Battle of Adrianople (1205)

Battle of Adrianople
Part of Bulgarian–Latin wars
DateApril 14, 1205
Location
Surroundings of Adrianople, Thrace
(modern-day Edirne, Turkey)
Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Second Bulgarian Empire Latin Empire
 Republic of Venice
Commanders and leaders
Kaloyan of Bulgaria Baldwin I (POW)
Louis of Blois  
Renaud de Montmirail  
Stephen du Perche  
Geoffrey Villehardouin
Enrico Dandolo
Manessier of L'Isle
Strength
  • Geoffrey of Villehardouin: around 40,000 Bulgarians and Vlachs (infantry, cavalry and archers) and 14,000 Cumans (light & missile cavalry)[1]
  • Modern estimate (Alexander Stoyanov): around 7,800 Bulgarians and Vlachs incl. Cumans
c. 4,000
300 heavy knights
(mainly from France)
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Battle of Adrianople occurred around Adrianople on April 14, 1205, between Bulgarians and Cumans under Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria, and Crusaders under Baldwin I, who only months before had been crowned Emperor of Constantinople, allied with Venetians[2] under Doge Enrico Dandolo. The battle was won by the Bulgarian Empire after a successful ambush.[3]

  1. ^ Phillips, Jonathan (2004) The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople, London: Jonathan Cape ISBN 0-224-06986-1; p. 289.
  2. ^ "Dandolo" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 07 (11th ed.). 1911.
  3. ^ Archaeology, in Bulgaria (21 May 2015). "Battle of Adrianople (1205 AD) - Archaeology in Bulgaria". Archaeology in Bulgaria. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015.