Battle of Demotika
| Battle of Demotika | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Byzantine civil war of 1352–1357 | |||||||
Fortifications of Demotika | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
John V Palaiologos supported by: Serbian Empire Bulgarian Empire |
John VI Kantakouzenos supported by: Ottoman Beylik | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gradislav Borilović | Süleyman Pasha | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
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4,000–6,000 Serbian cavalry; Bulgarian troops possibly present | 10,000 Ottoman cavalry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4,000–7,000 killed | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Demotika took place in October 1352 near Didymoteicho during the Byzantine civil war of 1352–1357. The conflict arose from renewed tensions between John V Palaiologos and John VI Kantakouzenos, whose rival claims in Thrace drew in neighbouring powers. Serbian forces supported John V, while Ottoman ones aided Kantakouzenos and his son Matthew.
Outnumbered by the Ottoman cavalry, Serbian and possibly Bulgarian units supporting John V were routed, with heavy losses reported by contemporary chroniclers. The defeat forced John V to flee to Venetian-held Tenedos, while Kantakouzenos temporarily consolidated his position.
The battle is considered the first major engagement fought by Ottoman troops on European soil. The aftermath strengthened the Ottoman presence in Thrace and preceded their 1354 occupation of Gallipoli, which gave them their first permanent foothold in Europe.