Siege of Klis
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The siege of Klis or Battle of Klis ( hr, Opsada Klisa, Bitka kod Klisa, tr, Klise Kuşatması) was a siege of
Klis Fortress ) from Vrana, in the name of Bosnian King Tvrtko I * 1394–1401 Ban Nikola II Gorjanski in the name of Sigismund * 1401–1434 Croatian noble Prince Ivaniš Nelipić * 1434–1436 Croatian noble and Ban of Croatia Ivan Frankopan, at that ...
in the Kingdom of Croatia within Habsburg monarchy. The siege of the fortress, which lasted for more than two decades, and the final battle near
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...
in 1537, were fought as a part of the
Ottoman–Habsburg wars The Ottoman–Habsburg wars were fought from the 16th through the 18th centuries between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy, which was at times supported by the Kingdom of Hungary, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Habsburg Spai ...
between the defending Croatian–Habsburg forces under the leadership of Croatian feudal lord
Petar Kružić Petar Kružić (died 1537) was a Croatian knez, captain, soldier and defender of Klis, and the captain of Senj. In the early 16th century Petar Kružić ''(knez of Klis)'' defended the Klis Fortress against Turk invasion. He died in 1537 ...
, and the attacking
Ottoman army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...
under the leadership of the Ottoman general Murat-beg Tardić. After the decisive Ottoman victory at the
Battle of Krbava Field The Battle of Krbava Field ( hr, Bitka na Krbavskom polju, Krbavska bitka; hu, Korbávmezei csata; tr, Krbava Muharebesi) was fought between the Ottoman Empire of Bayezid II and an army of the Kingdom of Croatia, at the time in personal unio ...
in 1493, and especially after the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
in 1526, the
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
continued defending themselves against the Ottoman attacks. The Ottoman conquest during the early years of the 16th century prompted the formation of the
Uskoks The Uskoks ( hr, Uskoci, , singular: ; notes on naming) were irregular soldiers in Habsburg Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Bands of Uskoks fought a g ...
, which were led by Croatian captain Petar Kružić, also called ''Prince of Klis''. As a part of the Habsburg defensive system, Uskoks used the base at Klis as an important defensive position. They fought almost alone against the Ottomans, and for more than two decades defended the fortress against the Ottoman attacks. After the final battle, which resulted in an Ottoman victory and in Petar Kružić's death, the Klis defenders, who were lacking in water supplies, finally surrendered to the Ottomans in exchange for their freedom on 12 March 1537. Citizens fled the town, while the Uskoci retreated to the city of
Senj Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains. The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj) whic ...
, where they continued fighting the Ottoman army. Klis became an administrative centre or
sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
(
Sanjak of Klis The Sanjak of Klis ( tr, Kilis Sancağı; sh, Kliški sandžak) was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire which seat was in the Fortress of Klis in Klis (modern-day Croatia) till capture by Republic of Venice in 1648, latterly in Livno between 1648-18 ...
) of the
Bosnia Eyalet The Eyalet of Bosnia ( ota, ایالت بوسنه ,Eyālet-i Bōsnâ; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; sh, Bosanski pašaluk), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based o ...
, and would remain so for a century.


Background

After the fall of the Kingdom of Bosnia into Ottoman hands in 1463, the southern and central parts of the Kingdom of Croatia remained unprotected, the defense of which was left to Croatian gentry who kept smaller troops in the fortified border areas at their own expense.Ágoston and Alan Masters (2009), pp. 163-164 The decisive Ottoman victory at the
Battle of Krbava Field The Battle of Krbava Field ( hr, Bitka na Krbavskom polju, Krbavska bitka; hu, Korbávmezei csata; tr, Krbava Muharebesi) was fought between the Ottoman Empire of Bayezid II and an army of the Kingdom of Croatia, at the time in personal unio ...
in 1493 shook all of Croatia. However, it did not dissuade the
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
from making more decisive and persistent attempts at defending themselves against the attacks of the much larger enemy. A new wave of Ottoman conquest began in 1521, after which a good portion of Croatia was conquered or pillaged. On 29 August 1526, at the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
, the Christian forces led by King Louis II were defeated by Ottoman forces led by Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
.Turnbull (2003), p. 49 Louis was killed in the battle, which resulted in the end of the independent
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 ...
as he died without an heir. Both the Kingdoms of Hungary and
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 ...
became disputed territories with claims from both the Habsburg and Ottoman empires.
Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando I; 10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1526, and Archduke of Austria from 1521 until his death in 1564.Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabo ...
, a member of the House of Habsburg, the brother of
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...
and a future Holy Roman Emperor himself, married the sister of Louis IITurnbull (2003), pp. 49–51. and was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia.Corvisier and Childs (1994), p. 289 Owing to its location, Klis Fortress was an important defensive position during the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans.Singleton (1989), pp. 60–62. The fortress stands along the route by which the Ottomans could penetrate the mountain barrier separating the coastal lowlands from around Split, from Ottoman-held Bosnia. The Croat feudal lord
Petar Kružić Petar Kružić (died 1537) was a Croatian knez, captain, soldier and defender of Klis, and the captain of Senj. In the early 16th century Petar Kružić ''(knez of Klis)'' defended the Klis Fortress against Turk invasion. He died in 1537 ...
gathered together a garrison composed of Croat refugees, who used the base at Klis both to hold the Ottomans at bay, and to engage in marauding and piracy against coastal shipping. Although nominally accepting the sovereignty of the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand, who obtained the Croatian crown in 1527, Kružić and his freebooting
Uskoks The Uskoks ( hr, Uskoci, , singular: ; notes on naming) were irregular soldiers in Habsburg Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Bands of Uskoks fought a g ...
were a law unto themselves.


Siege


Failed attempts

From 1513,
Petar Kružić Petar Kružić (died 1537) was a Croatian knez, captain, soldier and defender of Klis, and the captain of Senj. In the early 16th century Petar Kružić ''(knez of Klis)'' defended the Klis Fortress against Turk invasion. He died in 1537 ...
was one of the commanding officers of
Klis Fortress ) from Vrana, in the name of Bosnian King Tvrtko I * 1394–1401 Ban Nikola II Gorjanski in the name of Sigismund * 1401–1434 Croatian noble Prince Ivaniš Nelipić * 1434–1436 Croatian noble and Ban of Croatia Ivan Frankopan, at that ...
. The Ottomans attempted to conquer the Klis Fortress on several occasions. The first major attempt was by Skender-beg Ornosović in 1515. The Ottomans captured Klis, a village just below the fortress bearing the same name, but the garrison in the fortress above held.Perojević (1931), p. 35 Kružić was promoted to captain of the Klis Fortress by the ban
Petar Berislavić Petar Berislavić (or Péter Beriszló in Hungarian) (Trogir, 1475 – 20 May 1520), a member of the Berislavići Trogirski noble family, was the ban (viceroy) of Croatia from 1513 to 1520 and also bishop of Veszprém. Petar was born in Trogir. ...
in 1520. The second major attempt was in 1520, and a year later another attempt was made by Makut-paša, with additional 2,000 infantry, 50 horsemen, and siege equipment.Perojević (1931), p. 45 Another unsuccessful attempt was made in 1522, by Hasan-paša from
Mostar , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Mostar (collage image).jpg , image_caption = From top, left to right: A panoramic view of the heritage town site and the Neretva river from Lučki Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha ...
and Mehmed-beg Mihalbegović.Spandouginos (1997), p. 72. Later that year, Mihalbegović made another attempt at a siege with 3,000 men, but failed again. During 1523, Klis Fortress was again under attack by the Sultan's army.Spandouginos (1997), p. 105. Attempts were also made by
Gazi Husrev-beg Gazi Husrev-beg ( ota, غازى خسرو بك, ''Gāzī Ḫusrev Beğ''; Modern Turkish: ''Gazi Hüsrev Bey''; 1480–1541) was an Ottoman Bosnian sanjak-bey (governor) of the Sanjak of Bosnia in 1521–1525, 1526–1534, and 1536–1541. He ...
in 1526 and 1528, and later in 1531 and 1532. In 1534, the Ottomans under Mihalbegović laid a months-long siege with a constant concentrated cannonade. Ferdinand urged the
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
to send ships to relieve the Ottoman siege.Schutte (1977), p. 63. Although the Ottomans eventually lifted the siege, Ferdinand was displeased that the Pope had provided no assistance in the defense of the fortress.Schutte (1977), p. 80. In 1535, the Ottomans tried to seize the fortress by treachery, and again in 1536, but they failed on both occasions. During that year the Ottomans started a new siege which would last until the final fall of the fortress. When a large Ottoman force threatened the fortress, Kružić appealed to Ferdinand for help, but the Emperor's attention was diverted by an Ottoman attack in
Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baran ...
. Kružić led the defense of Klis, and with his soldiers fought almost alone against the Ottomans, as they repeatedly hurled armies against the fortress. No troops from the Hungarian king arrived, as they were slaughtered by the Ottomans at the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
in 1526, and the Venetians baulked at sending any help. Only the pope was willing to provide some men and money.


Final battle

Pope Paul III claimed some rights in Klis, and in September 1536, there was talk in the
Curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...
of strengthening the defenses of the fortress.Setton (1984), p. 421. The Pope notified
Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
that he was willing to share the costs of maintaining a proper garrison in Klis. Ferdinand did send aid to Klis and was apparently hopeful of holding the fortress, when the Ottomans again laid siege to it. Ferdinand recruited men from
Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...
and elsewhere in the Habsburg lands, and the Pope sent soldiers from
Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...
. There were about 3,000 infantry in the reinforcements, which made a sizeable relief force, that were commanded by Petar Kružić, Niccolo dalla Torre, and a papal commissioner Jacomo Dalmoro d'Arbe. On 9 March 1537 they disembarked near Klis, at a place called S. Girolamo, with fourteen pieces of artillery. After
Ibrahim Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people ...
's death, Suleiman sent 8,000 men under the command of Murat-beg Tardić (Amurat Vaivoda), a Croatian who had been born in
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 ...
, to go and lay siege to Klis fortress (''Clissa''), and fight against Kružić.Spandouginos (1997), p. 75. An initial encounter of the Christian relief force with the Ottomans was indecisive, but, on 12 March they were overwhelmed by the arrival of a great number of Ottomans. The attempts to relieve the citadel ended in farce.Bousfield (2003), p. 313. Badly-drilled reinforcements sent by the Habsburgs fled in fear of the Ottomans, and their attempts to re-board their boats at Solin Bay caused many vessels to sink. Niccolo dalla Torre and the papal commissioner managed to escape. Kružić himself – who had left the fortress to make contact with the reinforcements - was captured and executed; the sight of his head on a stick overwhelmed the remaining defenders of Klis, who were now willing to give up the fortress in return for safe passage north. After Kružić's death, and with a lack of water supplies, the Klis defenders finally surrendered to the Ottomans in exchange for their freedom, on 12 March 1537.Perojević (1931), p. 198 Many of the citizens fled the town, while the
Uskoci The Uskoks ( hr, Uskoci, , singular: ; notes on naming) were irregular soldiers in Habsburg Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Bands of Uskoks fought ...
retreated to the city of
Senj Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains. The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj) whic ...
, where they continued fighting the Ottoman army.


Aftermath

During the Ottoman wars in Europe, Klis Fortress became an administrative centre or
sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
(Kilis Sancağı) of the
Bosnia Eyalet The Eyalet of Bosnia ( ota, ایالت بوسنه ,Eyālet-i Bōsnâ; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; sh, Bosanski pašaluk), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based o ...
, and would remain so for a century. As the first Sanjak-Beg of Klis, Murat-beg Tardić built a notable mosque inside the
Klis Fortress ) from Vrana, in the name of Bosnian King Tvrtko I * 1394–1401 Ban Nikola II Gorjanski in the name of Sigismund * 1401–1434 Croatian noble Prince Ivaniš Nelipić * 1434–1436 Croatian noble and Ban of Croatia Ivan Frankopan, at that ...
. That same year, the Ottoman forces took Vrana, while
Nadin Nadin is a Croatian village in the Zadar County, located between Benkovac and Škabrnja. The population is 406 (census 2011). The village was inhabited since the time of the Liburnians when it was named '. It was conquered by Ottoman Empire i ...
and
Perušić Perušić is municipality (''općina'') in Lika-Senj County, Croatia. The municipality has 2,638 inhabitants, while the settlement itself has 852. The municipality is within the mountainous Lika region of central Croatia. The Kosinj valley region ...
fell in 1538. Months after the fall of Klis, the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1537-1540 started, and in that war, as well as the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1570-1573, the Ottomans took much of the Dalmatian hinterland near
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 ...
and
Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...
. On 7 April 1596,
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...
noblemen Ivan Alberti and Nikola Cindro, along with Uskoci, Poljičani, and Kaštelani irregulars, organized a liberation of Klis. Assisted by dissident elements of the Ottoman garrison, they succeeded.Setton (1984), p. 9. Mustafa-beg responded by bringing more than 10,000 soldiers under the fortress. General
Ivan Lenković Ivan Lenković (died 22 June 1569) was a Habsburg Croatian army general and the leader of the Uskoks. He carried the title of baron. He is noted for the construction of Nehaj Fortress and as a captain of the Senj area.Bousfield (2003), p. 227. ...
, leading 1,000 Uskoci, came in relief of the 1,500 Klis defenders. During the battle, Ivan Lenković and his men retreated after he was wounded in battle, and the fortress was lost to the Ottomans on 31 May. Nevertheless, this temporary relief resounded in Europe and among the local population. The Venetians fought for decades before they finally managed to re-take Klis. During the Cretan War of 1645-1669, the Venetians in Dalmatia enjoyed the support of the local population, particularly the
Morlachs Morlachs ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Morlaci, Морлаци or , ; it, Morlacchi; ro, Morlaci) has been an exonym used for a rural Christian community in Herzegovina, Lika and the Dalmatian Hinterland. The term was initially used for a bilingual Vlach p ...
(Morlacchi). Venetian commander
Leonardo Foscolo Leonardo Foscolo (1588. - 1660.) was a Venetian commander. During the Cretan War (1645–1669), Leonardo Foscolo seized several forts, retook Novigrad, temporarily captured the Knin Fortress, and managed to compel the garrison of Klis Fortress ...
seized several forts, retook Novigrad, temporarily captured 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. It is the second largest fortress in Croatia and most significant defensive stronghold,Hrvatska enciklopedija, ...
, and managed to compel the garrison of Klis Fortress to surrender.Fraser (1854), pp. 244–245.Setton (1991), pp. 148–149.


See also

* Timeline of Croatian history * Battle of Klis (1596)


Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*
Historical Unit Kliški uskoci - Petar Kružić


External links



* {{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Klis Conflicts in 1537 1537 in Europe 1537 in the Ottoman Empire
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...
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 and Split near the eponymous mountain pass. I ...