| “ | I do not have to speak for the Epiroti. They are very stronger men than your Tarantini, a species of wet men who are born from fish.
— Skanderberg in respons to a letter from Giovanni Antonio
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” |
George Castriot (Medieval Albanian: Gjergj Castrioti; Latin: Georgius Castriota; Italian: Giorgio Castriota; 1405 – 17 January 1468), known as Skanderbeg (Albanian: Skënderbeu or Skënderbej, from Ottoman Turkish: اسکندر بگ, romanized: İskender Bey; Latin: Scanderbegus; Italian: Scanderbeg), was an Albanian nobleman and military commander, who served the Ottoman Empire in 1423–43, the Republic of Venice in 1443–47, and lastly the Kingdom of Naples until his death. After leaving Ottoman service, he led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in Albania. Skanderbeg always signed himself as "Lord of Albania" , and claimed no other titles but that in official documents.
A member of the noble Kastrioti family, he was sent as a political hostage to the Ottoman court, where he was educated and entered the service of the Ottoman sultan for the next twenty years. He rose through the ranks, culminating in the appointment as sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Dibra in 1440. In 1443, he deserted the Ottomans during the Battle of Niš and became the ruler of Krujë, Svetigrad, and Modrič. In 1444, he was appointed the chief commander of the short-lived League of Lezhë that consolidated nobility throughout what is today Albania.
Despite his military valor he was not able to do more than to hold his own possessions within the very small area in northern Albania where almost all of his victories against the Ottomans took place. Skanderbeg's rebellion was not a general uprising of Albanians, due to the fact that he did not gain support in the Ottoman-controlled south or Venetian-controlled north. His followers included, apart from Albanians, also Slavs, Vlachs, and Greeks. For 25 years, from 1443 to 1468, Skanderbeg's 10,000 man army marched through Ottoman territory winning against consistently larger and better supplied Ottoman forces, for which he was admired.
Battle vs. John Hunyadi (by Ssdmarista)[]
Somewere in Hungary Hunyadi and his 4 men were guarding a castle.Meanwhile Skanderbeg and 4 of his men wanted to take the castle they saw is guarded so Skanderbeg ordered his men to snipe the guards.The man pulled out his Arquebus and sniped one of the guards killing him instantly.Hunyadi saw this so he ordered his men to fire back.A Hungaria fire upon the Albanian sniper with his hand cannon but it did not do much damage.Then a Crossbowman fired a bolt witch killed the Arquebusier.The man with the handcannon was just reloading his gun when he got shot and killed by an Archer.Hunyadi ordered his men to charge and Skanderbeg ordered the same thing.The 2 sides clashed in melee.One of Hunyadi's men got a handcanon and shot the archer in the back and then started to brutally beat him up with the empty cannon killing him.But later he got killed as well by a Halberd.Hunyadi's last man came up to the Halbedier with a sword and a shield.The Halbedier took his shield away and was prepared to kill him.Hunyadi however ambushed the halbedier with his hungarian axe stabbing him in the back with the pointy tip.The Halbedier survived but he collapsed to the ground and Hunyadi decapitated him.Hunyadi later mounted on horseback and drew his longsword charging at Skanderbeg's last man.The Albanian charged back on foot with his scimitar and got his arm chopped off.Luckily the arm he was holding the scimitar with was not chopped an was his other arm.Hunyadi dismounted and started a duel with him.The Albanian got his hand chopped off and then he was decapitated.Skanderbeg also mounted and charged at Hunyadi's last man.He drew his scimitar and killed the hungarian instantley.The 2 warriors later charged at each other with Skanderbeg knocking hunyadi off his horse.The duel continued on foot.During the duel Skanderbeg took Hunyadi's helmet off with his scimitar.As a response Hunyadi stabbed Skanderbeg in the leg with his sword and later cut his hand off.The duel raged on until finally Skanderbeg managed to decapitate Hunyadi with his scimitar.Skanderbeg cleaned his scimitar of blood and later lift it in the air yelling:,,Ti Shqiperia me jep nder me jep emrin Shqipetar
Expert's Opinion[]
Hunyadi may have been better trained but Skanderbeg was fearless Warrior with better weapons.