Byzantine Battles: Battle of Devina

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Battle of Devina (Battle of Kotel Pass)	year: 1279 17 July 1279
Annihilation of a Byzantine force by Bulgarian rebels	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Bulgarians	location: At Devina, close to the modern town of Kotel, Burgas Province, south-eastern Bulgaria	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Pitched Battle	war: Later Bulgarian Wars	modern country: Bulgaria

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Michael VIII Palaiologos)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Murin	Ivailo of Bulgaria
Forces:	10,000	Unknown (but smaller force)
Losses:	Almost all killed	Light

Background story:

In 1277 in a popular uprising led by Ivailo broke out in north-eastern Bulgaria against the incapability of Emperor Constantine Tikh Asen to cope with the constant Mongol invasions which devastated the country for years.
The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos decided to make use of the instability in Bulgaria and sent an army to impose his ally (and son-in-law) Ivan Asen III on the throne. Ivan Asen III gained control of the area between Vidin and Cherven. Ivailo was besieged by the Mongols at Drastar (Silistra) and the nobility in the capital Tarnovo accepted Ivan Asen III for Emperor in 1279.

The Battle:

Ivailo (1278-1280)

In the same year (1279), however, Ivailo managed to make a breakthrough in Drastar and headed for the capital. In order to help his ally, Michael VIII sent a 10,000-strong army towards Bulgaria under Murin. When Ivailo learned for that campaign he abandoned his march to Tarnovo. Although his troops were outnumbered, the Bulgarian leader attacked Murin in the Kotel Pass on 17 July 1279 and the Byzantines were completely routed. Many of them perished in the battle, while the rest were captured and later killed by orders from Ivailo.

Aftermath:

Michael VIII sent another army of 5,000 troops under Aprin but it was also defeated. Without support, Ivan Asen III had to flee to Constantinople and the turmoil in Bulgaria continued.
Ivailo was killed in 1280 in the court of the Mongol king Nogai Khan, while he was visiting to ask for help. Ivan Assen III died in exile in 1303.