A soldier that’s drinking too much is a massive liability and burden in the field. Soldiers in war zones have to be alert, vigilant, and adhere to their training. While friendly fire is sadly a part of warfare, the Battle of Karansebes went above and beyond when it came to such incidents.
The Austro-Turkish War of 1787 to 1791
Before drunk troops could open fire on one another, it is important to give some context. 1787 saw war erupt between the Ottoman Empire and Habsburg Dynasty. Hostilities had been brewing between Russia and the Ottomans for years, and the Austrians joined in due to an important alliance.
Making Camp
The main brunt of the Austrian army, numbering some 100,000 troops entered the city of Karansebes, Romania on September 21st, 1788. Before fighting between drunk troops could begin, there was still actual work to be done. Troops made camp around the town of Karansebes while scouts went to look for Turkish forces.
Schnapps for the Hussars
The hussars, a famed cavalry unit, crossed the Timis River for the sole purpose of looking for the Ottoman Army. Instead of finding enemy forces, they found a group of Romanian people who offered to sell them barrels of schnapps. After days of heavy marching, it seemed an easy decision to just buy the liquor.
The First Shot
The hussars got rowdy and drunk in short order, establishing their own separate camp around the barrels of booze. The infantry crossed the Timis River, demanding to share the liquor. Instead, the drunk troops refused. Legend holds it that one of the infantry fired a shot from his rifle, escalating an already tense situation.
Utter Chaos
Shortly after the first shot, the call of an attack came. Drunk troops and sober soldiers became mired in confusion as the prevailing thought of a Turkish offensive came. The infantry retreated, joining the multi-national coalition. However, the seeds of tragedy were already sown by this point.
Confusion in the Ranks
The Austrian army was a massive coalition of nationalities. You had Romanians, Serbs, Austrians, Croats, and even Italians in the ranks. The officers spoke German, so the calls for order were mistaken for the war cries of Turkish troops. Gunfire erupted across the entire camp as the hussars charged through to flee from their actions. The Turkish Army would arrive two days later, finding a broken camp and corpses across the field.
Separating Myth from Reality
Legend holds it that the drunk troops were responsible for the loss of 10,000 Austrian soldiers. However, that claim is dubious at best. Modern historical thought places the number closer to 1,000, which is still a substantial loss of life. At any rate, you can’t help but wonder why the hussars thought barrels of schnapps were worth the chaos.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©engin akyurt / Unsplash.
