Rhaegar Targaryen

1. Hunyadi János

2. Kula Sibinjanin Janka / Hunyadi János tower, Zemun, Belgrade

3. Siege of Belgrade 1456

Hunyadi János scion of a noble family of Romanian origin, was a general, statesman and regent of Hungary during middle XV century.

As a general he used Hussite wagon tactics, and relied on professional soldiers when available. He was the main commander in the Christian wars against the onslaught of Ottoman Turks in XV century. As a young knight of a “middle-classed” noble family he offered his services to more influential nobles. He was aided in his early career by then Despot of Serbia, Stefan Lazarević from whom he learned while being in his service. Later he accompanied king of Hungary to Italy, where he learned from Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan.

By the time Ottomans entered Serbia again in 1439, the threat and war between Hungary and Turks become imminent. At first he was appointed ban of Severin (Romania) but soon, due to highly succsessfull defence, he become voivode of Transylvania, count of Temes, captain of Belgrade, and effective military leader of all southern march defence. Hunyadi recognized the inefficiency and unreliability of feudal levies and was one of the first European commanders to employ a regular army on a large scale. His “Long Campaign” in Serbia and Bulgaria effectively expelled Turks and helped, at least for some time, protect Bosnia, Hercegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Albania.
Turks sued and agreed for a peace, especially when they heard that Venetian fleet was advancing towards Dardanelles to cut their Asian and European possessions. However when the fleet failed to reach destination, Ottoman army with Sultan crossed into Europe, eventually defeating Hunyadi at the battle of Varna in 1444. Battle proved disastrous not so much because of the losses, because Ottomans lost more men then Christians, but King Ulászló died in the battle, who at the time was both King of Poland and Hungary, leaving behind him a power vacuum.

After the battle, he was even briefly held captive by Vlad II Dracul of Wallachia. Another loss, in the second Battle of Kosovo field in 1448, caused him to lose some of his influence and power. He was unable to launch a counterattack against the Turks and could not go to the aid of Constantinople during the Turkish onslaught in 1453. Depending on the sources, Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković, at the time because of personal dispute with Hunyadi, either refrained from any action, or fought alongside Ottomans against Hunyadi and his ally Skenderbeg in the second battle of Kosovo.

A few years later, Sultan Mehmed II, conqueror of Constantinople, mounted a new offensive and in 1456 laid siege to Belgrade. Hunyadi provisioned and armed the fortress of that city, collected a considerable army of mercenaries, and was joined by a poorly equipped and ragged army of peasants. This untrained army, with the aid of Hunyadi’s troops, won one of the most remarkable victories in the history of Turkish wars, on July 22, 1456. Not only was the siege raised, but the relieving forces actually made sorties into the enemy camp.

Belgrade fortress was transformed from small Byzantine / Serbian fort into one of the best fortified cities in Europe by Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević, when he was granted Belgrade from Hungarian King. He moved the capital of Serbia to Belgrade, and constructed a 3 level fortified town.

He was involved actively in the politics of Hungary and extended his influence to a point where he was elected sole regend for still minor Hungarian king. His son Matthias Corvinus was elected king after his death in 1457. He remaines a popular figure and a hero both in Hungarian and other balkan people’s nations as a fierce fighter against Ottoman Turks. He died only few weeks after his great victory, in Belgrade / Nándorfehérvár from the epidemic that broke out after the battle.

Hunyadi was memeber of the Order of the Dragon, medieval order of Kings, Nobles and Knights, founded by Sigismund in 1408. The goal of the order was to fight for Christianity against the Ottoman onslaught into Europe. Other members included Vlad I Dracul, Despot Stefan Lazarević, Hermman II Count of Celje, Ban of Croatia, Nicholas II Garay ban of Croatia, Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary…

And tonight again I’m off to Budapest for the 17th time… so let’s spin some “Remedy Lane” by Pain of Salvation in that name.

And so I find myself here once again - first step down Remedy Lane
Budapest you tore my world apart - well, here I am
Worn with rope ends on my mind, torn with blood scarred in my eyes
But now I’m back to shake that from my life

Back again at Deak Ter - I know I could have left her there
It was the feeling of leaving myself that I could not bear
The same old hotel room in Pest one night before the Sziget fest
Hungarian Princess will you share my rest?
To rest in my…