John Hunyadi

Hunyadi commanded the Hungarian and allied forces against the Ottoman army of Sultan Murad II at Varna. The crusader army was defeated, and King W

Following the death of King Albert II and the minority of Ladislaus V, John Hunyadi was elected regent of Hungary by the Diet. He assumed effective control of the kingdom, organizing defense against Ottoman threats and consolidating royal authority.

Hunyadi led a Hungarian army into Serbia to confront the Ottomans at Kosovo Polje. After three days of fighting, the Hungarian forces were defeated by Sultan Murad II. The loss ended major crusading efforts in the Balkans for decades.

Hunyadi, with the help of Franciscan friar John of Capistrano, led a relief force to break the Ottoman siege of Belgrade. The Hungarian victory forced Sultan Mehmed II to retreat, halting Ottoman expansion into Hungary for 70 years. Hunyadi died of plague shortly after.