Battle of Bliska
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Battle of Bliska (present day
Blizna :''See also Blizna, Podlaskie Voivodeship. For the Polish film of this name see The Scar (1976 film).'' Blizna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ostrów, within Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south- ...
in the hinterland of
Trogir Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian, Venetian and Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, ''Tragourion'') is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in S ...
called Zagora, southern
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
) was fought in 1322 between the army of a coalition of several Croatian noblemen and
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
n coastal towns (with the support of the king Charles I Robert of
Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...
) and the forces of
Mladen II Šubić of Bribir Mladen II Šubić of Bribir ( hr, Mladen II Šubić Bribirski, hu, bribiri Subics Mladen; c.1270 – c.1341), a Croatian leader and member of the Šubić noble family, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia. After succeeding his fath ...
,
Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
, and his allies. The battle resulted in the defeat of Mladen II, who lost his power.


Background

After the death of
Paul I Šubić of Bribir Paul I Šubić of Bribir ( hr, Pavao I. Šubić Bribirski, hu, bribiri I. Subics Pál; c. 1245 – 1 May 1312) was Ban of Croatia between 1275 and 1312, and Lord of Bosnia from 1299 to 1312. As the oldest son of Stephen II of the Šubić noble ...
( hr, Pavao I Šubić Bribirski), Ban of
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
and
Lord of all of Bosnia This is a list of rulers of Bosnia, containing bans and kings of Medieval Bosnia. Duke (1082–1136) Bans (1136–1377) Kings and queen (1377–1463) All Bosnian kings added the honorific Stephen to their baptismal name upon accession. , ...
, on May 1, 1312, his properties and titles were passed to his eldest son Mladen II, who already ruled over Bosnia before as a
Ban of Bosnia This is a list of rulers of Bosnia, containing bans and kings of Medieval Bosnia. Duke (1082–1136) Bans (1136–1377) Kings and queen (1377–1463) All Bosnian kings added the honorific Stephen to their baptismal name upon accession. , ...
. The young Croato-Hungarian king Charles I Robert of
Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...
dynasty, who did not yet have power over the country, tolerated an unlimited and intangible rule of Mladen II over his territory, because Mladen's father had helped Charles to come to the throne. Eventually, Mladen II came into conflict with the Croatian noblemen in his broader neighbourhood, like the
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
s of
Krk Krk (; it, Veglia; ruo, Krk; dlm, label= Vegliot Dalmatian, Vikla; la, Curicta; grc-gre, Κύρικον, Kyrikon) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kota ...
(future
Frankopan The House of Frankopan ( hr, Frankopani, Frankapani, it, Frangipani, hu, Frangepán, la, Frangepanus, Francopanus), was a Croatian noble family, whose members were among the great landowner magnates and high officers of the Kingdom of Croati ...
s), Kurjakovićs (counts of
Krbava Krbava (; ) is a historical region located in Mountainous Croatia and a former Catholic bishopric (1185–1460), precursor of the diocese of Modruš an present Latin titular see. It can be considered either located east of Lika, or indeed as th ...
) and Nelipićs, with some
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
n coastal towns (
Šibenik Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...
,
Trogir Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian, Venetian and Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, ''Tragourion'') is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in S ...
), with
Stephen II Kotromanić Stephen II ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Стефан II, Stjepan II) was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanić in 1326–1353. He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stephen I Ko ...
( hr, Stjepan II Kotromanić), Bosnian nobleman, and again with the old adversary – the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
. The turbulent events that followed in the next few years (from 1317 until 1322) were marked by and full of revolts, rebellions, sieges, armed clashes, changes of sides (going over to the opponent's side), maneuvers, and tactical deceptions of both sides. John Babonić ( hr, Ivan Babonić),
Ban of Slavonia Ban of Slavonia ( hr, Slavonski ban; hu, szlavón bán; la, Sclavoniæ banus) or the Ban of "Whole Slavonia" ( hr, ban cijele Slavonije; hu, egész Szlavónia bánja; la, totius Sclavoniæ banus) was the title of the governor of a territor ...
, was also involved, having received support of the king who was convinced that the time had come to weaken the power of the
Šubić family The Šubić family was one of the Twelve noble tribes of Croatia and a great noble house which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages. They held the county of Bribir (''Varvaria'') in inland Dalmatia. From them branched prominent Zrin ...
.


Troop deployment

The troops of Mladen Šubić were composed from his own men, as well as that of his brother Juraj (George), who also took part in the battle. It also included the
Vlach "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Eastern ...
troops as well as the lesser nobility of the Poljica region. The opposing army was composed primarily of forces loyal to the king, under Ban of Slavonia John Babonić, along with the coalition of the rebellious nobles, including Mladen's brother Paul II, who betrayed him with the intent of securing the position of ban for himself. These troops were also aided by reinforcements from the Dalmatian cities Trogir and Šibenik.


Battle

There are no detailed facts left about the battle itself, but it is known that Mladen II suffered a defeat. He himself, as well as his brother George II, saved his life and temporarily found shelter in
Klis Klis ( hr, Klis, it, Clissa, tr, Kilis) is a Croatian municipality located around a mountain fortress bearing the same name. It is located in the region of Dalmatia, located just northeast of Solin, Croatia, Solin and Split, Croatia, Split near ...
, George's fortress.


Aftermath and consequences

Not long after the battle, the king Charles I Robert appeared in southern Croatia, leading his army, trying to calm down the situation. At the assembly held in the
Knin fortress Knin Fortress ( hr, Kninska tvrđava) is located near the tallest mountain in Croatia, Dinara, and near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka. It is the second largest fortress in Croatia and most significant defensive stronghold,Hrvatska ...
on October 8, 1322, the winners of the battle of Bliska were given (or confirmed) the properties and privileges by the king, whereas
Mladen II Šubić of Bribir Mladen II Šubić of Bribir ( hr, Mladen II Šubić Bribirski, hu, bribiri Subics Mladen; c.1270 – c.1341), a Croatian leader and member of the Šubić noble family, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia. After succeeding his fath ...
lost his freedom and was taken to
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, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. There he spent the next twenty years or so in custody at the Court, until his death between 1341 and 1343. The battle of Bliska meant the end of enormous power and influence of the main branch of the princes of Bribir led by Mladen II. He tried to maintain the hold over the other Croatian clans, but was unsuccessful. He lost a great part of the former estates, land, castles, and towns held by the Šubićs, and their hereditary right to be
bans of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
as well. King Charles chose, namely, John Babonić to be the Ban, whereas Stephen II Kotromanić became the
Ban of Bosnia This is a list of rulers of Bosnia, containing bans and kings of Medieval Bosnia. Duke (1082–1136) Bans (1136–1377) Kings and queen (1377–1463) All Bosnian kings added the honorific Stephen to their baptismal name upon accession. , ...
. Further consequence was the strengthening of other Croatian noblemen, especially the members of Nelipić family and the
prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
s of
Krk Krk (; it, Veglia; ruo, Krk; dlm, label= Vegliot Dalmatian, Vikla; la, Curicta; grc-gre, Κύρικον, Kyrikon) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kota ...
(
Frankopan The House of Frankopan ( hr, Frankopani, Frankapani, it, Frangipani, hu, Frangepán, la, Frangepanus, Francopanus), was a Croatian noble family, whose members were among the great landowner magnates and high officers of the Kingdom of Croati ...
). However, the brothers of Mladen II (
George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...
, Paul II, Gregory ( hr, Grgur) and Mark ( hr, Marko)) as well as their sons ( Mladen III,
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
(future George I Zrinski),
Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...
, Božidar and Pribko), abode and kept their old properties for almost the next thirty years. It was only when the new Croato-Hungarian king
Louis the Great Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370. ...
started to reign in the forties of fourteenth century, that he, by exchanging the estates, partially succeeded in displacing the members of
Šubić family The Šubić family was one of the Twelve noble tribes of Croatia and a great noble house which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages. They held the county of Bribir (''Varvaria'') in inland Dalmatia. From them branched prominent Zrin ...
.


References


Literature

*
Battle of Bliska in „History of Croatia“ by Rudolf Horvat, Edition of 1924John V. A. Fine, Jr.: 'The late medieval Balkans' (a survey) – Battle of Bliska is on the page 212


External links


Defeat of ban Mladen at Bliska transcriptBattle of Bliska – end of the Šubićs' dreams of wearing the Croatian royal crown
{{Wars and battles involving Croatia, state=autocollapse Bliska 1322 in Europe Bliska 14th century in Croatia History of Dalmatia 14th-century military history of Croatia Bliska