talks. In the meantime he allied with the
Pechenegs The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პა ...
and simultaneously launched attacks on the Hungarian encampments in the
Etelköz Hungarian prehistory ( hu, magyar őstörténet) spans the period of history of the Hungarian people, or Magyars, which started with the separation of the Hungarian language from other Finno-Ugric or Ugric languages around , and ended with the ...
. In the bloody
battle of Southern Buh The Battle of Southern Buh occurred near the banks of the eponymous river (today in Ukraine). The result was a great Bulgarian victory which forced the Magyars of the Etelköz realm to abandon the steppes of southern Ukraine, as well as thei ...
the Bulgarians led by Simeon I and his father
Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At ...
decisively defeated the Hungarians. The ensuing, massive withdrawal by the Hungarians ended in the 'conquest', or rather settlement, of what became the Hungarian's permanent homeland. Soon after the Bulgarian victory, the Simeon stopped the negotiations and in the summer of 896 the Byzantine army was routed at Boulgarophygon. When the Hungarians arrived to settle in the Carpathian Basin, they encountered little resistance on the part of the Bulgarians. The small but noteworthy communities implanted by the Bulgarians in Transylvania and between the Tisa and Danube did not even have the option of fleeing from the Hungarians, who came in overwhelming force. Likewise the Moravians came under Hungarian rule but continued to use their burial grounds (e.g. ''Maroskarna'') into the early 10th century.


Conflicts in 10th century

With the emergence of the Árpád dynasty after Kurszán's death, a new clan ruled over the Hungarians. There is no indication of the time when the ruling '' gyulas'' transferred their headquarters and residence to the middle Maros valley. The ''gyula'' must have been in charge of eastern and southern affairs, for he directed the raids against Byzantium and Bulgaria in April 934 and April 943. The blows suffered at the hands of the Pechenegs and Bulgarians in 895–896 induced great caution in the Hungarians. Constantine Porphyrogenetos repeatedly noted that the Hungarians feared the Pechenegs, who were used by the Bulgarians to keep the Hungarians in check. When, early in the 10th century, Byzantine envoys urged the Hungarian leaders to attack the Pechenegs, their proposal was rejected on the grounds that it carried too many risks; in any case, the Hungarians had no intention of reoccupying the Etelköz, now held by the Pechenegs as far as the Danube delta. They tried to preserve peaceful relations with the Pechenegs so that they would be free to concentrate on more westerly targets. The Pechenegs, for their part, preferred to raid the richer lands of the Bulgarians and Byzantines rather than the poorer Carpathian Basin, which was in a state of some turmoil due to the Hungarian conquest. Thus the anti-Hungarian alliance of the Bulgarians and the Byzantine empire gradually fell apart, and the two old enemies, the Hungarians and the Pechenegs, pursued a rapprochement in the face of growing Bulgarian might. In 913, Simeon launched the first in a series of military campaigns by which he seized from the Byzantines most of the Balkan Peninsula; six years later, he exchanged his title of Great Khan for that of Czar. He was not a man to let the salt mines and gold deposits of southern Transylvania pass into Hungarian hands without a fight. In order to conquer the rest of Transylvania as well as the region between the Maros, Tisza, and Danube rivers (' Glad's domain according to
Anonymus Anonymus is the Latin spelling of anonymous, traditionally used by scholars in the humanities for any ancient writer whose name is not known, or to a manuscript of their work. Such writers have left valuable historical or literary records through ...
, but most likely under Bulgarian rule), the Hungarians would need to ally themselves with the Pechenegs against the Bulgarians. The painful consequences of the alliance of Bulgarians and Pechenegs in 895 were still fresh in the Hungarians' memory. As long as the Pechenegs remained hostile, the Hungarians would not dare to provoke Simeon by seizing his lands north of the Carpathians and the Danube. The opportunity came with the formation (ca. 932) of a Pecheneg–Hungarian alliance. It is possible that the ''gyula'' Bogát had acted earlier, but if not, he must have seized this chance to occupy southern Transylvania. In breaking the Bulgars' resistance, the Hungarians were helped not only by their Pecheneg allies but also by the internal struggle — exacerbated by Byzantine meddling — over the succession to Czar Simeon, who died in 927. This may have presented Bogát's successor, the ''gyula'' Zombor, with the opportunity to occupy the land lying between the Maros, Tisza, and Danube rivers. Having seized southern Transylvania from the Bulgarians, Bogát's warriors and their servants settled down in Slavic villages along the lower reaches of the Küküllő rivers. The region between the Mureș,
Tisa The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...
, and Danube rivers must have come under the rule of a Hungarian ''gyula'' by 948, for that was when Emperor Constantine recorded that the Bulgarian cities
Orșova Orșova (; german: Orschowa, hu, Orsova, sr, Оршава/Oršava, bg, Орсово, pl, Orszawa, cs, Oršava, tr, Adakale) is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the ...
,
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, and
Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrians an ...
lay near Hungary's borders. It was a sign of the ''gyula''s' enhanced power that they launched the first Hungarian campaigns against Byzantium, cutting through the weakening defenses of the Bulgarians. According to Byzantine chronicles, the first campaign occurred in 934; it ended in a peace treaty between Emperor
Peter I of Bulgaria Peter I ( cu, Петръ А҃; bg, Петър I) (died 30 January 970) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 27 May 927 to 969. His seal reads ΙΠSVΟς·GRECIA·VΟΔΟ. Early reign Peter I was the son of Simeon I of Bulgaria by his second ma ...
and the Hungarians. Another campaign, in 943, was terminated in similar fashion, and the Byzantines probably had to pay tribute. In 948, a sudden turn of events compelled
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
's ''gyula'' to adopt a policy divergent from that of the ruling prince who had dispatched his nephew, and the
harka Harka is a village in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Ro ...
Bulcsú Bulcsú (or Vérbulcsú; died 10 August 955) was a Hungarian chieftain, one of the military leaders of prince Taksony of Hungary, a descendant of Árpád. He held the title of horka. He was one of the most important figures of the Hungarian inv ...
to Constantinople, to renew the peace treaty; the envoys attached so much importance to the task that they had themselves baptized. It is likely that this gesture was motivated by Bulcsú's decision to launch new western raids; therefore he wanted to protect his rear from Byzantine attack. Some time after 952, the ''gyula'' Zombor also presented himself at Constantinople, but he came in his own right, and not as an envoy of the ruling prince. He, too, had himself baptized, but his political goal was different from that of Bulcsú. Zombor was interested not in western raids but in the anti-Bulgarian plans of the Byzantine court. The latter had never given up its ambition to crush the Bulgarians and restore the old imperial borders on the Sava and Lower Danube rivers. The ''gyula''s also considered the Bulgarians, from whom they had seized the territories that lay north of the Danube and the Carpathians, to be their principal enemy. The Árpádian ruling princes would have been satisfied with Byzantine neutrality, but the ''gyula''s sought an alliance against the Bulgarians.


War of 1003

Since the fall of the Bulgarian capital Preslav in 971 the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires were in a state of constant war. The Byzantine–Bulgarian conflict reached its height in 1003 with the involvement of Hungary. At that time the governor of the northwestern parts of Bulgaria was Duke
Ahtum Ajtony, Ahtum or Achtum ( hu, Ajtony, bg, Охтум, ro, Ahtum, sr, Ахтум) was an early-11th-century ruler in the territory now known as Banat in present Romania and Serbia. His primary source is the ''Long Life of Saint Gerard'', a 14t ...
, the grandson of Duke Glad, who was defeated by the Hungarians in 930s. Ahtum commanded a strong army and firmly defended the northwestern borders of the Empire. He also built many churches and monasteries through which he spread Christianity in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. Although marriage of the heir to the Bulgarian throne
Gavril Radomir Gavril Radomir ( bg, Гаврил Радомир; el, Γαβριὴλ Ρωμανός, Gavriil Romanos; anglicized as "Gabriel Radomir"; died 1015) was the emperor (tsar) of the First Bulgarian Empire from October 1014 to August or September 101 ...
to the daughter of the Hungarian ruler had established friendly relation between the two strongest states in the Danube area, the relationship deteriorated after Géza's death. The Bulgarians supported Gyula and
Koppány Koppány, also known as Cupan, was the Duke of Somogy in Hungary in the late 10th century. According to modern scholars' consensus view, he was a member of the royal Árpád dynasty. Koppány was the lord of the southern region of Transdanubia dur ...
as rulers instead of Géza's son Stephen I. As a result of the conflict, the marriage between Gavril Radomir and the Hungarian princess was dissolved. The Hungarians then attacked Ahtum, who had directly backed the pretenders for the Hungarian crown. Stephen I convinced Hanadin, Ahtum's right-hand man, to help in the attack. When the conspiracy was uncovered Hanadin fled and joined the Hungarian forces. At the same time, a strong Byzantine army besieged
Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...
, Ahtum's seat. Although many soldiers were required to participate in the defense of the town, Ahtum was occupied with the war to the north. After several months he died in battle when his troops were defeated by the Hungarians.Venedikov, pp. 151–152. As a result of the war, Bulgarian influence to the northwest of the Danube diminished.


Conflicts in 13th century

Kaloyan of Bulgaria Kaloyan or Kalojan, also known as Ioannitsa or Johannitsa ( bg, Калоян, Йоаница; 1170 – October 1207), was emperor or tsar of Bulgaria from 1196 to 1207. He was the younger brother of Theodor and Asen, who led the anti-Byzant ...
occupied the region between the rivers
Cerna Cerna may refer to: Populated places * Cerna, Croatia, Vukovar-Syrmia County, Croatia * Černá (Žďár nad Sázavou District), Czech Republic * Černá, Semily District, Czech Republic * Cerna, Tulcea, Romania * A village in Vaideeni Commune, V ...
and the
Olt Olt or OLT may refer to: People: * Károly Olt (1904–1985), Hungarian politician * Mike Olt (born 1988), American baseball player Places: * Olt County, a county (județ) of Romania * Olt (river), a river in Romania ** Olt Defile, a defile that ...
around 1199. The Kingdom of Hungary was also expanding southwards over the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
in the early 13th century, which gave rise to conflicts between the two countries. In a letter written in 1203, Tsar Kaloyan informed
Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
that King
Emeric of Hungary Emeric, also known as Henry or Imre ( hu, Imre, hr, Emerik, sk, Imrich; 117430 November 1204), was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1196 and 1204. In 1184, his father, Béla III of Hungary, ordered that he be crowned king, and appointed him ...
had occupied five districts in Bulgaria, and Kaloyan demanded the Pope's intervention. Taking advantage of the
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
between Emeric and his younger brother
Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...
in Hungary, Kaloyan invaded and captured
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Barancs (now Braničevo in Serbia), and other fortresses. Emeric made preparations for a campaign against Bulgaria, but he disbanded his army upon Pope Innocent's demand. The Pope, who had been negotiating a
church union Church union is the name given to a merger of two or more Christian denominations. Such unions may take on many forms, including a united church and a federation. United churches {{main, United and uniting churches A united church is the resu ...
with Kaloyan, sent a royal crown to him, but Emeric imprisoned the papal legate who was delivering the crown to Bulgaria when the legate was passing through Hungary. In the early 1210s, Andrew II occupied Belgrade and Barancs, which had been lost to Bulgaria under Emeric. Andrew's army defeated the Cumans at
Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...
. The Cuman tribes dwelling to the east of the Olt as far as the river
Siret Siret (; german: Sereth; hu, Szeretvásár; uk, Серет, Seret; yi, סערעט, Seret) is a town, municipality and former Latin bishopric in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Siret is ...
agreed to pay a yearly tribute to the kings of Hungary in early 1227. Andrew's son, Duke Béla, who administered
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
pursued an independent foreign policy since the 1220s. He invaded Bulgaria and besieged Vidin in 1228 or 1232, but he could not capture the fortress. Nevertheless, he captured the fortress of Severin during a military campaign against Bulgaria in 1231. Around the same time, he set up a new border province, the
Banate of Severin The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény ( hu, Szörényi bánság; ro, Banatul Severinului; la, Banatus Zewrinensis; bg, Северинско банство, ; sr, Северинска бановина, ) was a Hungarian political, mili ...
(Szörény), in the lands between the Carpathians and the
Lower Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
. There are conflicting narratives regarding Béla's campaign in the Hungarian and Bulgarian historiography. According to the former, Duke Béla invaded Bulgaria in 1228, possibly because Tsar
Ivan Asen II Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II ( bg, Иван Асен II, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Empi ...
attempted to hinder the conversion of Cumans into
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
in the northernmost part of his realm along the border with Hungary. A contingent of
Székelys The Székelys (, Székely runes: 𐳥𐳋𐳓𐳉𐳗), also referred to as Szeklers,; ro, secui; german: Szekler; la, Siculi; sr, Секељи, Sekelji; sk, Sikuli are a Hungarian subgroup living mostly in the Székely Land in Romania. ...
was led by
Bogomer Ludány Bogomer from the kindred Ludány ( hu, Ludány nembeli Bogomér; died around 1245/54) was a Hungarian military leader and nobleman in the first half of the 13th century, who was the first known Count of the Székelys, serving in this capacity arou ...
, who was captured during the campaign. Ivan Asen's brother Alexander plundered the surrounding region and tried to block the supply routes of the Hungarian army.
Denis Türje Denis (II) from the kindred Türje ( hu, Türje nembeli (II.) Dénes) or nicknamed Denis the Big-nosed ( hu, Nagyorrú Dénes; la, cum magno nasu; died 1255) was a powerful Hungarian baron, landowner and military leader in the first half of the 1 ...
led his troops against Alexander's army and achieved several minor victories. According to the Bulgarian historiography, based on the works of
Vasil Zlatarski Vasil Nikolov Zlatarski ( bg, Васил Николов Златарски; – 15 December 1935) was a Bulgarian historian-medievalist, archaeologist, and epigraphist. Life Vasil Zlatarski was born in Veliko Tarnovo in 1866, the youngest c ...
and Petăr Nikov, Béla's invasion took place in the spring of 1232, capturing Belgrade and Barancs and unsuccessfully besieging Vidin. The Hungarians simultaneously stormed into Vlashko (future Wallachia), conquering its western part, where the Banate of Severin was established. Zlatarski considered the latter attack took place in 1233.
Vasil Gyuzelev Vasil Todorov Gyuzelev ( bg, Васил Тодоров Гюзелев, born 19 October 1936) is a Bulgarian historian who studies Bulgaria during the Middle Ages. Biography Gyuzelev was born in the village of Rakovski (today part of Dimitrov ...
placed the date of Béla's war against Bulgaria at the turn of 1231 and 1232. Béla IV – now as King of Hungary – forced Tsar
Michael II Asen Michael II Asen ( bg, Михаил II Асен; 1239 – December 1256/January 1257) was emperor (tsar) of Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria from 1246 to 1256 or 1257. He was the son of Ivan Asen II and Irene Komnene Doukaina. He succeeded his h ...
to cede Belgrade and Barancs in 1255. Michael Asen accepted Hungarian suzerainty and married an unidentified daughter of
Rostislav Mikhailovich Rostislav Mikhailovich ( hu, Rosztyiszláv, Bulgarian and Russian: Ростислав Михайлович) (after 1210 / c. 1225 – 1262) was a Rus' prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty), and a dignitary in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was pri ...
, Duke of Macsó, Béla's son-in-law. Béla IV adopted the title of King of Bulgaria, but he only used it occasionally in the subsequent years. According to historian Dániel Bácsatyai, all four diplomas where this title appears are objectionable in terms of authenticity. In late 1256, Michael Asen was assassinated by a group of ''boyar''s, who installed his first cousin, Kaliman as the new ruler of Bulgaria. To further his claims, Kaliman forcibly married Michael's widow, the daughter of Rostislav, but he could not consolidate power and was killed almost immediately. To protect his daughter, Rostislav now, early in 1257, invaded Bulgaria with Hungarian reinforcements; it seems he was using her as an excuse to acquire the Bulgarian throne for himself. He appeared at the gates of
Tărnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...
and recovered his daughter; though it is sometimes stated that he briefly seized Tărnovo, but it seems that he probably never actually gained possession of the city. Rostislav retreated to Vidin where he established himself, taking the title of ''Tsar'' of Bulgaria ( la, imperator Bulgarorum), and the Hungarians recognized him with this title. Opposing to Rostislav's claim, Mitso then a boyar,
Konstantin Tih Konstantin Tih ( bg, Константин Тих Асен) or Constantine I Tikh (Константин I), was the tsar of Bulgaria from 1257 to 1277, he was offered the throne from Mitso Asen. He led the Bulgarian Empire at a time when the nearb ...
were proclaimed tsar too in Tărnovo. Rostislav Mikhailovich invaded Bulgaria with Hungarian assistance in the summer of 1259. Béla's eldest son and heir Stephen, Duke of Styria entrusted his confidant Csák Hahót to lead the Hungarian auxiliary troops consisted of knights from
Zala County Zala ( hu, Zala megye, ; ; ) is an administrative county (comitatus or ''megye'') in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia ( Koprivnica–Križevci and Međimurje Counties) and Slovenia (Lendava ...
. The outcome of the campaign is uncertain, and the Hungarians achieved only moderate success (next year, some Bulgarians had participated in the
Battle of Kressenbrunn The Battle of Kressenbrunn was fought in July 1260 near Groissenbrunn in Lower Austria between the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Kingdom of Hungary for the possession of the duchies of Austria and Styria.''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the ...
). In the following year (1260), Rostislav left the
Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
to join the campaign of his father-in-law, Béla IV against
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. Taking advantage of Rostislav's absence, Konstantin Tih broke into his realm and reoccupied Vidin. He also sent an army to attack the Banate of Severin, but the arriving Hungarian commander,
Lawrence, son of Kemény Lawrence, son of Kemény ( hu, Kemény fia Lőrinc; died after 1274) was a Hungarian influential lord and military leader in the 13th century, who held various positions in the royal court since the late 1250s. He was a skilled and loyal soldier d ...
, fought the invaders off. Lawrence ordered the hanging of several Bulgarian prisoners of war along the Danube. Following the defeat at Kressenbrunn, after which the Hungarians were forced to renounce
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
in favor of
Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II.; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his deat ...
, Stephen was re-installed as
Duke of Transylvania The Duke of Transylvania ( hu, erdélyi herceg; la, dux Transylvaniae) was a title of nobility four times granted to a son or a brother of the Hungarian monarch. The dukes of the first and second creations, Béla (1226–1235) and Stephen ( ...
. In a retaliation for Konstantin's previous attack, Béla IV and Stephen jointly invaded Bulgaria in the spring of 1261. Hungarian troops stormed into Bulgaria under the command of Duke Stephen himself. They recaptured Vidin and besieged Lom on the Lower Danube, but they were unable to bring Konstantin to a
pitched battle A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...
, because he withdrew to Tărnovo. The Hungarian army left Bulgaria before the end of the year, but the campaign restored northwestern Bulgaria to Rostislav. Dániel Bácsatyai considers the military expedition perhaps ended only in the first half of 1262. Rostislav died in 1262. Stephen's relationship with his father Béla IV deteriorated in the early 1260s. Following a brief skirmish in the autumn of 1262, Stephen forced his father to cede all the lands of the Kingdom of Hungary to the east of the Danube to him – including Transylvania and Severin – and adopted the title of younger king. Thereafter, Stephen pursued an independent foreign policy, affecting the Bulgarian–Hungarian affairs too. A Bulgarian nobleman, Despot
Jacob Svetoslav Jacob Svetoslav ( bg, Яков Светослав, ''Yakov Svetoslav'') (ca. 1210s/1220s–1275 or 1276/1277) was a prominent 13th-century Bulgarian noble ('' bolyarin''). Bestowed the title of despot, Jacob Svetoslav was the ruler of a widely au ...
sought assistance from Stephen after his domains, which were situated in the regions south of Vidin, were overrun by Byzantine troops in the second half of 1263. Stephen sent reinforcements under the command of
Ladislaus Kán Ladislaus ( or according to the case) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. It may refer to: * Ladislaus of Hungary (disambiguation) * Ladislaus I (disambiguation) * Ladislaus II (disambiguation) * Ladislaus III (disambiguation) * Ladi ...
,
Voivode of Transylvania The Voivode of Transylvania (german: Vojwode von Siebenbürgen;Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77. hu, erdélyi vajda;Zsoldos 2011, p. 36. la, voivoda Transsylvaniae; ro, voievodul Transilvaniei) was the highest-ranking official in Transylvania wit ...
to Bulgaria. The Voivode routed the Byzantines and drove them out of Bulgaria. Crossing the border, another Hungarian knight
Alexander Karászi Alexander (I) Karászi ( hu, Karászi (I.) Sándor; died 1274/76) was a Hungarian military leader and baron in the second half of the 13th century. He was a faithful confidant of Younger King Stephen in the 1260s. In this capacity, he played an ac ...
fought with his own army corps and gained victories in "Greek land". Stephen granted Vidin to Jacob Svetoslav who accepted his suzerainty. The conflict of Béla IV and Stephen sparked into a
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in late 1264. In response, fearing Bulgarian retribution and lack of Hungarian support should Béla IV come out victorious, Jacob Svetoslav submitted himself to Tsar Konstantin Tih in early 1265. They crossed the Danube and raided the Hungarian fortresses north of the river, which belonged to Stephen's realm. Stephen routed his father's army in the Battle of Isaszeg in March 1265, ending the civil war. Following their peace, younger king Stephen invaded Bulgaria in the summer of 1266, as a punitive expedition for Jacob Svetoslav's betrayal and the Bulgarians' attack during the civil war. He routed the Bulgarians in five battles; his confidant
Egidius Monoszló Egidius (II) from the kindred Monoszló ( hu, Monoszló nembeli (II.) Egyed; c. 1240 – March 1313) was a Hungarian powerful baron, who served as Master of the treasury from 1270 to 1272 and from 1274 to 1275. He was a loyal supporter of Stephen ...
led Stephen's army to successfully besiege and capture Tărnovo, also plundering the surrounding areas. Meanwhile the main army seized Vidin and other forts, while another army commanded by
Gregory Péc Gregory from the kindred Péc ( hu, Péc nembeli Gergely; died after 1296/1309) was a Hungarian baron and soldier in the 13th century, who served as Judge royal in 1288. He was a forefather of the late medieval powerful Marcali family. Family Gr ...
defeated the Bulgarians in Vrchov. Panyit Miskolc was entrusted to lead an army which successfully besieged and occupied
Pleven Pleven ( bg, Плèвен ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest ...
. The campaign resulted in Jacob Svetoslav again accepting Stephen's suzerainty and was reinstalled in Vidin, while Stephen began to use the title "King of Bulgaria" in his charters thereafter. Historian Dániel Bácsatyai, who considered that the civil war between Béla IV and Stephen took place in 1267, presented an alternative chronology of the events. He argued the Hungarians invaded the Byzantine Empire at the turn of 1264 and 1265, in the same time when thousand of Tatars and the army of Konstantin Tih crossed the frozen Lower Danube to invade the realm of
Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
. According to Bácsatyai, Stephen's attack against Bulgaria took place in 1269, after Jacob Svetoslav's betrayal in the previous year. He connected the events with the parallel unsuccessful attack of the Serbs against the Duchy of Macsó in 1268 or early 1269. The historian saw the efforts of Emperor Michael VIII to sever the Balkan states from the sphere of influence of the Kingdom of Hungary behind both events. The death of Stephen V in 1272 meant that he was succeeded by his infant son Ladislaus IV, with the widowed consort and mother of the boy,
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, as his regent. At the time, Jacob Svetoslav still held Vidin as a Hungarian vassal. The Kingdom of Hungary fell into constant feudal anarchy, when baronial groups fought for supreme power, which has led to the marginalization of foreign policy towards Bulgaria for decades to come. Possibly in 1273, Hungarian rule in Barancs, west of Jacob Svetoslav's domain, was put to an end by two
Cuman The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...
–Bulgarian nobles,
Darman and Kudelin Darman ( bg, Дърман; also ''Drman'', ''Dǎrman'', ''Durman'', ''Dorman'') and Kudelin ( bg, Куделин) were two Bulgarian boyars of Cuman origin who jointly ruled the regions of Braničevo and Kučevo (in modern Serbia) in the late 1 ...
. Cut off from his Hungarian suzerains and facing the menace of a Bulgarian attack from the east, Jacob Svetoslav once again submitted to Bulgarian rule. Queen Elizabeth, who administered Macsó since 1279, had sent troops to claim Barancs in 1282–1284, but her forces were repelled and her vassal lands plundered in retaliation. Elizabeth's successor,
Stephen Dragutin Stefan Dragutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Драгутин, hu, Dragutin István; 1244 – 12 March 1316) was King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282. From 1282, he ruled a separate kingdom which included northern Serbia, and (from 1284) the neigh ...
invaded Barancs with Hungarian assistance in the second half of 1284 or early 1285, but could not defeat the brothers. The Hungarian auxiliary troops, consisted of Transylvanian and Cuman contingents, were led by
George Baksa George from the kindred Baksa ( hu, Baksa nembeli György; died after 1307) was a Hungarian lord and a distinguished military leader in the second half of the 13th century. He was a key supporter of Ladislaus IV of Hungary and participated in vari ...
after a failed negotiation attempt between Ladislaus IV and Darman near the Hungarian–Serbian border.


Conflicts in 14th century

*
Hungarian occupation of Vidin The Hungarian occupation of Vidin was a period in the history of the city and region of Vidin ( hu, Bodony), today in northwestern Bulgaria, when it was called Banate of Bulgaria under the rule of King Louis I of Hungary from 1365 to 1369. Brief ...


See also

* Bulgaria-Hungary relations *
History of Hungary Hungary in its modern (post-1946) borders roughly corresponds to the Great Hungarian Plain (the Pannonian Basin). During the Iron Age, it was located at the crossroads between the cultural spheres of the Celtic tribes (such as the Scordisci, Boi ...


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulgarian-Hungarian Wars Wars involving the First Bulgarian Empire Wars involving the Second Bulgarian Empire Wars involving Hungary 9th century in Bulgaria 10th century in Bulgaria 11th century in Bulgaria 12th century in Bulgaria 13th century in Bulgaria 14th century in Bulgaria