August 3, 1456 (Vienna)
Here the king of Hungary, Ladislaus V, writes to Duke Francesco Sforza of Milan (see document 15) in the wake of the victory at Belgrade. The king recounts news of the battle, taking an opportunity to clothe himself in the splendor of the victory. He also highlights the ongoing danger and his own projected role in the response. The letter concludes with its ultimate aim: an appeal for troops.
Source: Trans. J. Mixson, from Josef Chmel, ed., “Briefe und Aktenstüke zur Geschichte der Herzoge von Mailand von 1452 bis 1513,” Archiv für österreichische Geschichte. Notizenblatt 6 (1856): 33–4.
To the illustrious prince, Lord Francis, Duke of Milan, our beloved friend, Ladislaus, by the grace of God king of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, etc. and Duke of Austria and Styria, also marquis of Moravia, etc.
To the illustrious prince, Lord Francis, Duke of Milan, our beloved friend, greetings and friendly affections. Illustrious prince and our beloved friend, there is no doubt that by now you have sufficiently inquired into how the Turk, an evil enemy, has begun to scheme toward forever oppressing Christian liberty. And if at this point you should have any doubt about it – or if you could recognize it from the very facts themselves – the fight with us is not about glory, but about life and blood. Indeed, we have fought bitterly in a naval battle no less than with our forces on land, and there was no other reason than that we, who were supported with the troops that had been promised by Catholic princes, spurned the conditions of a truce that the enemy had formerly offered. When he then heard that all of Christendom had been stirred into action for a general expedition, and that we were coming against him with an army, he was struck with fear and sent diplomats to all of the gentile world1 and begged for their help, not only to guard against the loss of life, but to guard the fortune, safety, and freedom of all the heathen world – all because he thought he was about to fight not only with us, but with all the Christian people, on both land and sea.
With this reasoning, a force was gathered together: one that not only our strength could not match, but that would be difficult for all of Christendom to face. He stirred up all of these forces against us and against our kingdom of Hungary so that, having captured our kingdom, he would more easily be able to break out against others and rule over them. Thus, he struck out against one of our fortresses along the borders of our kingdom and besieged it without any interruption. And had he conquered it, nothing would be left but for our kingdom also to be conquered, and thereafter indeed other Christian kingdoms would seem defenseless. From all of this you should understand that this Turk would bring to Catholic princes either harsh servitude or the cruelest destruction. The whole matter urges us to avoid this – not only what he has already done against us, but further crimes he is considering.2
But now, with the Lord’s hand, in whose power are all of the laws of kingdoms, the great part of the enemy’s army has been routed; all of the machines of war with which he opposed our fortress have been captured; a few of the enemy who were guarded by the speed of their horses have escaped. And yet the Turk, having suffered such a remarkable defeat, resolves anew to recover his strength as much as possible and to fight with us until either he is victorious or meets his own death. And since we estimate our own forces to be unequal to his, we ask and encourage your friendship that you come to our aid with a great show of force, so that this common danger can be avoided by mutual aid, since the crisis threatens us no less than you. For insofar as it has fallen to us in facing such grave danger, we now gather together not only princes and nobles but every individual to withstand the attack of the enemy. We ourselves are going down in person soon, together with the greatest of armies, gathered together from across all of our dominions, to fight with the enemy, insofar as we are able. But if fortune should begrudge us our strength, and if you should delay in ordering that troops be sent more than the moment and our danger requires, beware lest we fall and you steadily retreat, [and?] our fire be extinguished by your ruin.3 The rest will be explained to your friendship by our trusted [messenger], the venerable George, provost of Pozsony,4 our counselor. You may trust in his report, and we ask that you send him back to us as quickly as possible with the response we eagerly await.
Given at Vienna on the third day of the month of August in the year of the Lord 1456, but of our reigns in Hungary, etc. the seventeenth, and in Bohemia the third.
King Ladislaus, by my own hand.
1 Here meaning, broadly, Ottoman subjects and allies.
2 The letter’s phrasing and meaning here are somewhat obscure.
3 Here another obscure phrase in the original.
4 Pressburg, or modern Bratislava.