Battle of Kosovo

The Battle of Kosovo, fought on 15 June 1389, was a pivotal episode in the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans.

Serbian forces led by Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović faced the Ottoman Turks under Emir Murad I. According to Ottoman chroniclers, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Albanians, Vlachs and Czechs also served in the Serbian army.

The conflict followed the Ottoman capture of Sofia in 1385 and their advance to the borders of Moravian Serbia near the River Morava. In 1386, Lazar reached an agreement with Murad, but it proved short-lived. Lazar's troops defeated the Ottomans at Pločnik, after which Murad prepared another campaign. His plans were delayed by the defection of some of his vassals: the Tarnovo ruler Ivan Shishman and Dobrotitsa refused to supply reinforcements for his war against Lazar.

The decisive battle took place on Kosovo Field, where Lazar's and Murad's armies assembled. The Christian army initially gained the advantage and even put the Ottoman left wing to flight. Murad himself was killed early in the battle, reportedly by the nobleman Miloš Obilić according to semi-legendary accounts. Despite this success, Murad's son Bayezid turned the tide. Lazar was killed, and the Christian forces withdrew with heavy losses.

The battle is regarded as a severe defeat for the Christian forces. Stefan Lazarević, Prince Lazar's successor, was forced to acknowledge himself as a vassal of the new Ottoman ruler, Bayezid I.