The Rise of a Warrior in a Divided Land

In the mid-15th century, the Ottoman Empire, under the ambitious Sultan Mehmed II, was expanding rapidly across Europe. Having already conquered Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed turned his attention to consolidating power in the Balkans. Yet, as he sought to stabilize his eastern frontiers in Anatolia, two formidable adversaries emerged: Stephen the Great of Moldavia and Vlad IV of Wallachia. Meanwhile, in the east, the rising Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, led by Uzun Hasan, threatened Ottoman dominance with the support of the Mamluks.

Amid this geopolitical turmoil, one figure stood as a beacon of resistance—Gjergj Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg. Born into Albanian nobility, Skanderbeg was taken as a child hostage by the Ottomans and raised in their court. Trained as a military commander, he later defected, reclaimed his homeland, and united the fractious Albanian clans under the League of Lezhë in 1444. For the next quarter-century, he would defy the might of the Ottoman Empire.

The Second Battle of Mokra: A Masterstroke of Guerrilla Warfare

By 1462, tensions between Skanderbeg and the Ottomans had reached a boiling point. Mehmed II, frustrated by repeated setbacks, launched a new offensive. On July 7, 1462, Ottoman forces under Sinan Bey, numbering 23,000, clashed with Skanderbeg’s 8,000 troops in the dense forests of Mokra.

The battle unfolded much like its predecessor in 1445—Skanderbeg lured the Ottomans into a deadly ambush. Using the terrain to his advantage, he encircled and decimated the enemy, leaving only a few thousand survivors. The defeat enraged Mehmed, who vowed to crush Skanderbeg once and for all.

The Triple Offensive and Skanderbeg’s Tactical Genius

Determined to eliminate Skanderbeg, Mehmed dispatched three armies totaling 80,000 men in August 1462. Yet, Skanderbeg’s intelligence network alerted him in advance. Instead of waiting, he took the fight to the Ottomans.

– The Ambush at the Macedonian Border: Skanderbeg’s forces surprised Hasan Bey’s 20,000-strong army at night, setting their camp ablaze and capturing Hasan himself.
– The Defeat at Tatovo: The second Ottoman army, led by Yusuf Bey, suffered heavy losses and retreated.
– The Standoff with Kara Zeyrek Pasha: Skanderbeg’s former commander, Kara Zeyrek, attempted to provoke him into open battle. Instead, Skanderbeg used the mountainous terrain to his advantage, forcing a stalemate.

By the end of August, Skanderbeg had repelled all three armies, cementing his reputation as an unbeatable tactician.

The Struggle for Survival: Diplomacy and Betrayal

Despite his victories, Skanderbeg faced mounting challenges. Years of warfare had devastated Albania’s agriculture, and internal divisions threatened the League of Lezhë. In 1463, Mehmed offered a ten-year truce, which Skanderbeg reluctantly accepted to allow his people to recover.

However, Venice, fearing Skanderbeg’s growing influence, pressured Pope Pius II to broker an alliance. In August 1463, Albania and Venice signed a treaty, and Pius declared a new crusade against the Ottomans. But the campaign faltered when Pius died of plague in 1464, leaving Skanderbeg isolated once more.

The Final Campaigns and the Fall of Krujë

Mehmed II, seizing the opportunity, launched a brutal campaign in 1466, employing scorched-earth tactics to starve Albanian strongholds. Skanderbeg, now in his sixties, sought aid from Italy but found only empty promises.

In 1467, Ottoman forces under Ahmed Pasha besieged Krujë, but Skanderbeg’s guerrilla tactics forced them to withdraw. Yet, the relentless warfare and a malaria outbreak took their toll. On January 17, 1468, Skanderbeg died, leaving Albania vulnerable.

Without his leadership, resistance crumbled. By 1478, Krujë fell, and by 1501, Albania was fully absorbed into the Ottoman Empire.

Legacy: The Immortal Hero of Albania

Skanderbeg’s military genius lay in his adaptability—blending Ottoman tactics with guerrilla warfare to defy a superpower. Though his nation fell, his legend endured. Today, he is revered as Albania’s national hero, his defiance symbolizing the unbreakable spirit of resistance.

His story transcends borders, a testament to the power of strategy, leadership, and unyielding courage in the face of overwhelming odds.