When two aggressive, expansionist empires border one another, conflict is inevitable. The First Bulgarian Empire threatened the Byzantine Empire's western border. At the same time, the Byzantines wished to incorporate the Balkans into their own empire. Emperor Nicephorus I Genik launched his assault and captured the Bulgarian capital Pliska. The Bulgarians allowed the event to set a trap. The Byzantines marched into the Bulgarian trap and were annihilated. The debacle at the Battle of Pliska prevented the Byzantine Empire from threatening the Balkans for over a century.
In the early ninth century, the Bulgarian Empire captured territories claimed by the Byzantine Empire. In response, Nicephorus I planned to recapture the lost territory. He began his assault on Bulgarian Khan Krum's empire in 807 A.D. However, Krum managed a counterstrike that wiped out a garrison and captured a hoard of treasure. An outraged Nicephorus plotted to counter the Bulgarians with an all-out invasion with over 80,000 troops.
The Byzantines were overconfident. The invasion force marched in June 811. At first, Bulgarian resistance justified their overconfidence. The Byzantines made short work of an over matched defense force. Shortly thereafter, the Byzantines wiped out a pieced-together Bulgarian force of 50,000. On July 23, Nicephorus captured Pliska, sacked the capital, and laid waste to the countryside. Khan Krum tried to negotiate peace, but the Byzantine emperor rebuffed the effort.
The khan did not sit idle while his enemy sacked Pliska. To begin with, he mobilized his army and the people. Then, he moved his forces to the mountain passes to set traps and block exit routes. Krum's presence tempted Nicephorus to the point of recklessness. The Byzantines marched right into Krum's trap. An overconfident Nicephorus did not bother to send reconnaissance parties and found himself surrounded. The Bulgarians blocked the entrance the Byzantines used to enter the Varbica Pass. The trapped Byzantine empire reacted in a curious fashion. Rather than attempt a breakout, he had his troops set up camp. The enemy army spent three days gathering strength and taunting their prey. On July 26, the Bulgarian forces struck the hapless emperor. Resistance was short and useless.
Very few survived the engagement. The emperor's son, Stauracius, was paralyzed in the battle, but succumbed to his wounds months later. Meanwhile, Nicephorus I died ignominiously on a dunghill. Khan Krum placed the emperor's head on a pike and later turned his skull into a drinking cup. It took generations for the Byzantines to recover from the shock of the loss. Eventually, they destroyed the First Bulgarian Empire. However, in the interim, the Bulgarians expanded their power and influence in the region.
In July 811, the Byzantine Empire suffered one of their worst defeats. The empire lost 80,000 men and their emperor in one day. The psychological impact of the event informed Byzantine policy toward the Balkans for over a century. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Empire entered its zenith before their rivals eliminated them. In the end, overconfidence, incompetence, and paralytic fear contributed to Nicephorus' defeat.
