Battle of Nicopolis
1396 CE · Bulgaria
The Battle of Nicopolis was fought in 1396 CE in Bulgaria between Ottoman Empire and Serbian vassals vs a Crusader coalition led by Hungary, France and Burgundy; decisive Ottoman victory; the last large-scale crusade was destroyed.
Battle of Nicopolis: quick facts
- Date
- 1396 CE
- Location
- Bulgaria
- Belligerents
- Ottoman Empire and Serbian vassals vs a Crusader coalition led by Hungary, France and Burgundy
- Commanders
- Bayezid I vs Sigismund of Hungary and John of Nevers
- Result
- decisive Ottoman victory; the last large-scale crusade was destroyed.
- Era
- 🏰 Medieval Europe
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Nicopolis?
Sultan Bayezid I destroyed the last great Crusade of the Middle Ages when French and Burgundian knights charged recklessly into prepared Ottoman positions without waiting for their Hungarian allies. The undisciplined Crusader attack was repulsed, and the Ottoman counterattack routed the entire Christian army. Thousands of Crusader nobles were captured and held for ransom. The defeat ended any serious Western attempt to halt Ottoman expansion in the Balkans for decades.
Did you know?
The French knights at Nicopolis were so confident of easy victory that they reportedly argued over who would get to charge first, completely ignoring tactical coordination with their Hungarian allies.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Nicopolis on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.