When Turkish Sultan Murad I (1June 29th, 326-1June 29th, 389, 14 years) ascended the throne in 1360, Ottoman's European map was still limited to several towns in Thrace. When he was a prince, he had commanded the European army of the empire, and he was familiar with the situation in Balkan countries and knew the importance of the European part of the empire. After he ascended the throne, Sudan's first goal was the historic city of edirne. Located between Constantinople and the Danube, the city controls the canyon between the Balkans and the Lodoby Mountains formed by the Maricha River, and is also the administrative center and military fortress of the Byzantine Empire in the Balkans. 136 1 immediately after Murad captured it, the Ottoman people's ambition to expand in Europe can be seen. At this time, Bulgaria and Byzantium had declined, the Kingdom of Serbia had been divided, and several Latin principalities were scattered in Greece and Moria. Taking advantage of this favorable situation, Murad led his men to occupy Philippe in 1363, thus controlling the rich valley area that provided most of the food and taxes for Constantinople and separating the Greeks and Bulgarians along the Aegean Sea. Murad also quickly turkized Thrace through large-scale colonization. Finally, the Christian princes in the Balkans began to awaken, and Serbia, Bosnia and Hungary had to unite against the Turkish pagans. 1364, Louis I of Hungary, Uros V of Serbia, King Vukasin of Bulgaria, princes of Wallachia and Bosnia jointly convened an army of more than 20,000 people, hoping to drive the Turks back to Asia before their wings were full. The expansion of Murad I's rule (crimson is the territory of Turkey when Murad I ascended the throne, light red is the territory when he died, and pink is the vassal of Turkey). At this time, Murad I was besieging Biga, the fortress of Marmarahy occupied by Catalan legions, which could not be separated. In Europe, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman army, Lala Shaheen, commanded only about 10000 people, so Murad had to order him to take delaying tactics and delay the allied advance as much as possible. However, the speed of the Christian Coalition forces exceeded expectations. Soon, they had set up camp less than two days away from the Turkish capital edirne, and the disaster in Ottoman seemed imminent. However, the Christian princes made the mistake of underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. That night, Lala Shaheen launched a surprise attack without waiting for Sudan's main reinforcements. The allied camp was caught off guard, and it was useless to monitor the valley below. As a result, the whole army was completely disintegrated under the thunderous offensive of the Turks. This is the world-famous so-called "Serbian rout". Thousands of nobles and soldiers were killed in the chaos, and more people were swallowed up by the Maricha River while trying to swim to escape, including Bulgarian King Vukashin. King Louis of Hungary had to go through many difficulties to escape. This unexpected victory dealt a serious blow to the morale of Christians and encouraged Murad to further conquer. 138 1 year, Murad I began to plan an expedition to Karaman, Anatolia, after surrendering to the Emirates of Germi. He ordered all the servant countries in Europe to send troops to help the war. Proud Serbian King Lazar JerBernaud? ) as a great shame, interrupted the tribute to Sudan. A Turkish army quickly dispatched and seized Nis, forcing the Serbs to yield again. However, despite its apparent obedience, lazare secretly organized Balkan countries to form an anti-Turkish alliance. At that time, the strategic situation of Ottoman Turkey was very dangerous, because the main force of the empire was fighting fiercely in the east. Once the western countries suddenly declare war, they will face the dilemma of fighting on two fronts. Due to the emptiness of the Turkish army, 1387, the Serbian army won the first (and only) victory over Ottoman Turkey on the bank of Toplica. With this campaign, lazare won great prestige, successfully organized the Balkan Alliance including Serbs, Bulgarians, Bosnians, Wallachians and some Albanians, and carried out the "jihad" against Ottoman Turkey to the end. Murad didn't screw up. His own Kapikulu troops were equipped with new muskets and cannons, and were supported by Byzantium, thus defeating Karaman and occupying Ankara in a short time. Then, he immediately sent troops to the west to solve the Christian Union in lazare. Through the urgent March to Bulgaria, Murad surrendered to two local princes (John of Ternovo and John of Viding), and then entered South Serbia, where he won the support of Constantine, Prince of Tendir, Kious, and then he continued northward. 1June 389, joined forces with lazare's main forces in the Kosovo Plain (also known as "Blackbird Plain"). Battle of Kosovo. Adam Stefanovi? Drawings, 1870. After a period of confrontation, on June 5438+05, the two sides officially launched a fate confrontation. The two wings of the alliance are lazare's son-in-law Vuk Brancovici and Bosnian maharaja Vlatko vukovic. King lazare (60 years old at that time) is in the middle, while Mircea of Wallachia and Albanian maharaja George Castriotis are also fighting. Murad, in addition to the troops from Anatolia and Rumilia provinces, also included the Bulgarian maharaja Constantine, some Serbian nobles who were enemies of lazare, and the Turkmen maharaja who had just surrendered from Anatolia. There are great differences in the records of the number of soldiers who participated in this battle in various documents. The number of allied forces may have exceeded 65,438+million, while the Ottoman army is between 60,000 and 70,000. At first, the Allies gained the upper hand, Serbian heavy cavalry washed away a wing of the Ottoman army, and Bosnian vukovic even once invaded Zhong Jun in Murad, but was immediately repelled by Murad's new Turkish army and Kapikulu cavalry. When the two sides were deadlocked, Vuk Blakovich's sudden betrayal reversed the balance of victory-he led the troops out of the battle without authorization. Desperate Christian Coalition forces are preparing to launch a "special operation." They sent a brave Serbian nobleman, Milos Obilic, to the camp in Sudan to cheat and surrender. He lied that he had important information to see the Sudan and cheated Murad's trust. As a result, in the camp in Sudan, Obilic assassinated Murad I with a poisonous dagger. All this happened under the eyes of the Turkish new army, and the young soldiers of the new army regarded it as a great shame. Shame and anger, they rushed at the assassin. Obilic, a martial arts expert, mounted his horse three times and tried to escape. He was dragged by Sudanese guards three times and finally cut into minced meat. Fortunately, Prince Bayezid was in the middle of the army. He quickly gained the loyalty of the new army and sent someone to secretly hang his brother yakubu. He acceded to the throne on the battlefield. He hid the death of the Sudan from other troops and went into battle. Finally, at dusk, the Christian Union was completely submerged. King lazare was captured by the Turks, and in retaliation, he was brutally executed in front of the tent where Murad was assassinated. After the war, the new Sultan Bayezid I married lazare's daughter Maria Despina, and made her younger brother Stephen the heir of lazare. Since then, King Stephen of Serbia has been Bayezid's most loyal ally, and his Serbian heavy cavalry often joined the Sudanese army. The last organized resistance of the Christian world on the south bank of the Danube was thus shattered. Serbia has also become a vassal of the Ottomans after Bulgaria, and Hungary is the only country in Southeast Europe that has the strength to fight against the Turks. Thirty years after the invasion of Europe, the Ottomans have established rule in Southeast Europe, and only the Byzantine Empire is still a big hidden danger. Murad I Mausoleum