Battle of Bileća

Battle of Bileća
Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe
Date August 27th, 1388 Location Bileća Result Decisive Bosnian victory[1]
Belligerents
Bosnian Kingdom	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Vlatko Vuković Radič Sanković	Lala Şâhin Paşa
Strength
7.000	18.000
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Bileća was fought on 27 August 1388 between Bosnian forces led by Duke Vlatko Vuković and the Ottomans under the leadership of Lala Şahin Pasha. Vlatkos army numbered 7,000 fighters from Bosnia, and Şahin Pashas army numbered 18,000 fighters. It was the first facing of Turks at Rudine, the Bosnians, although fewer, finally fought near the town of Bileća and gave them a defeat, which delayed the Ottomans' advances into Bosnia. Şahin Pasha escaped by fleeing, while the losses in the victorious ranks were insignificant.

The Battle has left a great impression on the people of that era who engraved at the tomb of Duke Vlatko in Boljuni near Stolac the following inscription:

Ase leži dobri čoek Vlatko Vuković. Vojvoda Vlatko je prvi pobijedio Turke kod Bileće 27. avgusta 1388.

(Here lies the good man Vlatko Vuković. Duke Vlatko was the first who defeated the Turks at Bileća August 27th 1388.)

Notes

1. Finkel (2005), pp. 20-21

See also

• Battle of Dubravnica
• Battle of Pločnik
• Battle of Kosovo

References

• Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream, (Basic Books, 2005).
• Orbini, Mavro, Kraljevstvo Slovena