On the night of September 17, 1788, the Austrian army was camped near the town of Karansebes in modern-day Romania, waiting to engage the Ottoman Empire. What happened next has become legendary: the Austrian army attacked itself. Chaos, confusion, and friendly fire in the darkness resulted in what some accounts claim were 10,000 casualties - before any Ottoman soldier had arrived. When the Ottomans did arrive two days later, they found the Austrian army gone, having retreated in panic from an enemy that didn't exist. Whether the details are exaggerated or not, the Battle of Karansebes stands as history's greatest example of military self-destruction.
The Austrian Empire was at war with the Ottoman Empire in 1788. An Austrian army of about 100,000 men, commanded by Emperor Joseph II himself, was advancing through Wallachia (modern Romania) to engage Ottoman forces. The army was a polyglot force - Austrians, Hungarians, Serbs, Croats, Italians, and others, speaking a dozen languages and often unable to communicate with each other.
On September 17, the army made camp near the Timiș River, close to the town of Karansebes. Cavalry units were sent ahead to scout for the Ottoman army. They found something else instead.
The hussars (Hungarian cavalry) who rode ahead of the army encountered not Ottomans but Romani people selling schnapps. The hussars bought the schnapps and began drinking. When infantry units arrived and demanded a share, the hussars refused. A fight broke out.
At some point during the brawl, someone - accounts vary - fired a shot. In the darkness and confusion, soldiers began shouting that the Ottomans were attacking. Someone yelled 'Turci! Turci!' ('Turks! Turks!'). Panic spread. Soldiers began firing at shadows. And in the polyglot army where many couldn't understand each other's commands, there was no way to restore order.
The panic rippled back through the army camp. Soldiers who had been sleeping woke to gunfire and shouts of 'Turci!' They began shooting at whatever moved. Officers tried to restore order by shouting 'Halt!' - which, to non-German speakers, sounded like 'Allah!' - and was interpreted as more evidence of an Ottoman attack.
The cavalry stampeded through the infantry lines. Artillery crews, thinking they were under attack, opened fire on the fleeing soldiers. The emperor's own column was scattered. Joseph II was thrown from his horse into a stream. By dawn, the army had completely disintegrated, having fought a pitched battle against itself.
The extent of the casualties is disputed. Some accounts claim 10,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured by the enemy that arrived later. Other historians consider this figure wildly exaggerated, suggesting casualties in the hundreds or low thousands. The most detailed contemporary accounts of the incident were written decades after the fact, and may have been embellished.
What is not disputed is that the army retreated. When Ottoman forces arrived two days later, they found the Austrian camp abandoned, with wounded soldiers and scattered equipment. The Ottomans occupied Karansebes without a fight. A battle that never happened had defeated the Austrian army.
The Battle of Karansebes - if it happened as described - illustrates the dangers of poor communication and multinational armies. Soldiers who couldn't understand each other's languages, couldn't recognize each other in the dark, and couldn't trust each other's commands created a perfect recipe for disaster.
The story has been told and retold, growing more elaborate with each telling. Skeptics note that the most detailed accounts appeared long after the event. Believers point to contemporary reports of an Austrian disaster at Karansebes. The truth may lie somewhere between the legend and total fabrication. Either way, the Battle of Karansebes remains the ultimate cautionary tale of what happens when an army loses control of itself.
Karansebes (45.42N, 22.21E) lies in southwestern Romania, in the Banat region near the Serbian border. Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport (LRTR) is 90km northwest. The town sits in a valley along the Timiș River. The terrain is hilly with forested mountains to the east. Weather is continental - cold winters, warm summers.