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# Battle of Karansebes, where the Austrian army defeated itself after a drunken brawl
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/bitva-pri-karansebeshe-ostanetsia-v-istorii-kak-odno-iz-samykh-absurdnykh-srazhenii-v-rezultate-nee-avstriiskaia-armiia-nanesla-porazhenie-samoi-sebe/
- Published: 2020-02-07T08:11:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-02T19:03:39.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Monarchies, Observations, Society, Humour

The Battle of Caransebeș will go down in history as one of the most absurd engagements ever fought: the Austrian army managed to defeat itself. My thanks to Twitter's algorithmic feed for this staggering story. One is deeply sorry for the men who perished in this tragedy, yet the episode simply defies belief. An army of 100,000 was routed by a drunken brawl; hundreds of soldiers were killed and more than a thousand wounded. Emperor Joseph II very nearly drowned, while the Turkish force of 125,000 men never even got as far as the field of battle. No comment needed, really

![](https://theparnassian.com/content/images/2026/09/photo_2330@07-02-2020_11-11-06.jpg)

![](https://theparnassian.com/content/images/2026/09/photo_2331@07-02-2020_11-11-06.jpg)

![](https://theparnassian.com/content/images/2026/09/photo_2332@07-02-2020_11-11-06.jpg)