Battle of Manzikert
Battle of Manzikert
August 1071 A.D.
In one of the worse defeats in Byzantine's history, Emperor Romanus Diogenes was defeated and captured by the Turkish Sultan, Alp Arslan. In May 1071, Emperor Romanus had amassed 60,000 men on the Armenian border in the hopes of strengthening the eastern borders of Anatolia from the Seljuks by taking the war to them. Romanus' army consisted of native Byzantines as well as mercenaries. He divided his army into two columns and set out to capture the Armenian frontier fortress of Manzikert. The column led by Romanus then set out to meet the Seljuks. His second column, however, led by General Tarchaniotes, did not join him. Romanus was therefore left with about 30,000 men to face the enemy forces led by Alp Arslan.
The ensuing battle began in the Byzantines' favor but that soon changed when a trap set by the Seljuks sprang into action. By feigning retreat, the Seljuks were able to draw Romanus' army forward. Romanus did fear a trap but his order to turn back was given too late. Seljuk cavalry raced forward, breaking the ranks of the Byzantines, some of whom managed to escape. Many, including the emperor, ended up surrounded. Romanus' mercenaries attempted to flee but were killed.
The Byzantine emperor, Romanus, was captured and later released on conditions of a peace treaty, but he was replaced in a coup at home and killed by his own soldiers. The Seljuks considered the treaty broken and proceeded to invade and occupy Anatolia. As a result of this battle, the Eastern Empire lost much of Asia Minor, which included much of its grain and manpower sources. Its only effective army was also decimated and the ruler who emerged from the coup was forced to appeal to Rome for help against the Seljuks.
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Article added: 2006-03-03 @ 9:41 am | Last Modified: 2006-03-23 @ 6:05 am
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