Battle of Užice

Serbian Despotate

Following turmoil in Serbia with the death of Serbian Despot Vılkoğlu Brankovic on 24 December 1456 and his successor Lazar Brankovic (who swore allegiance to Mehmed II in 1457) on 20 February 1458. Mehmed sent a second army under the command of Veli Mahmud Pasha to Serbia (while he was in the Peloponnese Expedition). Mahmud Pasha added Güzelcehisar, Sivricehisar (Ostrvica), Böğürdelen (Šabac), and Rudnik to Ottoman lands. The Ottoman army attacked again and captured Güvercinlik (Golubac) in mid-August. Then, after a raid to the north of the Danube, Veli Mahmud Pasha came to Skopje and met with Mehmed II, who returned from the Peloponnese Expedition.[3]

Upon the threat of an army under the command of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus,[4] Mahmud Pasha ensured that some units were kept under arms in case the Hungarian army attacked before winter after the Ottomans withdrew.[5]

During autumn, the Hungarian army under the command of Corvinus crossed the Danube and entered Ottoman lands in Serbia. They came to the Ottoman castle Tahtalu in the Mokra Gora - Užice region and began to plunder the surrounding areas.

However, the Hungarian army was attacked by the reserve units left by Mahmud Pasha in the region and quickly retreated north of the Danube. Mehmed and Veli Mahmud Pasha returned to Edirne in December 1458.[6]

The Battle of Tahtalu, although not a military engagement directly won by the main Ottoman army, was a significant development in the history of the Despotate of Serbia. Since Helena did not want the Serbian people to be under the command of the Catholic Hungarians, she handed Smederevo castle to the Ottomans and the Serbian despotism ended.