Bitva u Moháče - Osudový střet českých a středoevropských dějin 1526 (2026)

The Battle of Mohács in 1526 fundamentally changed the history of Central Europe. It led to the collapse of the Kingdom of Hungary, opened the way for further Ottoman conquests and, following the death of the Czech and Hungarian king Louis Jagiellon, enabled the Habsburgs to build their own Central European monarchy. Based on Hungarian, Turkish, Czech, Polish and Italian sources, this Czech-language book reconstructs the campaign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I and the battle itself. It explains why Louis failed to prepare the country for the attack and why his numerically weaker army, despite its initial success, suffered a bloody defeat. Particular attention is given to the fate of the young king, whose horse made a single unfortunate jump that influenced Central European history for centuries. The book also describes Hungary’s struggle against Ottoman expansion, the political conditions of the Czech-Hungarian union and the decline of the defensive fortress line on the southern frontier. It revisits disputed questions, including whether another strategy could have prevented defeat, what role Jan Zápolský played and why Christian Europe offered Hungary no significant assistance. The story of Mohács is thus also one of courage and sacrifice, selfishness, pride and the destructive consequences of imperial ambitions. The full-colour publication is complemented by dozens of often rare illustrations and overview maps.