In the previous episode 3 of Skanderbeg, we covered how Sultan Mehmed II finally managed to capture
Constantinople on May 29, 1453. In the wake of the horrific news
that the Eastern Roman Empire had been defeated, Venetian senators were unconcerned
that the sultan would violate their peace treaty, giving Skanderbeg only blank promises
of help, while secretly behind his back, desired nothing more than his defeat. Before we continued I would like to take this time
to give a big shout out to all you guys that have generously
donated to the channel. You are all truly
Sons and Daughters of the Eagle. Thank again! Contrary to the carefree attitude of the Venetians, Pope Nicholas V of Rome and the republic
of Ragusa encouraged a papal intervention, providing Skanderbeg with substantial financial
support of around 4,000 ducats. In addition to the papal support, Ragusan bishops began to
expand their sphere of influence by mediating between the state of Arbër, the Hungarians and the Serbs
to organize a Christian crusade against the Ottoman Empire. In a bold attempt to
minimize the Christian coalition forces, Sultan Mehmed II personally led the campaign
to invade Serbia and then advance to Hungary. In a response to Ottoman aggression,
Hunyadi, at the head of the Hungarian armies, crossed the Danube and defeated
the Ottoman army in Serbia, capturing its commander,
Feriz Bey Pasha. The fact that the Ottoman army had suffered a huge defeat
in its campaign against the Christian coalition in Serbia, did not mean that the Ottomans
were defeated. Far from it. The newly created state of Arberia, the kingdom of Hungary
and the Italian kingdoms were all aware of the increasing danger
the Ottoman constantly posed. One can only imagine the difficulties
Skanderbeg must have gone through, given the breakup of the Arbër League
and the wavering attitude of Arber nobles. Nevertheless, Skanderbeg,
who never once wavered from his mission, continued to take political precautions
to ensure that internal divisions would not escalate. To ensure this, he first had to find a way to
unify his countrymen by offering peace treaty with one of the most powerful Arbër families,
the Dukagjini. Given the nature of Arbër's
strong Christian faith of that time, who else could guarantee a peace
treaty better than the pope himself? So, for this reason, Skanderbeg implored the pope to
reconcile with the Dukagjini family on his behalf. By August of that year, Pope Nicholas
came to Skanderbeg's aid and ordered the bishops of northern Catholic
churches, along with the Dukagjini priests, to curse the Dukagjini family if they didn't
stop cooperating with the Sultan, and to fight together with Skanderbeg
against the Ottomans. After the Pope's energetic intervention, the two families swore the Besa oath
and finally made peace in early autumn of 1454. As a gesture of their loyalty, the Dukagjini family
sent their ambassador Brexanus to Naples and asked King Alfonso V to present
their repentance to the Pope. In addition to their remorse, the Dukagjini requested
Alfonso to approve and accept them as their vassals, thus reviving the Arbër League of Lezha
under the umbrella of the kingdom of Naples. Thrilled by the outcome, King Alfonso V of Naples
sends a message to Skanderbeg on December 9, 1454, promising him that 1000 infantry units, as well
as 200 cavalry units, will be sent to support him. By May 1455, Skanderbeg had received 1500 infantry units
and 500 cavalrymen from king Alfonso and Pope Nikola V that were equipped with
food, weapons and Venetian bombers. The increased reinforcement allowed Skanderbeg
and the League war council to strategize a massive undertaking to liberate occupied
territories in the southern provinces of Arbëria. From a military standpoint... the fortress of Berat
and that of Sfetigrad castle were of primary importance to both
the League and Skanderbeg. The strategic city of Berat
would pave the way for the liberation of the southern Arbër territories,
in particular the fortress of Gjirokastër and the center of the Arvanid Sandzak. As for the castle of Sfetigrad, this strategic point would secure the eastern borders and
halter the Ottoman armies from entering further into Arbër territories. When the Arbër League army,
which consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 men, arrived at the outskirts of the city of Berat
in mid-July 1455, they slowly surrounded
all four corners of the city. Within hours after the battle commenced,
the Venetian bombers began to fire into the city and later managed to knock down a
big part of the castle's defensive walls. When the Turkish garrison commander saw
that parts of the castle walls had fallen, he quickly pleaded for a ceasefire and promised
to surrender the castle after ten days. Skanderbeg, who wanted to use the momentum
and capture the castle then and there, was reluctant to agree at first
but was later convinced to stand down. When news had reached the sultan
that Berat was being captured, Mehmed quickly ordered his commander
Isak Bey Evrenozi to stop his Asian campaign and redirect his army to aid Berat. With a few days to spare, Isak quickly ordered
their retreat and headed towards Arbëria. Knowing that Arbër scouts
might pick up on their advancement, Isak Bey chose a different route and road off with
30,000 cavalries in the direction of Berat. By the end of the tenth day, as the Turkish garrison was informed that
Isak Bey’s reinforcements were approaching, they began to play drums and other
tools to confuse the Arbër forces. Suddenly out of nowhere, Isak Bey and his forces
launched a surprise attack and rushed Muzakë Thopia’s main force
that was stationed well outside the castle. Unprepared, Muzakë Thopia quickly regrouped
his 5,000 men into a defensive formation and began to fight wave after wave
of oncoming cavalry units. Meanwhile,
on the opposite side of the castle, Gjergj Arianiti and Skanderbeg
who were unaware of the sudden attack, saw as the dust
began to thicken from afar. As soon as Skanderbeg gave the order
to sound the battle horns to regroup they quickly rushed to help Muzakë. Upon reaching Muzaka's unit, Arianiti and
Skanderbeg witnessed as his troops were slowly being massacred
by the enormous cavalry unit. In a daring attempt to save Muzakë, Arianiti and Skanderbeg’s forces furiously fought
against enemies from all sides. Unable to save Muzakë and his men, Skanderbeg realized that
they had been surrounded and had no way out. Hours later, as Skanderbeg’s men continued to
fight ruthlessly and bravely into the night, they somehow managed to find an opening through the
thick wall of men and managed to escape to safety. Upon returning from the bloody battle
and reaching the safety of Kruja’s walls, Skanderbeg received the unfortunate news that his
most trusted advisor and commander, Mois Golemi, had betrayed him
and joined the sultan's forces. Although it is uncertain
as to why Moisi defected, legends tell us that Moisi did so because
he had been stripped of his original estate in Dibra, and sided with the sultan to reclaim it. As if the news of Moisi’s treachery
wasn't bad enough, more unfortunate news would
put Skanderbeg in a tenuous position. In the aftermath of the crushing defeat at Berat,
Arber League members had become so disappointed in Skanderbeg's negligence in letting Isak Bey
outwit him, convinced many of them leave the League. The unfortunate demise of the League,
but also Moisi’s betrayal did not overthrow Skanderbeg’s power, nor did they
weaken the unification of the Arbër state. In the month that followed, Skanderbeg would
receive consolidation from an unexpected admirer. The Spanish cardinal, Alfonso de Borgia,
who had followed Skanderbeg’s progress and idolized his success against the Ottomans,
encouraged the Arbër morale to a new height. Shortly after the enthusiastic Alfonso de Borgia
became the new Pope of Rome on 8 April 1455, as Pope Calixtus III, he gave the traditional blessing
to the city and the world, declaring that the papacy was going to organize
a crusade in the Balkans to expel the Ottomans. However, what the new Pope did not expect,
was a strong anti-papal resistance that criticized him for wanting to keep the wealth for
himself and not finance the crusade. To add more insult to injury,
the Republic of Venice withdrew its aid to Pope Calixtus and resumed its
provocations against Skanderbeg’s power. As for king Alfonso of Naples, who had lost
all hope after the demise of the Arbër League, also refused to aid the Pope. The only states that heard the Pope’s call
and joined the crusade were the Arbër state,
the kingdoms of Bosnia and Hungary. Meanwhile, as Pope Calixtus' legions were busy
convincing European courts to unify, Sultan Mehmed II decided to go to work. Before the crusade was set in motion, Mehmed
laid down a plan to weaken the Arbër forces by letting the Arbërs
to fight each other. Shortly after all preparations were made,
the Ottoman army set off from Skopje in late February 1456. As the Ottoman army approached
the Arbër borders, Skanderbeg was informed that Moisi Golemi himself
was leading the Ottoman army. On the morning of March 18, 1456, the two armies
would meet on the plains of Oranik outside the city of Dibra. Moisi had arranged his army of
15,000 soldiers in two lines and led them from the rear
with his trusted Arbër reserves from Dibra. Meanwhile on the opposite side, Skanderbeg had divided
10,000 of his soldiers into three groups and placed himself in the cavalry unit
in the middle. Moments before the battle commenced, Skanderbeg ordered his men not to take any
prisoners but to kill every soldier in their path. As soon as the battle was initiated,
Moisi’s first line quickly became outmaneuvered by the sheer force
of Skanderbeg's cavalry attack. Simultaneously as the Arbër flanks
gradually surrounded the Turks from each side, leaving thousands dead behind
them, eventually reaching Moisi’s rear section. Even though Moisi fought bravely, he could not
stand firm against the unforgiving Arbër fury. In a daring attempt, Skanderbeg almost caught
up to Moisi but somehow managed to escape, leaving the rest of his army to
suffer under Skanderbeg's wrath. Despite Moisi’s defeat... he returned a month later in April of 1456
and begged Skanderbeg for his forgiveness. Merciful as Skanderbeg was, he pardoned Moisi
and reinstated him to his former position. Legend says that after Moisi was pardoned
he devoted the rest of his life to the Arbër struggle, never opposing Skanderbeg again. In the following month of May... the Venetians who did not hold back their old policy
of undermining Skanderbeg's power, appointed Gjergj Arianiti, one of the most influential
Arbër nobles, and Skanderbeg's father-in-law, the position of
Venetian captain in Arbëria. This additional setback
not only weakened Skanderbeg's forces but caused a greater rift between the two states
after the Venetians declare war on Skanderbeg As tensions between them grew stronger, the Venetians invaded and took over Danja Castle
on November 4th, 1456, dividing them even further. However,
shortly after Danja was captured... Lekë Dukagjini successfully
retook the castle from the Venetians. Although Lekë Dukagjini's
invasion was not ordered by Skanderbeg, the Venetians started to spread rumors, accusing
Skanderbeg of being an enemy of the Republic. While the sad news that Skanderbeg's father-in-law
had joined the Venetians spread throughout Arberia, it was quickly overshadowed by the
joyful news that Skanderbeg had become a father. Ohh ho.. hoo... Cry.. Cry.. All Kastriot's have strong voices. This joyful news did not sit well
with Skanderbeg's nephew, Hamza Kastrioti. By law, Hamza was expected
to succeed after Skanderbeg's death, however, when Skanderbeg's son,
Gjon Kastrioti II was born in 1456, Hamza was deposed from the throne. In retaliation, Hamza gathered his forces
and openly defected and sided with the sultan in hopes of reclaiming his throne
as head of the family. Immediately after Hamza
had joined Sultan's army, Hamza begged his sultan
to grant him a powerful army with which he would crush Skanderbeg
once and for all. Shortly after Skanderbeg was informed of the
massive invasion, the war council was summoned. Meanwhile,
at Sultan's court in Istanbul... Mehmed appointed the ruthless
and successful commander Isak-Bey Evernozi who had defeated Skanderbeg at the battle of Berat,
to lead the army together with Hamza Kastrioti. Hamza, who possessed
invaluable knowledge of Arbërian territory, was given the task to assist Evernozi. By the spring of 1457, the sultan had gathered
a staggering number of around 60,000 - 80.000 soldiers. When the news reached Skanderbeg,
he urgently sends two letters to Pope Calixtus III, asking the Pope to aid him
in the upcoming battle. In his response,
the Pope promised a fortified ship with provisions, however,
the ship never reached the Arbër shores. Once again, Skanderbeg stood alone
against an army that outnumbered him 10 to 1. Realizing that Hamza had an advantage
of their tactics, Skanderbeg and his generals began
to map out a masterful strategy. Due to the enormity of the Ottoman army, Isak-Bey
sends small cavalry divisions in advance to establish control
before the next brigade could arrive. When the first unit approached
the Dibra border on 31 July 1457, the entire Arbër army
managed to stopped them from advancing. But when the main Ottoman force arrived,
along with Isak-Bey and Hamza, the Arbër forces employed similar
tactics that Hamza was familiar with. As the battle commenced on the 3rd of August,
Skanderbeg's army fought bravely but as the Turks advanced, the Arbër army
gave the impression that they were losing. Amid the battle, the Arbër army gradually began to retreat,
dispersing and scattering chaotically in all directions. When Hamza saw Skanderbeg fleeing,
he began to chase his uncle deep into the forest. After a long pursuit, as Hamza lost all traces
of Skanderbeg and his troops, he began to believe
that his uncle had been defeated. However,
what both Isak and Hamza were unaware of, was that Skanderbeg had already prepared
for this exact outcome weeks in advance. Prior to the battle, Skanderbeg had made sure that
the local population had the necessary provisions to supply the army with food and shelter
without being detected by the enemy. As a precaution, Skanderbeg had given the army strict orders
not to engage in any combat until further notice. After weeks of searching throughout
the provinces of Mat and Dibra, while committing their usual looting,
interrogating peasants, burning down houses along the way, Isal and Hamza found no traces
of Skanderbeg anywhere. Isak-Bey who wasn’t convinced
that Skanderbeg had been defeated, went back to Kruja, set up camp on mount Tumenisht,
in hopes to lure Skanderbeg out of hiding. Well hidden in one of his prepared caves, Skanderbeg ordered his most trusted men
to conjure up lies that Skanderbeg had betrayed all the leaders
and was trying to save his own head by seeking protection from the Venetians. As the lies began to spread, Isak-Bey
and Hamza picked up on the rumors. Suspicious that this was a trap, Isak and Hamza
cautiously continued searching for Skanderbeg. Patiently, Skanderbeg waited until the
Ottomans were no longer looking for him and after having searched for four months, they finally
became convinced that he had left the state. By mid-September, Isak-Bey ordered his entire
army to prepare for a full withdrawal. Immediately after Skanderbeg became informed
that the search had ended, he gave the order
to light the war beacons. A few days later on September 24, 1457,
the entire Arbër army regrouped at mount Tumenisht. On the following morning, as the Ottoman army
prepared carelessly in the blistering sun, laud trumpets, drums and other deafening
instruments began to echo from the mountain. At first, the Ottoman soldiers could
not make out what the fuss was about, but when they saw a huge cavalry unit
stampeding frantically down the hill, and then an infantry unit appeared to their right,
and lastly a second cavalry unit approaching from the rear, the Ottoman camp was completely
surrounded within minutes. As the first cavalry unit charged down the
hill and chopped at the unprepared soldiers, Isak-Bey quickly ordered to form
a defensive formation. Overwhelmed by the heavy onslaught from infantry
arquebusiers that were stationed well outside the camp, the Ottoman soldiers
became infested by panic. Slowly and methodically as the camp
was losing both men and ground, Skanderbeg's cavalry unit
pushed further into the camp. Meanwhile, at the other side of the camp, as Hamza’s forces
were being butchered by the second cavalry unit Hamza then ordered to signal
Isak-Bey for more reinforcements. Unable to help Hamza, Iask's troops were forced
to retreat further into the heart of the camp. As the stockpile of dead Ottoman soldiers grew,
uncontrolled chaos started to spread through the Ottoman camp. Disoriented and terrified,
Ottoman soldiers started to flee in panic. When Isak-Bey realized that he had lost the battle,
he somehow managed to escape to safety, leaving hundreds of his soldiers to die
and a dozen of his officers to be captured. Among many of the captives
was also Hamza. Shortly after the battle had ended, Skanderbeg handed over his nephew Hamza, along with the rest of the captives,
to king Alfonso of Naples as security. The impressive victory at Ujëbardhë,
also known as Albulena, is considered to be one of the most brilliant
and outstanding victories Skanderbeg had achieved. Compared to the great victory
at Kruja in 1450, where Skanderbeg managed to prevent the Ottomans
from taking Kruja for five months, all while dealing with
treacherous Arbër nobles. The battle of Albulena however,
was a totally different victory in itself. The mere fact that Skanderbeg used a brilliant
strategy by exhausting and outwitting the entire army
for four nerve-wracking months, with the outstanding support
of the local population, is masterful in itself. But to wait
until the most opportune moment and then attack an enemy ten times his size
in an open field, and with minimal damage to his forces, has seldom been seen in
military engagements. Three months after the Battle of Albulena
on 23 December 1457, Pope Callixtus III appointed Gjergj Kastriot–Skanderbeg
as "Captain General of the Holy See". We highly appreciate
that you watch this episode of Skanderbeg. To ensure that our videos reach more viewers,
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