The Battle of Karansebes: History’s Most Bizarre Friendly Fire

Imagine an army so confused, it ends up fighting itself.

That’s exactly what happened in 1788 during the Austro-Turkish War.

The Austrian army, camped near Karansebes in modern-day Romania, was preparing for battle.

But instead of clashing with the Ottoman Empire, they descended into chaos.

It all started when a group of scouts crossed a river to look for the enemy—and found schnapps

instead.

What followed was one of history’s most ridiculous military disasters.

The scouts who found the schnapps decided to celebrate.

Soon, other soldiers wanted in, but the drunk scouts refused to share.

A fight broke out, and someone fired a shot.

That’s when things spiraled.

Nearby troops heard gunfire and assumed the Ottomans were attacking.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Officers shouted “Turks!” and soldiers began firing blindly into the night.

No one knew who the enemy was—because there wasn’t one.

They were shooting at their own men.

The confusion only got worse.

Cavalry units charged into the fray, thinking they were saving their comrades.

Instead, they were mistaken for Ottoman cavalry and fired upon.

Horses panicked, wagons overturned, and soldiers trampled each other trying to flee.

Some even drowned trying to cross the river in the dark.

The entire Austrian camp was in disarray.

All of this happened without a single Ottoman soldier in sight.

It was a full-blown battle against themselves.

By morning, the truth was clear: the Austrians had suffered hundreds, possibly thousands, of casualties—all self-inflicted.

The Ottoman army arrived two days later to find the battlefield littered with bodies and abandoned equipment.

They didn’t have to lift a finger.

The Battle of Karansebes became a darkly comedic footnote in military history, a perfect storm of alcohol, fear,

and poor communication.

It’s a reminder that sometimes, the greatest threat comes from within.

So how did this happen?

The Austrian army was a mix of languages and nationalities—Germans, Hungarians, Serbs, and more.

Orders were misunderstood, and panic spread faster than reason.

Add alcohol and darkness, and you get a perfect recipe for disaster.

The Battle of Karansebes is a bizarre case study in how miscommunication and fear can unravel even the

most disciplined forces.

It’s not just a funny story—it’s a lesson in the cost of chaos.