Siege of Caffa
Medieval siege / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Siege of Caffa was a siege of the Genoese port town of Caffa by a large Crimean Tatar army under the Golden Horde, led by their Khan Jani Beg, which is known largely for its role in spreading a pandemic. The Mongol army allegedly threw the bodies of Mongol warriors who had died of plague over the walls of the besieged city, which is considered one of the earliest examples of biological warfare.[1][2][3][4][5] In Gabriel de Mussis' writings, the Black Death was alleged to have reached Europe from the Crimea as the result of biological warfare during the siege.[1][6][7]
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Siege of Caffa | |||||||
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Part of Genoese–Mongol Wars | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Republic of Genoa |
Golden Horde Supported by Republic of Venice | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Simone Boccanegra[lower-alpha 1] (1345) Giovanni I di Murta[lower-alpha 2] (1345–47) | Jani Beg[lower-alpha 3] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Several thousand | Several thousand | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Heavy |
Over 15,000 killed Thousands more died of the bubonic plague |
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