Brinje in the time of the Ottoman threat in the late 15th and throughout the 16th century: strategic importance, ownership disputes, and military activities

Abstract

Based on an analysis of preserved written sources and relevant literature, this study examines the strategic position of the Brinje castle within the defensive system against the Ottomans—an area that, in the following centuries, clearly evolved into the Military Frontier (Militärgrenze). The study presents and analyses preserved historical records documenting Ottoman incursions from the late 15th to the mid-16th century, while also addressing the issue of the ownership of the Brinje castle during this period. The ownership disputes involved the Frankapan counts, the previous lords of Brinje, and representatives of the supreme authority: first the royal, and later the imperial government. The core issues explored in this study—Brinje’s strategic significance, the question of ownership, and military activities in the late 15th to the mid-16th century—are examined from a diachronic perspective, situating Brinje within the broader social, military, and political context of both the historical Croatian lands and the wider Kingdom of Hungary-Croatia. Although Brinje was briefly incorporated into the Senj Captaincy during the 1480s, this proved to be short-lived, as the Frankapan counts regained control of the fortress by the time of the renowned Battle of Krbava in 1493. At the beginning of the 16th century, Brinje’s position on the route to Senj made it a strategically significant fortress on the border with the Ottomans. The Frankapan counts, relying on Habsburg support, defended it with varying degrees of success. However, as Ottoman raids grew more frequent and destructive, the Frankapans increasingly struggled to maintain their hold over Brinje. Recognising its importance, the rulers of the newly established Habsburg dynasty sought to reclaim the castle and integrate it into the Senj Captaincy. Despite resistance from Count Vuk (Wolf) I Frankapan of Brinje, and even an episode of forcible seizure, Brinje was formally incorporated into the Military Frontier in the early 1540s. This transition is well-documented in historical sources, particularly various military garrison lists. Brinje remained a part of the Military Frontier not only until the end of the 16th century, but also in the following periods.