The Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241-1242 was part of a larger Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe that was launched by Batu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. The invasion was part of a broader strategy of Mongol expansion that aimed to bring as much of Eurasia as possible under Mongol rule, and Hungary was one of the major European states that stood in the way of the Mongol advance.
The Mongol invasion of Hungary was a major disaster for the Hungarian state. The Hungarian army was destroyed at the Battle of Mohi, and the major Hungarian cities were occupied. The Mongols extracted a large tribute from the Hungarian population, and the Hungarian state was forced to pay tribute to the Mongols for many decades.
The Causes of the Invasion
The most important of the causes of the Mongol invasion of Hungary was the Mongol desire to expand their territory. The Mongols had been expanding their empire for several decades, and they had conquered much of Central Asia, the Middle East, and China. The invasion of Eastern Europe was a logical extension of the Mongol expansion, and Hungary was one of the major European states that stood in the way.
The second most important of the causes was the Hungarian refusal to submit to Mongol demands. The Mongols had sent envoys to the Hungarian court, demanding that the Hungarians submit to Mongol rule and pay tribute. The Hungarians refused, and the Mongols took the refusal as a casus belli.
The third most important of the causes was the Hungarian alliance with the Cumans, a Turkic people who had been driven westward by the Mongol advance. The Hungarians had given shelter to the Cumans, and the alliance was a major obstacle to the Mongol expansion. The Mongols took the alliance as a threat, and they used the alliance as a pretext for the invasion.
The Course of the Invasion
The Mongol invasion of Hungary was carried out by a Mongol army of perhaps 100,000 to 150,000 men, and it was directed against the major Hungarian cities and military forces. The invasion began in early 1241, when the Mongol army crossed the Carpathian Mountains and entered Hungarian territory.
The Mongol army moved with terrifying speed, and within a few weeks, it had reached the Hungarian plain. The most important engagement of the invasion was the Battle of Mohi on 11 April 1241, in which the Hungarian army was destroyed and King Béla IV was forced to flee.
The Mongol invasion of Hungary was a major disaster for the Hungarian state. The Hungarian army was destroyed, and the major Hungarian cities were occupied. The Mongols extracted a large tribute from the Hungarian population, and the Hungarian state was forced to pay tribute to the Mongols for many decades.
The Withdrawal of the Mongols
The Mongol invasion of Hungary was eventually ended by the withdrawal of the Mongols from Europe in 1242, triggered by the death of Ögedei Khan and by the unusually wet spring of 1242, which had turned the Hungarian plain into a marsh. The withdrawal was a major event in the history of the Mongol invasions, and it marked the beginning of a long period of relative disengagement from Europe. (The popular story that the Mongols paused before the walls of Vienna is not supported by contemporary sources; the Mongols reached the area around Wiener Neustadt but did not advance on Vienna itself.)
The withdrawal was, however, not the end of the Mongol threat to Hungary. The Mongols continued to project power into Eastern Europe for the rest of the thirteenth century, and Hungary was forced to pay tribute to the Golden Horde for many decades. The withdrawal also did not prevent further Mongol raids into Hungary, which occurred at various times throughout the rest of the thirteenth century.
The Aftermath of the Invasion
The Mongol invasion of Hungary had a profound effect on the political and military history of Hungary. The invasion marked the end of the Hungarian Kingdom as a major power, and it opened the way for a long period of Mongol influence in the region. The invasion also marked the beginning of a long period of military reform in Hungary, as the Hungarians tried to learn from the Mongol experience and to develop new military tactics.
The invasion was also significant for the political reaction of the European states. The invasion was a major shock to the European political and military establishment, and it led to a number of important changes in the European military and political organization. The most important of these changes was the development of new military tactics, including the use of heavy cavalry and the use of fortifications.
Sources
- Peter Jackson, The Mongols and the West, 1221–1410 (London, 2005).
- James Chambers, The Devil’s Horsemen: The Mongol Invasion of Europe (London, 1979).
- David Morgan, The Mongols (2nd ed., Oxford, 2007).