3. Friendly fire routed an entire Austrian Army in 1788
During the Austro-Turkish War, an Austrian Army which included troops from Serbia, Croatia, Lombardy, and other nations encamped around the town of Karansebes (now Caransebes) in Romania. The army, about 100,000 men, dispatched cavalry to scout Ottoman positions and strength. The cavalry found no Ottomans, but they did find Romani people willing to sell them schnapps. When they returned to camp, nearby infantrymen demanded a share of the schnapps, which consisted of several barrels. The cavalrymen refused, and erected barriers protecting their barrels of schnapps from any intruders. By then most of the cavalrymen had liberally imbibed of the schnapps, and drunken arguments developed among themselves, as well as with the thirsty infantrymen. At some point, someone fired a shot.
An open battle developed between the cavalrymen and infantrymen. As the scattered encampments heard the noise of battle they joined in. Panicked men firing indiscriminately, believing the Ottomans were attacking in the dark of night. Calls from officers to cease, in German, were misunderstood by those of the army who spoke only their native language. In the panic, they heard Halt! as Allah. Reports of casualties from the battle, which continued until most of the army fled in different directions in terror, vary widely. At least 1,200 wounded were documented in Austrian military records. One discredited account of the incident claimed 10,000 dead, though most consider that number unlikely. During the confusion and aftermath, the army’s payroll disappeared, likely into Ottoman coffers.
