Battle of Kosovo ( 1448 ) The Second Battle of Kosovo ( Hungarian : " második rigómezei csata " , Turkish : " İkinci Kosova savaşı " ) ( 17 October – 20 October 1448 ) was fought at Kosovo Polje between a coalition of the Kingdom of Hungary and Wallachia led by John Hunyadi , against an Ottoman - led coalition under Sultan Murad II . Background . At 1448 , John Hunyadi saw the right moment to lead a campaign against the Ottoman Empire . After the Defeat of Varna ( 1444 ) , he raised another army to attack the Ottomans . His strategy was based on an expected revolt of the Balkan people , a surprise attack , and destroying the main force of the Ottomans in a single battle . Hunyadi was totally immodest and led his forces without leaving any escort behind . In September 1448 Hunyadi led the Hungarian forces across the Danube river and camped them in Serbia next to Kovin , just outside the Serbian capital of Smederevo . For a full month the Hungarians were encamped there awaiting the German crusaders , the Wallachian Duke as well as the Bohemian and Albanian army . The Albanian army under Skanderbeg did not participate in this battle as he was prevented from linking with the Hunyadi ' s army by the Ottomans and their allies . It is believed that he was delayed by Đurađ Branković , then allied with Sultan Murad II , although Brankovic ' s exact role is disputed . As a result Skanderbeg ravaged Branković ' s domains as a punishment for the desertion of Christian cause . The Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković reacted ambiguously at the trespassing and negotiated the terms of joining the Crusade against the Ottomans over that period of time . Hunyadi had told Brankovic that he had brought 20 , 000 of his own men , awaiting additional reinforcements , and that he [ Brankovic ] with his light cavalry was the only ally necessary to make this a decisive victory . Brankovic was weary , having had his realm restored after a full - scale Ottoman occupation only in 1444 , and , fully aware of the strength of the Ottoman military force , wanting to keep his throne . Despot Brankovic was also unwilling to set himself under Hunyadi ' s command under any condition , as he personally disliked him , considering him of lower stature . The central point of the dispute between Hunyadi and Brankovic was their personal quarrel . After the Peace of Szeged in 1444 which restored the Serbian Despotate and Brankovic ' s reign in it , the Serbian despot had worked on achieving a peace in the region hoping to remove his country from jeopardy . This had included gifting Hunyadi the Serbian despot ' s possessions in the Hungarian Kingdom in favor of a pacifist approach . After Hunyadi eventually joined the warmongering side , Brankovic had asked for the return of his properties , which Hunyadi rejected . This led to Brankovic ' s straining away from Hungary and getting into a closer relationship with the Ottoman Empire , in an effort to protect his realm , as well as to a strong hostility towards Hunyadi and the negotiations ended as a failure . The Serbian rejection and positioning as a neutral side had led to Hunyadi ' s fury and the Crusaders ' decision to treat Serbia as hostile territory . At the end of the negotiations , Hunyadi had threatened to kill Brankovic in person after his country was occupied . In late September 1448 , Hunyadi had amassed 30 , 000 men and moved southwards . The Crusaders pillaged and burned across Serbia , but the Serb Despot gave an explicit order of free passage , refusing to mount a reaction . However , he not only informed Sultan Murad II of the Crusaders ' advance , out of both personal interest of friendship with the sultan and anger towards Hunyadi , but also gave him tactical strategic advice regarding the best way to defeat the Crusaders , a plan which the Ottomans followed . The idea included letting the Europeans advance deep into Serbian territory , far away from their homeland and then cut off their supply routes , effectively closing them in from all sides and trapping them . Battle . The Crusaders arrived at the Kosovo Field , the same place the most famous battle in Kosovo , between Serbs and Ottomans , had occurred , facing an Ottoman army of up to 60 , 000 . Sultan Murad personally commanded a large section of cannons and janissaries , while his son and successor Mehmed , who faced battle for the first time , led the Anatolian troops at the right wing . Hunyadi commanded the center of his army at the battle , while the Crusaders right wing was under the Wallachians . The Hungarians had long barrage cannons . The next day the battle opened when Hunyadi attacked the Ottoman flanks with mixed cavalry ( light and heavy ) . The Turkish flanks , consisting of soldiers from Rumelia and Anatolia , were losing until Turkish light cavalry arrived to reinforce them . The Christian flanks were subsequently routed and the survivors retreated back to Hunyadi ' s main force . When Hunyadi saw the defeat of his flanks , he attacked with his main force , composed of knights and light infantry . The janissary corps were not successful and the cavalry made progress through the Turkish center , but were stopped at the Turkish camp . When the main attack was halted , the Turkish infantry regrouped and successfully drove the Hungarian knights back . The light cavalry , who were now without the knights ' support were also overcome . Hungarian forces retreated to their camp . During the retreat , the janissaries killed most of the Hungarian nobles and Hunyadi fled . However , Serbs later captured him . During the night , Turkish infantry fired missiles at the Hungarians who replied with cannons . On the next day , a final assault totally annihilated the remaining Hungarian army . The two - day battle in Kosovo saw both sides take heavy casualties but left the Ottoman force in command of the field at the end of the second day . The Hungarians ' army possibly amounted to 24 , 000 and the Turkish between 40 , 000 and 60 , 000 . Aftermath . The Christian Balkan states were unable to resist the Ottomans after this defeat , eventually falling under control of the Ottoman Empire . After the battle Hunyadi was captured by Brankovic , who didn ' t release him until a ransom of 100 , 000 florins , the return of the domains that Hunyadi had revocated from Brankovic and the engagement of Hunyadi ' s heir to Brankovic ' s daughter were agreed upon . For the remainder of his reign Hunyadi successfully defended the Kingdom of Hungary against the Ottoman campaigns . Skanderbeg also successfully continued his resistance in Albania until his death in 1468 , 10 years later the country fell under full Ottoman control .