Some historians argue that the trajectory of global politics was irrevocably altered on June 28, 1389. That fateful day saw the armies of Serbia and the Ottoman Empire collide on the outskirts of what we now know as Kosovo. Both sides paid a devastating price in blood, but the Ottomans ultimately managed to eke out a narrow victory. With Serbian military power shattered, the Ottoman sultans found the door wide open to sweep across southeastern Europe — a campaign that would reach its apex when Mehmed the Conqueror seized Constantinople in 1453.
Ever since Stefan Uroš V passed away, the Serbian Empire had been sliding into decline. Known as 'the Weak' even during his own lifetime, he left behind no heir, which sent the remaining Serbian nobles into a bitter power struggle amongst themselves. Making matters worse, a large portion of the Serbian nobility had been wiped out at the Battle of Maritsa in the very same year that Uroš V died.
Among Serbian leaders, Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović stood alone in recognizing the looming danger posed by the Turkish Ottomans to the East. He devoted much of his time in power to a dual mission: strengthening his own political position and bolstering his kingdom's military capabilities. By the time battle arrived, he commanded a force of around 14,000 fighters. Through a series of alliances forged with neighboring Serbian rulers, their combined martial strength swelled to approximately 25,000 fighters.
Facing him across the battlefield was Sultan Murad I, a ruler with sweeping ambitions for his growing empire. He had risen to power after his older brother died without sons, and he wasted no time pursuing conquest. His military record was already impressive; his very first campaign resulted in the conquest of Adrianople, which he transformed into his capital in 1363. From there, he set about building many of the institutions that would come to define the Ottoman Empire in later centuries.
The Ottomans brought a considerably larger force to the field, with an estimated 35,000 soldiers at their disposal. Among them were 2,000 janissaries — the distinctive Ottoman musketeers — who provided a critical edge, since gunpowder technology had not yet fully made its way into Europe.
Both Sultan Murad and Prince Lazar took to the battlefield at the head of their respective armies. Murad had both of his sons at his side, while various Serbian nobles commanded the different wings under Lazar's banner. The combat was brutal and relentless. Prince Lazar was eventually captured and promptly executed, and the sight of his fall prompted many Serbian commanders to either retreat or lay down their arms.
Yet the Ottomans could hardly celebrate a clean triumph. A group of 12 Serbian noblemen — who either pretended to surrender or formed a tight wedge formation — drove straight through to the Sultan's tent. However it happened, Sultan Murad I was cut down by a Serbian blade. In the chaos that followed almost immediately, his elder son strangled his younger brother, ruthlessly securing his own claim to power.
While no definitive victor walked away from the battlefield that day, Serbia's military capacity had been gutted. The Ottomans, by contrast, had the luxury of replenishing their ranks from other corners of their empire. Before the year was out, Lazar's widow accepted Ottoman suzerainty on behalf of her adolescent son. From there, the Ottomans would surge across Europe, pushing as far as Vienna before eventually settling their borders. For Serbia, the battle became far more than a historical event — it embedded itself deeply in the nation's identity, a lasting and defining memory.