Siege of Krujë (1467)
The third siege of Krujë by the Ottoman Empire occurred in 1467 at Krujë in Albania.
Third siege of Krujë (1467) | |||||||
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Part of Albanian–Ottoman Wars (1432–1479) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
League of Lezhë | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
unknown[2] |
Mahmud Pasha Mehmed II |
The destruction of Ballaban Pasha's army and the siege of Elbasan during the previous siege of Krujë forced Mehmed II to re-attack Skanderbeg in the summer of 1467, only 2 months after the latter's victory at the 2nd siege of Krujë. This time Skanderbeg didn't retreat immediately to the mountains, but decided to confront the great Ottoman army at Burshek, on the Shkumbin River's valley in order to give time for the civil population to retreat into the mountains. Skanderbeg then retreated while Ottoman grand vizier Mahmud Pasha Angelović pursued him but Skanderbeg succeeded in fleeing to the coast and then to the mountains.[3] Meanwhile, Mehmed II sent detachments to raid the Venetian possessions (especially Durrës which was also put under siege and bombarded for a short period) and to keep them isolated. He besieged Kruje for a few days, but when the siege lasted for a long time, he decided to conquer the castle by leaving it hungry and thirsty with a long siege.[4] For this, he left some soldiers under the command of a Commander and returned to Istanbul.[5] [6] .Although Ottomans did not capture Krujë, they managed to plunder areas around Durres and Scutari.[7]
References
- Barleti, Marin (2012). The Siege of Shkodra: Albania's Courageous Stand Against Ottoman Conquest, 1478. David Hosaflook. ISBN 978-99956-87-77-9.
- "SKANDERBEG".
- Stavrides 2001, pp. 163, 164
. Mehmed II sent Mahmud Pasha, together with the most experienced part of the army, to pursue Skanderbeg, while he himself ravaged the rest of the land ... The Grand Vezir spent fifteen days in the mountains, but couldn't find Skanderbeg
- History of Kritovolus Page 243
- History of Kritovolus Page 243
- https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/iskender-bey
- Stavrides 2001, p. 163
...taking much booty and many prisoners...
Sources
- Stavrides, Theoharis (2001), The Sultan of vezirs : the life and times of the Ottoman Grand Vezir Mahmud Pasha Angelovic (1453-1474), Leiden: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-12106-5, OCLC 46640850