| Battle of Đakovo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Little War in Hungary | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Holy Roman empire | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Johann Katzianer, Ludwig Lodron †, Paul Bakicz † |
Mehmed Sendroi Beg | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~ 24,000 (Austrian, Hungarian, German, Bohemian, Italian and Croatian allies) | 8,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~ 20,000+ killed or wounded, Katzianer flees with his cavalry leaving his army to be annihilated | minimal | ||||||
The Battle of Đakovo (or Valpovo) (Croatian: Bitka kod Đakova, Hungarian: Diakovári csata, German: Schlacht bei Djakowar, or Schlacht bei Gorj) was a battle fought on October 9, 1537, as part of the Austro-Turkish War (1526–1552).
After 7 years of war and the failed Siege of Vienna in 1529, the Treaty of Constantinople (1533) 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 did not satisfy John Szapolyai or 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 or captured, including generals Ludwig Lodron and Paul Bakicz.
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.