15 June 1312 – The Battle of Rozgony

Read my latest article about the fight to restore the unity of the Hungarian kingdom, as we commemorate today the Battle of Rozgony, where King Károly Róbert defeated the army of the Aba clan.
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In the last third of the 13th century, the fate of the Kingdom of Hungary was in the hands of a dozen or so lords who exercised their private power over parts of the country as lords of life and death. In 1301, András III, the ‘last golden branch’ of the House of Árpád, fell into eternal sleep.

Following his unexpected death, the descendant of the Anjou family of Naples, Caroberto, claimed the throne alongside Wenceslas of Bohemia and Otto of Wittelsbach, and became known in Hungarian history as King Károly Róbert.

As the great-grandson of King István V, this proved to be an achievable goal, as he was related to the Árpád dynasty as well.
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In the last third of the 13th century, the fate of the Kingdom of Hungary was in the hands of a dozen or so lords who exercised their private power over parts of the country as lords of life and death. Károly Róbert had to put them down.
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King Károly and his followers set out from the Szepesség (Zipt, Spiš) region to relieve the city, and on 15 June, they clashed with the enemy near the village of Rozgony, in the valley of the Tarca stream, where the less powerful monarch soon found himself in a tight situation.

In the words of a 14th century Hungarian chronicle, “such a cruel battle began as had not been fought in Hungary since the time of the Mongol Tartars […] and although more men were lost on the king’s side, yet the king won the victory gloriously; we believe and confess that it was all done by God.”

The battle seemed to be almost decided, as Károly Róbert’s standard-bearer, Györke of the Csák family, also fell, and Károly continued to fight under the banner of the Johannites when the forces of the Germans of Kassa and the Saxons of Szepesség (Zipt, Spiš) flanked the Aba forces.

In the bloody battle, the latter were eventually defeated, and their leaders, including Balassa Demeter, Aba the Great, Aba Miklós, and Aba Dávid, were killed on the battlefield. It was a rare phenomenon for infantry to triumph over cavalry. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
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Please read more details on my page, based on the source of the HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum.:
https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/15-june-1312-the-battle-of-rozgony/