Battle of Velbazhd

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Battle of Velbazhd
Part of Bulgarian-Serbian Wars
A detail from a 16th-century icon of Stefan Dečanski, depicting the Battle of Velbazhd.
Date 28 July 1330 Location Kyustendil Result Serbian victory[2]
Belligerents
Bulgarian Empire Supported by: Wallachia Andronikos III Palaiologos (Byzantine Empire) [1]	Kingdom of Serbia Supported by: Andronikos II Palaiologos (Byzantine Empire) and the Catalan Company
Commanders and leaders
Michael III † Belaur Ivan Alexander Basarab I  (WIA)	Stefan Dečanski Stefan Dušan Jovan Oliver
Strength
c. 15,000 12,000 Bulgarians,[3] 3,000 mercenaries (Vlachs, Jasz people, Cumans, Tatars)[4]	c. 15,000–18,000: 15,000 Serbs, 1,000–2,000 Catalan mercenaries, mainly Italians from the Kingdom of Naples[4] and 1,000? German mercenaries
Casualties and losses
Heavy	Light

The Battle of Velbazhd (Bulgarian: битка при Велбъжд, romanized: bitka pri Velbazhd; Serbian: Битка код Велбужда, romanized: Bitka kod Velbužda) took place between Bulgarian and Serbian armies on 28 July 1330, near the town of Velbazhd (present day Kyustendil).^[5]

The growing power of the Serbian Kingdom from the late 13th century raised serious concerns in the traditional Balkan powers Bulgaria and Byzantine Empire which agreed for joint military actions against Serbia in 1327.^[6] Three years later the bulk of the Bulgarian and Serbian armies clashed at Velbazhd and the Bulgarians were caught by surprise. Serbian victory shaped the balance of power in Balkans for the next two decades. The Bulgarians did not lose territory after the battle but were unable to stop the Serbian advance towards Macedonia. Serbia managed to conquer Macedonia and parts of Thessaly and Epirus reaching its greatest territorial extent ever. Their new king Stefan Dušan was crowned Emperor with support from Bulgarian Patriarch Symeon in 1346.