After Mehmed II the Turkish Sultan had been occupied Constantinople (today Istanbul, Turkey) in 1453, the army of the Turkish Empire more and more treated the southern borders of Hungary. In 1456 the great victory at Nandorfehervar (today Beograd, Yugoslavia) stopped the Turkish expansion toward Europe for many years.
At Nandorfehervar the governor Janos Hunyadi, father of King Matthias, made a victory of crucial importance over Turkish army, which had more than 100 thousand soldiers. (See also the article on Hungarian saints Capistrano St John.)
The Pope decreed that in every church had to ring the church bell at noon for the victory of Christian army. Since that time church bells are rung at noon all around the world. After the victory plague broke out in Hungarian army and the governor died there as well.
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/mdm/2001/...
The politic power cut into two, to king party and Hunyadi party. After beheading Laszlo and arresting Matthias, sons of governor Hunyadi, broke out a war between the two parties. In the begin of 1458, after death of king Laszlo V, lower nobility elected the 18 year old Matthias, the younger son of Janos Hunyadi, as king. According to legend the election was held on Rakosmezo, the scene of assembly of nobles. That time River Danube was flood this area and its surface was freeze in. So they after say that Matthias was elected over the frozen Danube. At that time Matthias was in prison in Prague. Matthias was released when he married the daughter of the Czech governor, Podjebrad. Leader of Hunyadi party occupied the strategic positions of the government, and lower nobility get more rights and grants. For reign king Matthias had to get real power so he turned against his party and remove leaders from key positions (The king also arrested his uncle).
The young king introduced new economic policy to stabilise his reign. The so called 'door tax' (based on building sites) was changed to 'smoke tax' (based on families) The king forbid to use foreign currencies in the country, and introduced new stable valued gold currency. By the mid 1460 years the Turkish Empire occupied Serbia and Bosnia. Hungarian Kingdom replaced the traditional feudal army with professional mercenary force, the so-called 'Black Army', which had 15-20 thousand soldiers. That strong army fight successfully against Turks, with treated southern borders of Hungary.
But what happened in that time in Europe? § Finished the Hundred years old war between France and England.
Go To Page: 1 2
