Battle of Rozgony (Europe without the extreme north)
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The Battle of Rozgony
Charles Robert of Hungary
.
Background
Domains of Hungarian oligarchs (1301–1310)
After the senior line of the
Aba family
, which ruled the eastern Hungarian Kingdom.
In 1312, Charles besieged Sáros Castle, (now part of Slovakia -
Szepes county (today the region of Spiš), whose Saxon inhabitants subsequently reinforced his own troops. The Abas benefited from the retreat. They decided to use the gathered opposition forces to attack the town of Kassa (today Košice
) because of its strategic importance, and partially due to the fact that just few months before Charles had Amadeus Aba assassinated by the Kassa's German colonists. Charles marched on Kassa and engaged his adversaries.
The opposition forces abandoned the siege of Kassa and positioned their troops on a hill near the Tarca (
Charles Robert of Hungary was forced to position his troops in flat agricultural land under that hill. Although the numbers are uncertain, the king's army consisted of his own men, an Italian unit of Knights Hospitaller, and a 1,000-men strong infantry unit of Zipser Saxons
. Because of contradicting versions in contemporary chronicles, it is not clear to what extent the Aba family was helped by Máté Csák's forces.
The battle commenced when the rebels made a surprise attack during or just after the
mêlée
followed, causing heavy casualties among knights on both sides. At one point, even the king's battle standard was lost and Charles himself had to fight under the standard of the Knights Hospitaller. In the crucial moment of the battle, a reinforcement from Kassa came and saved the king's cause. The rebel army, after it lost its commanders in the battle, was routed.
Aftermath
Some[
Aba (family)
perished in the battle and part of their domain was divided between the King and his loyal followers. The loss of the key ally was also an important blow to Máté Csák. Although he managed to control much of his territories until his death in 1321, his power started to decline just after the battle and he could never again launch any major offensive against the king.
The immediate consequence was that
Charles Robert of Hungary gained control over the northeastern part of the country. But the long-term consequences of the victory were even more important. The battle drastically reduced magnates' opposition against him. The King extended his power base and prestige. The position of Charles Robert as King of Hungary was now secured militarily and resistance against his rule came to its end. However, the Angevin rule over Hungary lasted only 74 years and the Abas continued to play an important role in Hungary even during the Angevin administration.[citation needed
