What happened in 1389 that led to the war over kosovo?

Question

and why is it significant to students of international relations????

Answer 1

The Muslims invaded and killed everyone. They have been squatting there ever since, trying to wipe out every last vestige of Christianity and burning ancient churches.

And now they want to declare independence. That's why the Serbs hate them. Can't say I blame them really.

Answer 2

Ottoman empire wanted to expand it's borders everywhere,and especially towards Europe and Balkans.Serbia,Bulgaria and Byzantine empire were first on their way.Byzantine empire was soon made so small by the Ottomans (Turks) that it held just Constantinopolis with ground near it.The Bulgarian lands were all conquered until 1396.

Serbian empire was,by the time when Turks started their invasion,very shaked and weakened by constant fighting for power,after the Nemanich dynasty perished.The empire was divided in many regions,thus incapable of effective defense.The most powerful of those Serbian regions were Moravska (today central Serbia) and Macedonia (today FYROM).Macedonian Serbs were decimated after Turks managed to defeat their army by trick at battle of Maritza river in 1371.However,more powerful Serbian state,Moravska,was still a great threat for the Turks.It was led by duke Lazar Hrebeljanovich.A great patriot and a great Christian.His army managed to defeat Turks in two battles,at Plocnik (1386.) and  at Biletcha (1388).After that,Turks decided to gather a great army and force Moravska to surrender to their power.So,their sultan,Murat I,amassed the army of around 40 000 men strong and came to Kosovo field on 28. of June,1389.It is important to know that 28. of June is a great Serbian celebration,Vidovdan.Lazar,on the other hand had around 15 000 brave and well trained men,unlike Murat,who had a greater force,but one of a lesser quality.

The battle of Kosovo,one of most important events in Serbian history,was fought whole day.The leaders of Serbian side were:duke Lazar Hrebeljanovich (supreme commander of serbian forces),Vuk/Wulf Brankowich (also duke,but of a lesser influence than Lazar) and Milos Obilich,the greatest Serbian hero,a man who managed to fight through Turkish army and kill the turkish leader,Murat I himself!

Milos was soon killed,but his achievement remain as an example of greatest possible courage in Serbian history.Lazar was later during the battle captured and decaputated by the Turks,while Wolf Brankovich tried to make a flank attack on the Turks,but he arrieved too late and is remembred in Serbian national poetry as a traitor,although he wasn't really.As for the Turks,they lost their sultan,Murat I,and his sons,Bayazit and Jakub,started to fight each other for power as soon as their father died.At the end of the day,Bayazit killed Jakub and became the new sultan.

The tactics were like this:serbian and turkish archers fired arrows at each other at the biggining.Next,Serbian heavy cavalry charge on Turkish infantry.They manage to kill large number of Turks,but by the end of the battle they are all killed by the Turks.The,Turkish cavalry charges,but they get decimated by Serbian heavy infantry.Turks then throw their reserves into battle,so do Serbs,but as the number of the Turks was much,much greater,the Serbian army started to get exausted.At the end of the day,both armies were destroyed.Almost everyone who entered this battle ended up dead,but Serbia was in worse condition,because Ottoman empire was much larger and could replace the fallen soldiers faster,unlike small Serbia.

Conclusion:First of all your question is posted wrong.The battle of Kosovo in 1389. was the culmination of the battles between Christian Serbia and Muslim Turkey.The war beetween the two sides begun as early as 1354.Second,this battle is a perfect example of Serbian courage.Serbs fought to defend their culture and religion against all odds (like today against Albania and it's allies,USA and NATO),knowing that they will probably all die in the attempt.Nevertheless,they destroyed the whole Ottoman army,and Serbia was independent up to 1459. when it finally fell under the constant Turkish attacks.Third,concerning modern politics and modern international relations,Albania didn't exist until late 19. or early 20. century.So,their fairy tales of their "grand" history are nothing but lies.

GM-Serbia is independent state ever since 1190. after battle on river Morava against Byzantine empire.

Answer 3

Ottoman expansionism gradually moved into the Balkans and the old territories of the wanning Byzantine Empire including Kosovo. This process gradually occurred over time and I don't know of any one event that sparked the battle.

The battle killed off the Serbian nobility and set back Serbian culture and political power for centuries. It has remained a political backwater of Europe ever since.

http://mdgottfried.tripod.com/kosovo.htm

Answer 4

Ethnic conflicts led to the war in Kosovo and it has remained a problem thereat until these days.

Answer 5

If you want to cut through the Serbian rhetoric, there is a very simple answer to this.

Kosovo is very important to the Serbs as they gained independence for the first time, as a result of a battle in 1389 with the Ottoman Empire. This occurred just outside current Pristina (marked with an imposing monument).

In the recent negotiations, you can hear the language used by the Serbs reflecting the importance of this battle and their subsequent independence.

Why is it important to international relations? So many current tensions over land is similarly argued. The Serbs argue that Kosovo is important as it is the seat of Serbian identity as of 1389. The Albanians argue that it is their land stemming from the Ottoman Empire pre-1389. If you study any ethnic / land-based tension you will hear the same arguments.