From Istanbul to the Drava

Ottoman Empire – The Battle of Mohács, 1526

In this course, Dr Colin Imber (University of Manchester) explores the Battle of Mohács (1526), fought between the Ottoman forces led by Ibrahim Pasha and the Hungarian forces of Louis II. We begin by tracing the arduous journey of the Ottomans from Istanbul to the town of Osijek on the banks of the Drava. After that, in the second and third modules, we focus on the progress of the battle itself – from the opening skirmish that leads to the Hungarian cavalry charge to the Ottomans' gaining the upper hand and ultimately winning the day. In the fourth module, we think about the immediate aftermath of the battle, including the Ottoman army's journey back to Istanbul, before turning in the fifth module to the longer-term impact of the battle.

From Istanbul to the Drava

In this module, we follow Suleiman and the Ottoman army as they make their way from Istanbul to Sofia, then Belgrade, then the fortresses of Petrovaradin and Ilok, and finally to the town of Osijek on the River Drava.