Siege of Krujë (1467)

(Redirected from Third Siege of Krujë)

The third siege of Krujë by the Ottoman Empire occurred in 1467 at Krujë in Albania.

Third siege of Krujë
Part of Albanian–Ottoman Wars (1432–1479)
Date1467
Location
Result Albanian victory[1]
Belligerents
League of Lezhë Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Skanderbeg

The destruction of Ballaban Pasha's army and the siege of Elbasan during the previous siege of Krujë forced Mehmed II to attack Skanderbeg again in the summer of 1467, only 2 months after the latter's victory in the last siege. This time, Skanderbeg didn't immediately retreat to the mountains, but decided to confront the great Ottoman army at Burshek, on the Shkumbin river valley to give the civilian population time to retreat into the mountains.[citation needed] Skanderbeg then retreated while the Ottoman grand vizier Mahmud Pasha pursued him, but Skanderbeg managed to flee to the mountains and then to the coast.[2] Meanwhile, Mehmed II sent troops to raid the Venetian possessions (especially Durrës, which was also besieged and bombarded for a short time) and keep them isolated. He besieged Krujë for a few days, but upon realizing that a direct assault wasn't practical, he decided to retreat, leaving a force behind to continue the blockade and siege. According to Ottoman sources, he also dispatched Mahmud Pasha to raid the city of Shkodër, under Venetian control. Crossing the Bunë river by swimming, Mahmud Pasha launched an assault on the city, devastating its surroundings. He then returned to the Sultan laden with plunder.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Barleti 2012, p. 247
  2. ^ Stavrides 2001, pp. 163–164

    Mehmed II sent Mahmud Pasha to the mountains, together with the greatest and most experienced part of the army in order to pursue Skanderbeg, while he himself ravaged the rest of the land with another part of the army. The Grand Vezir spent fifteen days in the mountains, searching every part and taking much booty and many prisoners. However, they did not found Skanderbeg, who had managed to flee to the coast.

  3. ^ Stavrides 2001, p. 164

Bibliography

  • Barleti, Marin (2012). The Siege of Shkodra: Albania's Courageous Stand Against Ottoman Conquest, 1478. Translated by Hosaflook, David. Onufri. ISBN 978-99956-87-77-9. OCLC 867139347.
  • Stavrides, Theoharis (2001). The Sultan of Vezirs: The Life and Times of the Ottoman Grand Vezir Mahmud Pasha Angelović (1453-1474). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-12106-5. OCLC 46640850.

41°31′N 19°48′E / 41.517°N 19.800°E / 41.517; 19.800