Siege of Buda (1541)


 * For the 1686 event, see Battle of Buda (1686)

The Siege of Buda in 1541 resulted in the capture of the city of Buda by the Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent, as he invaded central Hungary. The battle is part of the Little War in Hungary.

Siege
In the first phase, an international army under command of Wilhelm von Roggendorf besieged the successors of the Turkish vassal John Zápolya. This Hungarian King had died in 1540, and the new King became his underaged son John II Sigismund Zápolya, under regency of his mother Isabella Jagiellon and George Martinuzzi. This was accepted by Sultan Suleyman under condition that the Hungarians would continue to pay tribute to the Ottomans. The new King was however not accepted by Habsburgs. Ferdinand sent an army of 50,000 soldiers commanded by Wilhelm Roggendorf. This army laid siege of Buda in the summer 1541. The siege was badly managed and several attacks failed with great loss of life.

Battle
Suleyman took personal command of the Ottomans relief army. On August 21 the Ottoman relief army reached Buda and engaged in battle with Roggendorf's army. The Habsburg army was completely defeated and 7,000 men were slaughtered or drowned in the river. Roggendorf was also wounded in the battle and died 2 days after.

Th Ottomans occupied the celebrating city with a trick and took the infant King John II hostage. This siege of Buda was a considerable Ottoman victory against Ferdinand of Austria. This battle allowed the occupation of central Hungary by the Ottomans for around 150 years, and was therefore of an importance comparable to that of the 1526 Battle of Mohács. The Habsburg army lost a total of 16,000 men.

Aftermath
Charles V learned about the defeat of his brother Ferdinand upon his arrival in Genoa on 8 September 1541. Thirsty for revenge, he departed for the Algiers expedition (1541), which also ended in defeat for the Habsburg.

Ferdinand would attempt to recover the cities of Buda and Pest in 1542, in the Siege of Pest, but he was repulsed by the Ottomans.