Part XII
Many advocated a campaign against Hungary, including the Grand Vizier. But Ahmed knew that conquering Hungary would indefinetley mean butting heads with the powerful Habsburgs, and the Holy Roman Empire. But while Ahmed was consolidating his claims on Iraq, Aden and the Barbary Coast, an alliance between Hungary, Austria, the Holy Roman Empire and Tuscany, dubbed the Papal League, crossed the Danube and attacked the Ottoman holdings. Isolated garrisons were quickly taken, and in several weeks, they reached Belgrade. An army of 75 000 laid seige to the city. The Ottoman garrison, while small resisted for several months, until a large reilef army from Rumelia and Thrace arrived. Led by Sultan Ahmed I, himself, the army quickly reached Belgrade. Though tired and weary from the march, they were forced to fight the Hungarians. The Christians were able to drive the Ottomans back. They were in danger of being driven into the river, but at that moment, sallies were led by the Garrison leader into the Christain rear. The effect was horrid. the Christains thinking that they were encircled fled. The Ottomans had gained a victory, but the Christains had regrouped and they quickly advanced down the Adriatic, capturing Zagreb, Sarajevo and then laying seige to Belgrade once more.
The army led by Hakim Pasha was directed to once again fight the Christains, but were decisivly routed. The army fled. Meanwhile, a rebellion broke out in Greece. And simeltaneously, Tuscany invaded Ottoman Italia, with an Army of 15 000. The Ottoman governor Halil Karaman Pasha quickly organized all garrisons, and militia units, and mustered an army of 4500. Reinforcements were hard to come, as the main army was engaged in the Balkans, recieving one defeat after another. Halil Karaman played trickery, fitting militia with Janissary and regular uniforms, and cavalry charge consisted of two horses for one man, to scare the enemy. Along with some decisie maneuvering, they drove the Tuscans back, even attacking Tuscan border towns, before being ordered back to set up defenses against another attack.
A Christain Army, emboldened by Austrian and German recruits captured Belgrade, and quickly attacked Macedonia. Another Ottoman Army led by the incompetent Hakim Pasha was routed near Skopje. Sultan Ahmed beheaded Hakim Pasha, led an army of 85 000 men from Anatolia, Syria and Iraq, and quickly struck north, a flanking movement by Janissarie amd Cavalry quickly won, and the Christains were driven back. The tide had turned, and the Christains retreated to Zagreb. Though the city was under seige for several months, the garrison would not budge. Seeing that another army was being raised in the Hungarian and Austrian lands, and the Safavids were acting up once again, Ahmed had no choice but to sue for peace. Croatia and Slovenia were ceded to Hungaria, and the Ottomans were forced to pay for reparation. Parts of Serbia were also ceded. The Ottomans now behind the Danube were seething. But Ahmed sought no gain from conquering the Croatians again. No, the Portugese had recently discovered a land to the west, that held gold and silver beyond a man's dream.
