Hunyadi János summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see János Hunyadi.

Hunyadi János, (born 1407?, Hunyad, Transylvania—died Aug. 11, 1456, Belgrade), Hungarian general. Son of a knight, he saw military service under King Sigismund. While in Italy he learned new military techniques from Francesco Sforza; returning to southern Hungary, he repelled Turkish attacks (1437–38) and was made governor of Transylvania. With aid from Venice and the pope, he mounted a campaign against the Turks (1441–43) that broke the Ottoman Empire’s hold on the Balkan states, though he was defeated in a Turkish counterattack at the Battle of Varna (1444). In 1446 he was elected regent for the young king, Laszlo V, and he served as governor of the kingdom of Hungary 1446–52. In 1456 he raised the Turkish siege of Belgrade before dying of disease. For stopping the supposedly invincible Turkish armies, he is considered a Hungarian national hero.

army summary

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Learn about the character and organization of armies

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see army.

army, Large, organized force armed and trained for war, especially on land. The term may be applied to a large unit organized for independent action or to a nation’s or ruler’s overall military organization for land warfare. The character and organization of armies have varied through history. At various times armies have been built around infantry soldiers or mounted warriors (e.g., cavalry) or men in machines, and have been made up of professionals or amateurs, of mercenaries fighting for pay or for plunder, or of patriots fighting for a cause. See also air force, conscription, guerrilla, military unit, militia, U.S. Army.