Battle of Sződfalva

The Battle of Sződfalva or Battle of Sedfal field (Hungarian: Sződfalvi csata, Serbian: Бој на Седфалском пољу (Boj na Sedfalskom polju)) was fought on July 25, 1527, between voivodian Serbs, under Jovan Nenad, and the Transylvanian army of (Hungarians and Saxons). Nenad was decisively defeated by a larger force and most of his troops dispersed into the countryside Syrmia After the defeat Nenad became a fugitive and was assassinated shortly thereafter.

Background

In 1526, Jovan Nenad, a mercenary captain of mysterious origins, saw the power vacuum created by the struggle for the Hungarian throne, and attempted to elevate himself to the status of an independent prince. At first, his rebels supported János Szapolyai; however, soon the Hungarian king demanded of Jovan Nenad relinquish control of the region he had occupied and restore properties to nobles and pesants who fled before the Turks. Nenad's response was a shift of allegiance to the side of Ferdinand of Austria. Jovan Nenad's forces defeated the troop of Hungarian knights led by Laszlo Csaky sent to restore order. Laszlo Csaky was subsequently executed. Szapolyai, outraged at the murder of his vassal and at the urging of the dispossessed nobles, sent a large force from Transylvania which was also defeated Battle of Szőlős).

After the Szőlős battle, Jovan styled himself emperor of Voivodina and made a permanent break with Szapolyai who dispatched his main force to subdue the rebellion.

The widespread fear and uncertainty created by Nenad's property confiscations gave popular impetus for the crushing of the rebellion with many Serbs staying loyal to the crown, particularly the Lipovian Serbs.

The battle

After plundering the countryside, the Serbian rebels faced the combined cavalry strength of Transylvania and upper Hungary. The Hungarian army consisted of mainly of cavalry along with infantry from Transylvania and local gentry and peasants. The Hungarians led by Péter Perényi caught up with the rebels at Sződfalva, near the town of Szeged. The brief battle was decided by a charge of armored knights early in the engagement. The following rout lead to Szeged where Jovan sought refuge in the house of the merchant István Zákány. This is where a soldier named Sebestyén Vid shot Jovan with a musket mortally wounding him. His men carried him to Tornjoš where he succumbed to his wounds. Bálint Török, one of the Hungarian commanders recovered the body and Jovan's head was sent to the King.

Aftermath

Jovan Nenad's army was shattered and his remaining forces dispersed after his death and the area once again became subordinate to the Hungarian king.

Sources

• Military History of Hungary, Editor: Ervin Liptai Zrínyi Military Publisher, Budapest 1985. ISBN 9633263379