What would have happened if the Ottoman Empire lost the battle of Maritsa?

Answer 1

What happened at the battle of MaritsaThe 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 .
How the Serbs could've won the battle of Maritsa
There are many ways that the Serbs could've won the battle of Maritsa . One would be for the 60,000 troops to stay and fight the 800 Ottomans . This would result in a casualty rate of around 1 Ottoman death : 5 Serbian deaths , but this would not only mean victory but a significantly lower casualty rate .
Another way would've been more guards patrolling , which would have inevitably intercepted the Ottomans and woken the army .There are many other ways to ensure a Serbian victory also .
what would've happened if the Serbs won .
Had the Serbians achieved victory at the battle of Maritsa , it would not be known as a significant battle but an extremely overrated failed Ottoman raid . Mrnjavčević's aim was to recapture Adrianople , and to get revenge for the Ottoman surprise attack at the battle of Sırp Sındığı , in which the Ottomans captured Thrace and blockaded Constantinople ( of the Byzantine Empire ) . Therefore , the bulk of the Ottoman forces would've engaged Mrnjavčević's army , and both sides would likely have taken heavy casualties . Had the Serbs also won this battle ( either side would have had about a 50 % chance of wining ) they would have captured Thrace , and that would be it for them . This would open the way for pro-byzantine crusades ( especially helped by Hungarians and Walichians ) , and the Ottoman Empire would fall . Mrnjavčević would continue on his original intentions after this , to capture Skoder . In later years , him and his ally Lazar the Serb would probably re-unite the Serbian Empire . The empire would conquer the small states in modern day norther Greece & possibly Bulgaria . They instead of the Ottomans would contend with Austria-Hungary over Bosnia/Croatia/Vojvodina . The Balkan wars wouldn't happen , the Russians would have uncontested control of the Caucasus and north-east turkey , Crimea would also be owned by the Russian Empire and the Crimean war would never happen . WW1 would still happen , because of the clashes between the West European powers , and the tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary & Germany and Russia would still exist . History out of the Balkans & black sea would remain the same until the build up to WW1 . The Serbian Empire would be easy to hold together as all ethic groups are south slavs with similar cultures , and the Serbs would be preferred by slavs over Austria-Hungary . The tensions and border disputes that the Balkans and Caucasus are famous for would not exist either . Russia , with no Ottoman Empire would be without contenders after the great northern war ( until Germany in the 19 hundreds ) . This would allow them to grow and modernise , and not be so was against Germany in WW1 , and there would be no February and October revolutions , and no Brest-Litovsk treaty . The central powers would suffer an even heavier defeat , and a Versailes treaty with an occupied Poland & Rhineland , some of or even all of Austria-hangary ( apart from Czechoslovakia ) occupied by Tsarist Russia , The Serbian Empire and Italy . Finland would not be independent & Japan would be able to run wild across Asia . China would be harder to take as without communism there would be no civil war . America wouldn't even be involved in a first world war with no Ottoman Empire and an overpowerfull Russia and Serbia . The wars quick success would prevent need for the league of nations and Imperialism would continue , probably into the 21st century .

If the Ottomans won , then history would go the same until the battle of Kosovo , in which the Ottomans would be significantly weaker . It is probably safe to say , that even if history in the Balkans went unchanged ( they still won at Kosovo & Varna ) , the Ottomans would be weaker and face problems due to this either in the caucasus , Crimean or North African conquests . The majority of history however , would remain unchanged .