jan 1, 1402 - Battle of Ankara

Description:

The Battle of Ankara was a military confrontation between Ottoman Sultan Bayezid the first and the Turkic ruler Timur. Bayezid’s humiliating loss almost destroyed the Ottoman Empire. Bayezid had spent much of his early reign campaigning against Turkish emirates, beyliks. At the height of his power he was drawn away from fighting Christian threats by Timur's army that was advancing from Iraq, where he had previously devastated Baghdad. As Bayezid marched eastwards, Timur cut behind him and besieged the vital city of Ankara. Timur cut off access to water, forcing the Ottomans to attack. Thousands of Ottoman infantry were slaughtered, as thousands more deserted to join the opposing force. Bayezid fled, but eventually died in captivity and the Timurid Empire declined rapidly after Timur's death.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: