Crusade of Varna
| Crusade of Varna | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Hungarian–Ottoman Wars and the Crusades | |||||||
King Władysław III of Poland in the Battle of Varna, by Jan Matejko | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
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Kingdom of Hungary Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Poland Serbian Despotate Principality of Wallachia supported by: Grand Duchy of Lithuania Duchy of Burgundy Republic of Venice Byzantine Empire Papal States | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Władysław III (MIA) John Hunyadi Đurađ Branković Mircea II Julian Cesarini † |
Murad II Mehmed II | ||||||
The Crusade of Varna was an unsuccessful military campaign mounted by several European leaders to check the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Central Europe, specifically the Balkans between 1443 and 1444. It was called by Pope Eugene IV on 1 January 1443 and led by King Władysław III of Poland, John Hunyadi, Voivode of Transylvania, and Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy.
The Crusade of Varna culminated in a decisive Ottoman victory over the crusader alliance at the Battle of Varna on 10 November 1444, during which Władysław disappeared and the expedition's papal legate Julian Cesarini was killed.