Belgrade's 1456 Siege: John Hunyadi vs the Ottoman Tide

In July 1456, the largest army Europe had seen since the Mongols gathered outside the walls of Belgrade. Sultan Mehmed II, fresh from conquering Constantinople, set his sights on the fortress that guarded the gateway to Hungary and Central Europe. The siege that followed — the Siege of Belgrade, or the Nándorfehérvár victory — became a turning point that held back Ottoman expansion for seventy years. This episode follows the defense led by the Transylvanian warlord John Hunyadi and the Franciscan friar Giovanni da Capistrano, who rallied a ragtag army of crusaders and peasants. We explore the ingenious naval tactics on the Danube, the decisive counterattack on the Ottoman camp, and the aftermath that saw Hunyadi die of plague just weeks later. The tower of Nebojša, the river battles, the holy warrior movement — this is a story of desperation, faith, and the moment the Ottoman tide was briefly turned back. For listeners who know the later fall of Belgrade in 1521, this is where that story begins.

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