Battle of Adrianople (1205) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Adrianople |
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| Part of Bulgarian–Latin wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Second Bulgarian Empire | Latin Empire Republic of Venice |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Kaloyan of Bulgaria | Baldwin I (POW) Enrico Dandolo Louis of Blois † Geoffrey Villehardouin Renaud de Montmirail † Stephen du Perche † Manessier of L'Isle |
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| Strength | |||||||
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c. 4,000 300 heavy knights (mainly from France) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Adrianople happened near Adrianople on April 14, 1205. It was a fight between the Bulgarians and Cumans, led by Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria, and the Crusaders, led by Baldwin I. Baldwin had just become Emperor of Constantinople. His allies were the Venetians, led by their leader, Doge Enrico Dandolo. The Bulgarian Empire won the battle after a clever surprise attack.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The Fourth Crusade and New Empires
In 1204, the armies of the Fourth Crusade were supposed to go to Jerusalem. But they had money problems. So, they changed their plans. Instead, they attacked and took over Constantinople. This city was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine government had to leave. A new empire, called the Latin Empire, was set up in its place. At first, this new empire only controlled the area around Constantinople. But it soon started to grow.
Bulgaria's Role and New Alliances
Around the same time, Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria was talking with Pope Innocent III. The Pope recognized Kaloyan as an "emperor" (tsar). The Bulgarian archbishop also got an important title. This could have led to good relations between Kaloyan and the new Latin rulers.
However, the Latins quickly showed they wanted Bulgarian lands. Their knights started raiding Bulgarian towns and villages. These attacks made Kaloyan change his mind about being friends with the Latins. He decided to team up with the Greeks instead. These Greeks lived in parts of Thrace that the Latins had not conquered. In the winter of 1204-1205, Greek leaders visited Kaloyan. They formed an alliance.
In the spring of 1205, the cities of Didymoteicho and Adrianople rebelled against the Latins. Soon, all of Thrace joined them. Emperor Baldwin I marched his army north. He reached Adrianople by the end of March.
The Siege of Adrianople
The Latins did not attack the city walls right away. Instead, they started a long siege. A siege means they surrounded the city to try and make the defenders tired. They used special machines to attack the walls. They also dug tunnels under the walls. This weakened the city's defenses.
The main Latin forces set up strong camps around Adrianople. These camps were guarded to stop anyone from helping the city. A group of Venetian soldiers was placed in front of each city gate. Their leader was Doge Enrico Dandolo.
Tsar Kaloyan kept his promise to the rebellious Greeks. He arrived with his army. They set up camp about 25 kilometers northeast of the city. This was on April 10, 1205. A French historian named Geoffrey of Villehardouin was with the Crusaders. He wrote that Kaloyan's army had up to 54,000 men.
Who Fought in the Battle
Tsar Kaloyan's Army
The Bulgarian army, led by Tsar Kaloyan, was very large. It included soldiers from Bulgaria and the Vlachs. There was also a group of light cavalry called the Cumans. At that time, the Cumans were allies or hired soldiers for Kaloyan. The Tsar himself was married to a Cuman princess. The French historian Geoffrey of Villehardouin said there were about 14,000 Cumans. He noted that their cavalry was very important in the battle.
Latin and Venetian Forces
The Latin army at Adrianople had about 300 knights. They also had other cavalry and foot soldiers. There were likely no more than 1000-1500 of these soldiers. The Venetian forces also joined them. Some sources say the Venetians had 1000-1500 soldiers. The total number of Latin and Venetian troops was probably no more than four thousand. It is not clear how many of these soldiers fought in the battle. Some stayed behind to continue the siege.
Many important knights fought in the battle. These included Emperor Baldwin I and Louis I, Count of Blois. The Venetian forces were led by Doge Enrico Dandolo himself.
Defenders of Adrianople
The Greek rebels from East Thrace were inside Adrianople. They bravely defended the city walls. They did not take part in the battle outside the city. Their exact numbers are not known.
The Battle Unfolds
The battle lasted for two days. It happened one week after the Orthodox Easter celebration.
First Day: April 13, 1205
On April 13, Kaloyan sent his Cuman cavalry to scout. They also made a "test attack" on the knights. The Cumans surprised Emperor Baldwin I's forces. Then, they pretended to run away from the knights. A long chase began. This lured the knights far away from their camps.
When the Cumans had led the knights far enough, they suddenly turned around. They started shooting arrows at the chasing enemy. Many people and war horses were killed. The knights realized they had been tricked. They decided to stop and wait for the Bulgarians to attack. Baldwin decided to wait for all his soldiers to gather. They would prepare for a proper battle after the upcoming Easter celebrations.
The Bulgarians had prepared a trap. They dug "wolf pits" (trous de loup). These were holes in the ground to stop the heavy cavalry. Kaloyan placed his foot soldiers in the ambush first. His heavy cavalry was kept in reserve. They would join if the foot soldiers needed help. The light Cuman cavalry was ordered to lead the knights into this trap.
That same night, Baldwin met with his leaders. They decided that if the Cumans attacked again, the army should not follow them. Instead, they would form a battle line in front of their camp.
Second Day: April 14, 1205
On Thursday, April 14, 1205, the Cuman light cavalry attacked the knights' camp. They shot arrows, yelled loudly, and made noise with their weapons. The knights were angry. They quickly got ready to fight. Count Louis I of Blois ignored the plan from the night before. He led his unit after the Cumans. Other soldiers, blinded by anger, followed him.
The Cuman cavalry was faster than the Latins. They had to stop several times to let the enemy catch up. Then they would pretend to fight and run away again. This continued until they reached the ambush site. This place was a ravine among hills.
On the other side of the wolf pits, the Cumans turned around. They seemed ready for a real fight. The knights charged forward in their usual formation. But many horses and riders fell into the pits. In the confusion, the Bulgarian foot soldiers came out of their hiding places. They completely surrounded the knights.
Baldwin soon arrived with the rest of his knights. But he could not break through the circle of Bulgarian soldiers. He could not free Count Louis. Seeing this, Kaloyan attacked Baldwin with his heavy cavalry. This split the Latins into two smaller groups. Bulgarian soldiers used ropes and hooked poles to pull the knights off their horses. Then, they finished them off with swords, hammers, and axes.
Even though their formation was broken, the surrounded Latins fought hard. The battle lasted until late in the evening. Most of the Latin army was destroyed. Emperor Baldwin I was captured. He was taken to Veliko Tarnovo and imprisoned in a tower at the Tsarevets fortress.
What Happened After
The capture of Constantinople had made the knights seem unbeatable. News of Adrianople broke this idea. Within a year, the Latin Empire started to decline.
The End of Emperor Baldwin I
After Baldwin I was captured, his people did not know what happened to him. His brother, Henry of Flanders, took over as ruler while Baldwin was gone. We know that Baldwin died in prison. But the exact details are not known. He was probably treated as an important prisoner at first. Later, he was left to die in one of the towers of Tsarevets. A tower in the Tsarevets fortress is still called Baldwin's Tower.
Kaloyan the Roman-Slayer
Two years after the Battle of Adrianople, Kaloyan started to attack other Latin cities. He also attacked cities of Byzantine rebels who had turned against him. A Byzantine historian named George Akropolites explained Kaloyan's actions. He said Kaloyan was getting revenge for what Basil II had done to the Bulgarians many years before. Basil II was called the "Bulgarian-slayer." So, Kaloyan called himself the "Roman-slayer."
