Battle of Đakovo

The Battle of Đakovo (or Valpovo) (Bitka kod Đakova or Bitka kod Gorjana; Diakovári csata, Schlacht bei Djakowar, or Schlacht bei Gorjani) was a battle fought near Đakovo, present day Croatia, on 9 October 1537, as part of the "Little War in Hungary" (also called Austro-Turkish War (1526–1552)) as well as the Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War.

Battle
After seven years of war and the failed Siege of Vienna in 1529, the Treaty of Constantinople was signed, in which John Szapolyai was recognized by the Austrians as King of Hungary as an Ottoman vassal, and the Ottomans recognized Habsburg rule over Royal Hungary.

This treaty satisfied neither John Szapolyai nor Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, whose armies began to skirmish along the borders. Ferdinand decided to strike a decisive blow in 1537 at John, by sending an army of 24,000 men (Austrians, Hungarians, Germans, Bohemians, Italians, Croats) under command of Johann Katzianer to take Osijek, thereby violating the treaty.

Very badly prepared, the siege came to nothing, and the starving allied army which operated in devastated territories, had to withdraw.

They were pursued by an Ottoman relief army led by border commanders and attacked near Đakovo and Valpovo on the Drava river. Katzianer fled with the cavalry and abandoned his army to be annihilated.

A reported 20,000 men were killed, including generals Ludwig Lodron and Pavle Bakić.

This campaign was a disaster of similar magnitude to that of Mohács and therefore nicknamed the Austrian Mohacs. The news of the defeat came as a shock in Vienna and a new Treaty of Nagyvárad was signed in 1538.

Source

 * Turnbull, Stephen. The Ottoman Empire 1326 - 1699. New York: Osprey, 2003. pg 52
 * Dictionary of Battles And Sieges