Marosi Ernő (szerk.): On the Stage of Europe. The millennial contribution of Hungary to the idea of European Community (Budapest, 2009)
Veszprémy László: The first centuries
ing even more power. John Hunyadi found the harmony between the interest of the individual, the family and the serving of the public in a unique way, making him one of the key personalities of Hungarian history. He achieved the most important official positions in the defence structure against the Ottomans along with his baron allies, for example in contrast with the family of Cilii, counts of Celje. As the voivode of Transylvanian and count of Temes, the ban of Szörény and the captain of Belgrade he fulfilled his duties with honour, and even following the successful defence of Belgrade in 1456 his death on the battle field further authenticated the course of life. In the history of the Ottoman and Hungarian conflicts the period between 1437 and 1456 is of extraordinary importance. In spite of the gradual prevailing of the Ottoman numerical superiority this is the last period when the Hungarian side attempted to aggressively stand against the Ottomans, and from 1442 the attacks were led by the military genius of the century John Hunyadi. Great successes and great losses are also typical of this era: Hunyadi was completely defeated in two of his three great campaigns against the sultan's army (Varna: 1444, Kosovo Polje: 1448), in 1443 and 1444 his winter campaign marching on the Balkan Mountains remained successful because the sultan did not take up the fight. In 1444 Wladislas I was also left dead on the battlefield near Varna by the Black Sea; the 1448 defeat in Kosovo Polje was similarly painful, as here the future of Hungary's influence in the Balkans was directly at risk. The events unfolded most excitingly in 1444, when prior to the campaign they made peace with the Ottomans, who returned the occupied estates of the Serbian despot, and only following this had the crusading army started off in a "perfidious" attack headed by the Papal legate. Hunyadi, of course, despite the defeat did well out of it, and due to the huge estate that he had received from the Serbian despot following the campaign, he became the leader of the country. By 1456 the Ottoman sultan recognised that his Eastern European rule could only be complete if he defeated Hungary and occupied the southern gateway of the country Nándorfehérvár, today's Belgrade. On the day of the final Hungarian victory, on 22 July, the royal army was still only assembling, but the relief army led by John Hunyadi, as well as the crusading army led by the Franciscan John Capistran, surprised the Ottoman army several times during the three-week siege, and at the end with their unexpected breakout they forced the sultan to flee. Several thousands of Ottoman soldiers were lost in the battle, together with their entire artillery. When the news of this victory reached Rome, the pope ordered the celebration of "Transfiguration" for it never to be forgotten, and made the previously decreed midday bell customary. In the 1480s as a sign of the increasing national awareness the legend commemorating the celebration was included among the historical stories of Legenda aurea with a Hungarian reference. Hungarian historical memory was also grateful to the achievers of the success: Matthias himself made efforts to assist in the canonisation of John Capistran. The Hungarian and European significance of the victory at Belgrade was invaluable, and although in the absence of a suitable military leader it remained unexploited, and the Ottomans carried on trying until 1521 to occupy Hungary. Undertaking the fight against the Ottomans was a fundamental part of Matthias' propaganda, and it remained all along the most important, ultimately the only, basis for forcing Europe to take on the role. It was just this that the nobility of Hungary expected of him; indeed, one of the motives of the conspiracy against him was the dissatisfaction with Matthias' Ottoman politics in which it is difficult to separate propaganda from reality. The Hungarian treasury badly needed papal and Venetian financial aid, although Matthias was well aware that the country and the army were in no posi- 31