Siege of Esztergom (1241)
Esztergom is the capital and wealthiest city in the Kingdom of Hungary until its destruction. It was the last city to be looted and destroyed by Batu Khan before he sends a reconnaissance party against the Holy Roman Empire and the withdrawal of all Mongol forces for the Kurultai.[1][2] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Background
Christmas on 1241, eight months after the Mongols annihilated the Hungarian royal army at the Battle of Mohi, King Béla IV of Hungary abandoned his whole realm to run away from the advancing Mongols. Kadan in pursuit of King [Béla IV] sacked Buda a fortified city in Europe.[3] Batu fresh from his victory plunder the city of Pest.[4]
Battle
Christmas Day on 1241, 12,000 inhabitants resisted the Mongol advance in Esztergom, so Batu Khan bring out the catapults to tear down the walls of the city. The Esztergomians realized it was hopeless so they set fire to all the house and buried all their gold and silver and all precious belongings. Batu was furious when he found out the buried loot, he massacred all the inhabitants except for the handful of survivors left in the citadel led by Count Simeon of Spain.[5][6]
Aftermath
In January 1242, Batu sends a Mongol detachment outside of Udine, Italy not too far from Venice and even sends a reconnaissance party to check the defenses of Vienna. Until one day a courier arrived from Karakorum to announce the death of Ogedei Khan who died in December 1241. Batu is needed to go back home to participate in the Kurultai. All Mongols in eastern Europe broke camp to uphold tradition and went back to the Far East steppes in Mongolia leaving Europe from further destruction.[7][8]
References
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Footnotes
- ↑ "The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History: How Genghis Khan almost conquered the world"by Craughwell, Thomas p.270-277
- ↑ 'How wars are won:the 13 rules of war from ancient greece to the war on terror P/117'by Alexander, Bevin
- ↑ "The Mongols Proper and the Kalmuks p.150"by Howorth, Henry H.
- ↑ "The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History: How Genghis Khan almost conquered the world"by Thomas J. Craughwell
- ↑ "Genghis Khan: his conquest, his empire, his legacy"by Frank Lynn
- ↑ "The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History: How Genghis Khan almost conquered the world"by Craughwell, Thomas
- ↑ "The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History: How Genghis Khan almost conquered the world"by Craughwell, Thomas
- ↑ 'How wars are won:the 13 rules of war from ancient greece to the war on terror P/117'by Alexander, Bevin
