The Political Background in Hungary of the Campaign of Jajce in 1463
The Political Background in Hungary of the Campaign of Jajce in 1463

Author(s): Tamás Pálosfalvy
Subject(s): Local History / Microhistory, Military history, Political history, Government/Political systems, Political behavior, 15th Century, The Ottoman Empire
Published by: Hrvatski institut za povijest
Keywords: Matthias Corvinus; Jajce; Bosnia; Hungarian Kingdom;
Summary/Abstract: Following the 1458 accession of the young Matthias Hunyady (Corvinus) to the throne of Hungary-Croatia, the Hungarian public opinion as well as the papacy expected from the king to continue an active anti-Ottoman politics. Yet he had not been coronated and his position was threatened for several reasons. A number of leading barons turned against him in the early 1459 while the Ottoman pressure, culminating in the occupation of Serbia, continued to rise. The success of his Jajce campaign thus represented the first turning point in the reign of Matthias Corvinus. The unsuccessful siege of Zvornik that followed must have convinced the king to question the wisdom of continuing traditional offensive warfare against the Ottomans. This essay examines political-military processes that resulted in the Jajce campaign, Matthias’s plans in Bosnia after the fall of Serbia, political problems after 1459 as well as the slow consolidation of the king’s position that eventually made possible active intervention in Bosnia.

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