The Austrian army attacked itself and killed 10,000
The Ottoman Empire is notable for having achieved many of its successes seemingly by accident. The Battle of Karánsebes was another occasion where the opposing army—in this case, the Austrian army—made a vital error that made it possible for the Ottoman victory, even though it took place a long time after the surrender of Constantinople. The fight, which took place during the Austro-Turkish War of 1787–1791, resulted in a huge loss of life as well as humiliation for the Austrian army, which was at the time regarded as one of the most significant and valued armies. And if not for a miscalculation and a vital communication breakdown, it might not have happened.
The crisis started when the Austrian army's 100,000-man vanguard ventured ahead to scout the Ottoman army. After crossing the Timis River, the hussars came upon a group of Romani people who offered to sell them some schnapps instead of an Ottoman army. The calvarymen accepted and started drinking since they were thirsty and exhausted. After a while, some of the troops made their way across the river in search of the stranded vanguard. The infantry requested a portion of the alcohol when they noticed the hussars having a good time, and the inebriated officers started erecting improvised defenses around the barrels.
When someone in the infantry cried, "Turks! Turks!" in the middle of the melee, what had begun as a drunken altercation changed completely. Turkey! Turkey!" The many soldiers in the multilingual group fled quickly as a result, which led to the cavalry and infantry finally coming upon the Austrian army's camp. 10,000 people were killed as a result of the confusion that led the encampment army to believe they were under attack by Ottoman troops and that both sides were exchanging fire. Two days later, the Ottoman army that had just arrived found the dead soldiers and captured the surrounding village with ease. Things may have turned out quite differently if not for some careless partying and a drunken fight.
- Year: 1787–1791
