The imperial campaigns ()The Ottoman Turkish name for the imperial campaigns, according to Şemseddin Sâmî (Frashëri) in his book (Kamûs-ül Â'lâm) were a series of campaigns led by Suleiman, who was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.Zürcher (1999), p. 38.
In 1520, Suleiman became the Sultan at the age of 25, succeeding his father Selim I (who had himself more than doubled the size of the Empire through his own campaigns), and began a series of military conquests.Turnbull (2003), p. 45. In addition to campaigns led by his viziers and admirals, Suleiman personally led 13 campaigns.Some sources list 14 campaigns as Suleiman did made preparations for a campaign against his son Şehzade Beyazıt in 1559, but he renounced campaigning upon the latter's retreat to Persia (Encyclopaedia metropolitana: or Universal dictionary of knowledge, Volume 13. (1845) B. Fellowes). The total duration of these campaigns was ten years and three months.Pitcher (1972), p. 112. The details of the first eight campaigns were preserved in Suleiman's diary.Pitcher (1972), p. 111. His main opponents were Ferdinand I from the House of Habsburg (later the Holy Roman Emperor), and Tahmasp I of Safavid Persia. Most of Suleiman's campaigns were directed to the west.Faroqhi (2008), p. 62. In 1521 the Ottomans captured Belgrade, which had been besieged unsuccessfully by Mehmed the Conqueror, and in 1526 the Battle of Mohács ended with the defeat of Louis II of Hungary. But Suleiman did not annex most of Hungary till 1541. In 1529 Suleiman's conquests were checked at the siege of Vienna. Although from 1529 to 1566 the borders of the Ottoman Empire moved further west, none of the later campaigns achieved the decisive victory that would secure the new Ottoman possessions.Uyar and Erickson (2009), p. 74. He annexed most of the Near East in his conflict with the Safavids. Under Suleiman's rule, the Ottoman annexed large swathes of North Africa as far west as Algeria, while the Ottoman fleet dominated the Mediterranean Sea.Mansel (2006), p. 61.
In January 1566 Suleiman, who had ruled the Ottoman Empire for 46 years, went to war for the last time.Turnbull (2003), p. 55. Although he was 72 years old and suffered gout to the extent that he was carried on a litter, he nominally commanded his thirteenth military campaign. On 1 May 1566, the Sultan left Constantinople at the head of one of the largest armies he had ever commanded. Nikola Šubić Zrinski's success in an attack upon an Ottoman encampment at Siklós, and as a consequence Suleiman's siege of Szigetvár, blocked Ottoman's line of advance towards Vienna.Turnbull (2003), p. 56. Although an Ottoman victory, the battle stopped the Ottoman push for Vienna that year, since Suleiman died during the siege.Turnbull (2003), p. 57.
Usage The table's columns (except for Notes and Images) are sortable by pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works. #: number of the campaigns which Suleiman personally led. This does not include the campaigns led by his viziers and admirals. Campaign: name of the campaigns (alternative names for some campaigns are included below the first name)
Campaign dates: time period of campaign with opening and terminal dates of each campaign Notes: Campaign path which is in small font, describes Suleiman's exact direction in particular campaign. Suleiman's main battle/target is bolded. Below the campaign path there is a short description of the campaign, covering all major events. Image: presented image is closely related with campaign, usually showing the main battle/target
Campaigns
# CampaignPitcher (1972), pp. 111–112. Campaign dates Notes Image1 BelgradeorFirst Hungarian (Angurus) –19 October 1521Campaign path: Filibe (Plovdiv)–Niš–Belgrade–Semendire (Smederevo)The Ottomans under Suleiman made preparations for the conquest of Belgrade, which had been besieged unsuccessfully by Mehmed the Conqueror. With a garrison of only 700 men, and receiving no aid from the Kingdom of Hungary, Belgrade fell in August 1521.Imber (2002), p. 49.Belgrade in 16th century2Rhodes –30 January 1523Campaign path: Kütahya–Denizli–Rhodes–AlaşehirThe Siege of Rhodes was the second and ultimately successful attempt by the Ottomans to expel the Knights of Rhodes (Knights Hospitaller) from their island stronghold and thereby secure Ottoman control of the Eastern Mediterranean. In the summer of 1522, Suleiman dispatched an armada of some 400 ships while personally leading an army of 100,000 across Asia Minor to a point opposite the island.Kinross (1979), p. 176. Following a siege of five months, Rhodes capitulated and Suleiman allowed the Knights of Rhodes to depart.Siege of Rhodes3MohácsorSecond Hungarian –13 November 1526Campaign path: Belgrade–Peterwardein (Petrovaradin)–Eszek (Osijek)–Mohács–Buda (Ofen)–Szeged(Szegedin)–Bécse (Bečej)On 29 August 1526, at the Battle of Mohács, the Christian forces led by Louis II of Hungary were defeated by Ottoman forces led by Suleiman.Turnbull (2003), p. 49. After king Louis was killed in the battle, both the Kingdom of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia became disputed territories between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires. While the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia nominated Austrian archduke Ferdinand I as the king of Hungary and Croatia,Corvisier and Childs (1994), p. 289. the Ottomans appointed John Zápolya as the king.Turnbull (2003), pp. 55–56. After Hungarian resistance collapsed, the Ottoman Empire became the pre-eminent power in Southeast Europe.Kinross (1979), p. 187.Battle of Mohács4 Vienna –16 December 1529Campaign path: Mohács–Buda(Ofen)–Komorn (Komárom)–Győr–ViennaThe Ottomans' first attempt to capture Vienna failed in 1529.Turnbull (2003), pp. 49–51.Sander (1897), p. 49.Egemen (2002), p. 505. Under Charles V and his brother Ferdinand, the Habsburgs reoccupied Buda, but Suleiman quickly regained control of Buda, and in the following autumn laid siege to Vienna. Although a failure, the siege signalled the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire's power and the maximum extent of Ottoman expansion in central Europe. The campaign can also be viewed as a success, since John Zápolya was to rule thereafter most of Hungary as a vassal of Ottomans until his death.Encyclopaedia Britannica, Expo 70 ed., Vol 21, p.388Siege of Vienna5Kőszeg (Güns)orGreat German () –21 November 1532Campaign path: Eszek (Osijek)–Babócsa–Rum–Styria–Güns (Kőszeg)–Pettau (Ptuj)–Varaždin–PožegaThe Ottomans' second attempt to conquer Vienna failed in 1532.Wheatcroft (2009), p. 59. After Suleiman crossed the river Drava at Osijek, instead of taking the usual route for Vienna, he turned westwards into Ferdinand's held Hungarian territory. After taking a few minor places, he laid siege to a border town called Güns (Kőszeg). According to some sources Suleiman was repulsed in the Siege of Güns.Thompson (1996), p. 442.Ágoston and Alan Masters (2009), p. 583. In another account, Croatian baron Nikola Jurišić who was the city's commander, was offered terms for a nominal surrender.Turnbull (2003), p. 51. In both versions, Suleiman withdrew at the arrival of the August rains.Vambery, p. 298.