What happened at the battle of maritsa?

Answer 1

The battle of Maritsa was a successful campaign by an outnumbered Ottoman garrison which won due to the bad commanding by King Vukašin Mrnjavčević and his brother Despot Jovan Uglješka
Had Mrnjavčević's forcces been better positioned or not so easy ambushed ( less then 100 guards & on low ground flanked by 3 high points ) , the Serbs could have won the battle .. Furthermore his forces are estimated to number around 60,000 , opposing a mere 800 Ottomans . In the initial ambush Mrnjavčević was killed , so 2nd in command Jovan Uglješka ordered his troops not to fight but to charge over the river abandoning all but a weapon per person , Over 20,000 drowned , and a 25,000 Serbs was killed in the battle . After the failure , around 2 thirds deserted , and the rest retreated . Those who stayed joined onto the forces of King Lazar of Serbia , and would fight at the battle of Kosovo .