Battle of Nish (1443)

Battle of Nish
	Part of the Crusade of Varna
Date	Early November 1443
Location	Niš, Ottoman Empire
Result	Crusader victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Hungary; Kingdom of Croatia; Kingdom of Poland; Serbian Despotate	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
John Hunyadi; Đurađ Branković	Kasım Pasha; Turahan Bey; Ishak Bey; Skanderbeg ; Hamza Kastrioti
Strength
12,000 cavalry	12,000 sipahi cavalry under direct command of Kasım Beg; Frontier army of unknown number
Casualties and losses
Unknown	6,000: 2,000 killed; 4,000 captured; Skanderbeg and 300 Albanian cavalrymen deserted;

The Battle of Nish (early November 1443) was fought between the Crusaders led by John Hunyadi and Đurađ Branković and the Ottoman Empire led by Kasım Pasha. It saw the Crusaders capture the Ottoman stronghold of Nish (Niš) in Serbia, and defeat two armies of the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Nish was part of Hunyadi's expedition known as the long campaign. Hunyadi, at the head of the vanguard, crossed the Balkans through the Gate of Trajan, captured Nish, defeated three Ottoman pashas, and after taking Sofia from the Ottomans, united with the royal army and defeated Sultan Murad II at Snaim (Kustinitza). The impatience of the king and the severity of the winter then compelled him (in February 1444) to return home.