Osprey Men-at-Arms 195 : Hungary and the Fall of Eastern Europe 1000-1568

The medieval history of south-eastern Europe is not widely studied in the West. The area is too often seen simply as a region crossed by Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land, periodically invaded by Asiatic hordes, and then suddenly collapsing before the Ottoman Turks. Yet a glance at an historical atlas shows the presence of a vast realm which endured throughout the Middle Ages - the Kingdom of Hungary, covering a territory as large as, and occasionally greater than, France. Then there was the even more extensive and enduring Byzantine Empire. From disastrous defeat at the hands of the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert in 1071 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 is almost four centuries, during which time an increasingly Greek Byzantium recovered; was then virtually obliterated by fellow Christians in the Fourth Crusade; and recovered once again, to remain a major regional power until finally being destroyed by the Serbs and Ottoman Turks. The Serbians, who are today the dominant nationality in Yugoslavia, won themselves a brief but extensive local empire in the 14th century; while the Bulgarians established an effective and cultured state. Other players in the confusing Balkan scene included the Albanians; Wallachians; Moldavians; Transylvanians; Croatians and many others. How did they organise their armies and fight their wars; and why did they ultimately fail? David Nicolle examines Hungary and the fall of eastern Europe 1000-1568 accompanied by numerous illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Angus McBride and seven pages of commentaries on dress and equipment.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Hungary
• Byzantium
• Bulgaria
• Serbia
• Albania
• Romania
• The Plates