Mehmed II's Albanian campaign

Ottoman invasion of Albania of 1452
Fushata shqiptare e Mehmetit II
Part of Ottoman wars in Europe
Date21 July 1452
Location
eastern Albania
Result Albanian victory
Belligerents
League of Lezhë Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Skanderbeg
Moisi Golemi
Tahip Pasha 
Hamza Pasha (POW)
Strength
14,000 [1] 25,000–27,000
Casualties and losses
1,000 dead or wounded 7,000 dead or wounded

The Ottoman invasion of Albania in 1452 (Albanian: Fushata shqiptare e Mehmetit II) was a campaign by the newly acceded Ottoman sultan Mehmed II against Skanderbeg, the chief of the League of Lezhë. Shortly after the first siege of Krujë, Murad II died in Edirne, and was succeeded by his son Mehmed II. Mehmed ordered nearly annual invasions of Albania which often resulted in multiple battles in one year. The first of these expeditions was sent in 1452 under the dual command of Hamza Pasha and Tahip Pasha, with an army of approximately 25,000 men.

Albania at the time was suffering a crisis of power as Skanderbeg, the chief of the League of Lezhë, became a vassal of Alfonso the Magnanimous, the king of Aragon. Worried about another growing adversary in the Venetian Gulf, the Republic of Venice tried to turn Skanderbeg's allies against him in order to weaken Alfonso's influence. Realizing his opportunity, Mehmed ordered an invasion of Albania. Skanderbeg, knowing the impetuous nature of the new sultan and the effect it would have if his army were not immediately defeated, acted quickly. When the Ottoman army split into two separate forces, Skanderbeg attacked and defeated both Hamza and Tahip. Tahip was killed in battle and Hamza was captured and ransomed for 13,000 ducats along with his staff. Soon thereafter, Skanderbeg cajoled his former Venetian adversaries into easing Albanian-Venetic relations.

  1. ^ Noli p. 100.