Tenth Crusade

The Tenth Crusade, also known as the 1444 Papal-Ottoman War and the Papal-Ottoman Conflict of 1444, was a crusade or holy war led by Catholic and Orthodox armies led by the Pope against the Sublime Ottoman State.
== Road to War ==
=== Lord Edward's Crusade ===
Lord Edward's Crusade, otherwise the Ninth Crusade, was a crusade to Palestine (Holy Land) against the Mamluk Egyptians. It ended in 1272 and was the last crusade in Palestine. With the rise of the Sublime Ottoman State afterwards, a pathway was created for a Tenth Crusade against them to happen.
=== Crusade of Varna ===
In 1443, Catholic forces attempted an unsuccessful crusade against the Ottomans. This crusade ended inconclusively, leading the way for the Tenth Crusade.
== War ==
=== Gebze Landing ===
On April 2, 1444, Crusaders under the State of the Church and allied nations numbering in ~3,000 land at the city of Gebze on the Ottoman coast. Ottoman forces attacking the landing Crusaders and fired at them, killing ~200. The Ottomans forces in Gebze, numbering at ~800, would launch another assault and kill another ~400 Crusaders. The Crusaders would be forced to retreat. The Ottomans only had 11 deaths.
=== Samsun Raid ===
On May 6, 1444, ~200 Crusaders landed at Samsun. However, the Ottomans and their allies had discovered Crusader plans and had prepared defences at the city. The entire Crusader force would be killed by ~1000 Ottomans.
=== Thessaloniki Landing ===
On July 24, 1444, ~10,000 Crusaders landed at Thessaloniki, in Ottoman Greece. The Ottomans hadn't been predicting this attack, and the local Ottoman garrison stationed there would put up a small fight, but surrender after two days. 12 Crusaders would die in the successful landing, while ~100 Ottomans would die.
=== Siege of Thessaloniki ===
Following the fall of Thessaloniki to Crusaders on July 26, 1444, the Ottomans would send more troops to retake the city. ~30,000 well trained Ottoman soldiers under the command of several experienced Ottoman generals would reach the suburbs of Thessaloniki on August 15, 1444, with canons. The next day, the Muslim forces would open fire and unleash heck into the Crusdader occupied city. On August 27, 1444, Ottoman forces would begin to enter the city and street fighting would begin. The Crusaders would continue to hold out, and guerrilla-like fighting would ensue. By November 5, 1444, Ottoman forces had cornered the Crusaders by the docks in southern Thessaloniki. The Crusaders would request a ceasefire and the Ottomans would accept. On December 8, 1444, the Ottomans and Pope signed the Treaty of Thessaloniki, ending the war. By the end of the battle, ~20,000 Crusaders were dead and ~5,000 Ottomans were dead.
== Aftermath ==
In the aftermath, the war would be inconclusive. Crusaders would withdraw from Thessaloniki, and the Ottomans would agree to pay war reparations to the Pope for a year. The stage was set for a plausible Eleventh Crusade, but the Christians and Muslims were at peace for now. ~25,900 people died total in the Tenth Crusade.
Category:War
Category:World of Crusades