Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle on the Marchfeld

Battle on the Marchfeld was a battle fought on 26 August 1278 at Lower Austria, in what is now Austria. The recorded result: Habsburg–Hungarian victory. Recorded strength: 18,000 men and cavalry; 2,000 men against 6,000 cavalry; ----1,000 heavy cavalry; 5,000 light cavalry.

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Bitva na Moravském poli (1278) v rukopisu Ehrenspiegel des Hauses Österreich (Buch I - VI)
Bitva na Moravském poli (1278) v rukopisu Ehrenspiegel des Hauses Österreich (Buch I - VI). Jörg Breu the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 August 1278
WhereLower Austria, Austria48.482N, 16.877E
OutcomeHabsburg–Hungarian victory
BelligerentsKingdom of Hungary (including Cumans and Székelys); Kingdom of Germany; Duchy of Austria; Burgraviate of Nuremberg; Mercenaries: Duchy of Swabia; Duchy of Styria; Duchy of Upper BavariaagainstKingdom of Bohemia; Margraviate of Moravia; Duchy of Głogów; Duchy of Lower Bavaria; Duchy of Silesia; Mercenaries: March of Brandenburg; Duchy of Styria; March of Meissen; Lesser Poland; Greater Poland
Casualties and lossesHeavy; less than Ottokar coalitionandHeavy; More than Habsburg-Hungarian coalition

Record

Date26 August 1278
PlaceLower Austria, Austria
48.482N, 16.877E
KindBattle, medieval
Strength18,000 men and cavalry; 2,000 men6,000 cavalry; ----1,000 heavy cavalry; 5,000 light cavalry
Casualties and lossesHeavy; less than Ottokar coalitionHeavy; More than Habsburg-Hungarian coalition
Commanders
  • Ladislaus IV of Hungary
  • Rudolf I of Germany
  • Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
  • Frederick III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
  • Ottokar II of Bohemia
  • Henry III, Duke of Głogów
  • Otto IV of Brandenburg-Stendal
  • Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
  • Knight
Battle on the MarchfeldBattle on the MarchfeldBattle of WagramBattle of BlumenauBattle of the Theben PassSiege of HainburgBattle of Aspern-EsslingBattle of WagramBattle of the Theben PassBattle of Aspern-EsslingBudapestBrnoGyőrZlínŽilinaJihlavaVácOlomouc100 km48.482N, 16.877E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle on the Marchfeld
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle on the Marchfeld today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-09-09. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 147 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 142 to 216 m, 75 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 61% cropland, 21% tree cover, 11% grassland.

cropland: 61%tree cover: 21%grassland: 11%built-up: 4%cropland 61%tree cover 21%grassland 11%built-up 4%
west to east, 10.0 km144 to 194 mnorth to south, 10.0 km143 to 214 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Elsewhere in 1278

Battle on the Marchfeld is one of 590 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 66 in present-day Austria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q700194, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle on the Marchfeld, revision 1382481399, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.