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Battle of Vaslui

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Pre 1900 Military

   Battle of Vaslui
   Part of the Moldavian-Ottoman Wars

     Date   January 10, 1475
   Location Near Vaslui, Romania
    Result  Decisive Moldavian victory
   Combatants
   Moldavia Ottoman Empire
   Commanders
   Stephen III of Moldavia Hadân Suleiman Pasha
   Strength
   40,000 Moldavians with 5,000 Szekely recruited by Stephen,
   3,800 allied troops
   20 cannon ~ 60,000 - 80,000
   17,000 Wallachians
   (Possibly up to 120,000)
   Casualties
   Unknown minimum of 40,000

   The Battle of Vaslui (also referred to as the Battle of Podul Înalt and
   Battle of Racova) ( January 10, 1475) was fought between the Moldavian
   ( Romanian) Prince, Stephen the Great and the Beylerbeyi of Rumelia,
   Hadân Suleiman Pasha. The battle took place at Podul Înalt (the High
   Bridge), near the town of Vaslui, in Moldavia (now part of eastern
   Romania) between Barnaba and Racovica. The Ottoman troops numbered
   between 60,000 and 120,000, facing about 40,000 Moldavian troops, plus
   smaller numbers of allied and mercenary troops on both sides.

   Stephen inflicted a decisive defeat on the Ottomans which has been said
   to be "the greatest ever secured by the Cross against Islam," with
   casualties, according to Venetian and Polish records, reaching beyond
   40,000 on the Ottoman side. As witnessed by Maraym Khanum ( Mara
   Brankovic), former younger wife of Murad II, to a Venetian envoy, the
   invasion was the worst defeat for the Ottomans at that time. Stephen
   was later awarded the title " Athleta Christi" (Champion of Christ) by
   Pope Sixtus IV. The Polish chronicler, Jan Długosz, hailed Stephen
   after his victory in the battle:

     Praiseworthy hero, in no respect inferior to other hero soldiers we
     admire. He was the first contemporary among the rulers of the world
     to score a decisive victory against the Turks. To my mind, he is the
     worthiest to lead a coalition of the Christian Europe against the
     Turks.

   According to Długosz, Stephen did not celebrate his victory; instead,
   he fasted for forty days on bread and water and forbade anyone to
   attribute the victory to him, insisting that credit be given only to "
   The Lord."

Background

   On June 22, 1462, Stephen made an attempt to take the castle of Chilia
   from the shared Hungarian- Wallachian rulership. The siege failed and
   Stephen was wounded. In November, the same year, the Ottoman Sultan
   Mehmed II invaded Wallachia and tried to subdue it. Stephen's cousin,
   Vlad III Dracula, repelled the invasion, but after the Ottomans
   retreated, the boyars allied with Dracula's half-brother, Radu the
   Handsome, who in turn served the Sultan. Dracula fled to Transylvania
   where he was imprisoned by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary; the
   boyars installed Radu as Prince of Wallachia. Three years later,
   between January 22 and January 26, Stephen successfully besieged
   Chilia. Since Chilia was then counted as part of Wallachia, the Sultan,
   having subdued most of Wallachia and made it his vassal, made claims to
   the town and asked Stephen to handle it back to Wallachia.

   The ports of Chilia and Akkerman (Romanian: Cetatea Albā; now known by
   the Ukrainian name Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi) were essential for Moldavian
   commerce, hosting Armenian merchants who made trade a very profitable
   business. The towns developed into rich market centers. The old trade
   route from Caffa, Akkerman, and Chilia passed through Suceava in
   Moldavia and Lwow in Poland (now in Ukraine). Both Poland and Hungary
   had previously made attempts to control the region, but failed; and for
   the Ottomans, "the control of these two ports and of Caffa was as much
   an economic as a political necessity", as it would also give them a
   better grip on Moldavia and serve as a valuable strategic point from
   which naval attacks could be launched against the Commonwealth of
   Poland-Lithuania. Stephen refused to give up Chilia and Akkerman and in
   1470, he invaded Wallachia and burned down the town of Brăila. In
   retaliation, the Turks crossed the Dniester and pillaged a few
   Moldavian towns. In 1474, after defeating an army consisting of 12,000
   Ottomans and 6,000 Wallachians, Stephen captured the castle of
   Bucharest and took Radu's wife and daughter — whom the latter he
   married — and replaced Radu with the seemingly loyal Prince, Basarab
   Laiotā. Mehmed gave Stephen an ultimatum of forfeiting Chilia and
   Akkerman to the Porte and coming to Constantinople with his delayed
   homage. Stephen refused and in November 1474, he wrote to the Pope,
   warning him of further Ottoman expansion and asking for assistance.

Preparations for war

Ottomans

   Mehmed II by Gentile Bellini
   Enlarge
   Mehmed II by Gentile Bellini

   Mehmed ordered his great general, Suleiman Pasha, to end the siege of
   Venetian-controlled Shkodër (now in Albania), to assemble his troops in
   Sofia, and from there to advance with additional troops towards
   Moldavia. For these already exhausted Ottoman troops, the transit from
   Shkodër to Moldavia was a month's journey through bad weather and
   difficult terrain. According to Długosz, Suleiman was also ordered that
   after inflicting defeat on Stephen, he was to advance towards Poland,
   set camp for the winter, and in spring invade Hungary and unite his
   forces with the army of the Sultan. The Ottoman army consisted of
   Janissaries and heavy infantry, which were supported by the heavy
   cavalry sipahis and by the light cavalry—known as Akinci—who would
   scout ahead; there were also Tatar cavalry and other troops (such as
   the Timariots ) from vassal states. Twenty-thousand Bulgarian peasants
   were also included in the army; their main tasks were to clear the way
   for the rest of the army by building bridges over waters and removing
   snow from the roads, and to drive supply wagons. In total, the Ottoman
   cavalry numbered 30,000. Most documents put the number of Ottoman
   troops as high as 120,000, while other sources mention anything from
   60,000 and 80,000. Of this number, about 40,000 constituted a standing
   army, while the rest were to be paid in booty. In September 1474, the
   Ottoman army gathered in Sofia, and from there, Suleiman marched
   towards Moldavia by crossing the frozen Danube on foot.. Their first
   stop was Wallachia, in which they entered via Vidin and Nicopolis. The
   army rested in Wallachia for two weeks, and was later joined by a
   Wallachian contingent of 17,000 under Basarab Laiotă, who had changed
   sides in favour of the Ottomans.
   Stephen the Great - detail of a dedication miniature in the 1473 Gospel
   at Humor Monastery
   Enlarge
   Stephen the Great - detail of a dedication miniature in the 1473 Gospel
   at Humor Monastery

Moldavians

   Stephen was hoping to gain support from the West, and more specifically
   from the Pope. The help that he received was modest in numbers. The
   Hungarian Kingdom sent 1,800 Hungarians and Poland sent 2,000 horsemen.
   Stephen recruited 5,000 Szekely soldiers. The Moldavian army consisted
   of twenty cannon; light cavalry (Călăraşi); elite, heavy cavalry –
   named Viteji, Curteni, and Boyars – and professional foot soldiers.
   Each piece of artillery was prepared with powder and ammunition to fire
   at least 7 times. The army reached a strength of up to 40,000, of whom
   10,000 to 15,000 comprised the standing army. The rest of the force
   consisted of 30,000 peasants armed with maces, bows, and other
   home-made weapons. They were recruited into Oastea Mare (the Great
   Army), into which all able-bodied free males over the age of 14 were
   conscripted.

Battle

   Map of the battle
   Enlarge
   Map of the battle

   The invading army entered Moldavia in December 1474. Stephen had
   instituted a policy of scorched earth and poisoned waters in order to
   fatigue the Ottomans. Troops who specialised in setting ambushes
   harassed the advancing Ottomans. The population, and animals, were
   evacuated to the north of the country, in the mountains. Ottoman scouts
   reported to Suleiman that there were untouched villages near Vaslui,
   and the Ottomans headed for that region. The winter made it difficult
   to set camp, which forced the Ottomans to move quickly and head for the
   Moldavian capital, Suceava. In order to reach Vaslui, where the
   Moldavian army had its main camp, they needed to cross Podul Înalt (The
   High Bridge) over the Bârlad River. The bridge was made of wood and not
   suitable for heavy transportation of troops. Stephen chose that area
   for the battle—the same location where his father, Bogdan II, defeated
   the Poles in 1450, when Stephen was 17. The area was ideal for the
   defenders: the valley was a semi-oval surrounded by hills covered by
   forest on all three sides. Inside the valley the terrain was marshy,
   which restricted troop movement. Suleiman had full confidence in his
   troops and made few efforts to scout the area.

   On January 10, on a dark and misty Tuesday morning, the battle began.
   The weather was frigid, and a dense fog limited vision. The Ottoman
   troops were exhausted and the torrent made them look like "plucked
   chickens". Stephen fortifed the bridge while setting aiming his cannons
   at the structure. Peasants and archers were hidden in the forest,
   together with their Prince and his boyar cavalry. The Moldavians made
   the first move by sending musicians to the middle of the valley. The
   sound of drums and bugles made Suleiman think that the entire Moldavian
   army awaited him there. Instead, the centre of the valley held the
   Szekely forces and the Moldavian professional army, which were ordered
   to make a slow retreat when they encountered the enemy. Suleiman
   ordered his troops to advance and, when they made enough progress, the
   Moldavian artillery started to fire, followed by archers and
   handgunners firing from three different directions. The archers could
   not see the enemy for the fog, and, instead, had to follow the noise of
   their footsteps. The Moldavian light cavalry then helped to lure the
   Ottoman troops into the valley by making hit-and-run attacks. Ottoman
   cavalry tried to cross the wooden bridge, causing it to collapse. Those
   Ottoman soldiers who managed to survive the attacks from the artillery
   and the archers, and who did not get caught in the marshes, had to
   confront the Moldavian army, together with the Szekely soldiers further
   up the valley. The 5,000 Szekely soldiers were successful in repelling
   the 7,000 Ottoman infantrymen. Thereafter, they made a slow retreat, as
   instructed by Stephen, but were later routed by the Ottoman sipahi,,
   while the remaining Ottoman infantry attacked the Moldavian flanks.

   Suleiman tried to reinforce his offensive, not knowing what transpired
   in the valley, but then Stephen ordered a major attack. All his troops,
   together with peasants and heavy cavalry, attacked from all sides.
   Simultaneously, Moldavian buglers concealed behind Ottoman lines
   started to sound their bugles, and in great confusion some Ottoman
   units changed direction to face the sound. When the Moldavian army hit,
   Suleiman lost control of his army and signalled a retreat. The fleeing
   Ottoman army was pursued by the Moldavian light cavalry and the
   2,000-strong Polish cavalry for three days until they reached the town
   of Obluciţa (now Isaccea, Romania), in Dobruja.

   The Wallachians fled the field without joining battle and Laiotă now
   turned his sword against the Turks, who had hoped for a safe passage in
   Wallachia; he took one of their flags and sent it to a Hungarian friend
   as proof of his bravery. The Ottoman casualties were counted as 45,000,
   including four Pashas killed and a hundred standards taken. Jan Długosz
   writes that "all but the most eminent of the Turkish prisoners are
   impaled", and their corpses burned. Only one was spared — the only son
   of the Ottoman general Isaac Bey, of the Gazi Evrenos family. Another
   Polish chronicler reported that on the spot of the battle rested huge
   piles of bones upon each other, next to three immuned crosses.

Aftermath

   After the battle, Stephen sent "four of the captured Turkish
   commanders, together with thirty-six of their standards and much
   splendid booty, to King Casimir in Lithuania" and implored him to
   support him in the struggle against the Ottomans with troops and money.
   He also sent letters and a few prisoners and Turkish standards to the
   Pope and King Matthias Corvinus, asking for support. In response, "the
   arrogant Matthias writes to the Pope, the Emperor and other kings and
   princes, telling them that he has defeated a large Turkish army with
   his own forces under the Voivode of Wallachia." The Pope's reply to
   Stephen denied him help, but awarded him with the " Athleta Christi",
   while King Casimir pleaded "poverty both in money and men" and did
   nothing; his own men then accused him of sloth and advised him to
   change his shameful behaviour or hand over his rule to someone else.

   The following year, Mehmed himself invaded the country with an army of
   150,000, which was joined by 10,000 Wallachians under Laiotă and 30,000
   Tatars under Meñli I Giray. The Tatars, who called for a Holy War,
   attacked with their cavalry from the north and started to pillage the
   country. The Moldavians took chase after them, routed and killed most
   of them. "The fleeing Tatars discard their weapons, their saddles and
   clothes, while some, as though crazed, jump into the River Dniepr."
   Giray wrote to Mehmed that he could not wage more war against Stephen,
   as he lost his son, two brothers, and returned with only one horse. In
   July 1476, after killing 30,000 Ottomans, Stephen was defeated at the
   Battle of Valea Albă. The Ottomans were unsuccessful in their siege of
   the Suceava citadel and the Neamţ fortress, while Laiotă was forced to
   retreat back to Wallachia when Vlad Dracula and Stefan Báthory, Voivode
   of Transylvania, gave chase with an army of 30,000. The Ottoman troops,
   who suffered from plague and fatigue, were also forced to retreat.

   Stephen assembled his army and invaded Wallachia from the north, while
   Dracula and Báthory invaded from the west. Laiotă fled and in November,
   Dracula was installed on the Wallachian throne. He received 200 loyal
   knights from Stephen that were to serve as his loyal bodyguards, but
   his army remained small. When Laiotă returned in December, Dracula went
   to battle and was killed. Laiotă again occupied the Wallachian throne,
   which urged Stephen to make another return to Wallachia and dethrone
   Laiotă for the fifth and last time, while Dracula's son Ţepeluş, was
   put to rule the country. In 1484, the Ottomans under Bayezid II,
   managed to conquer Bessarabia and incorporate it into their empire
   under the name of Budjak, leaving Moldavia a landlocked vassal of the
   Porte (that is, the Ottomans) until it was conquered in the late 16th
   century by Mihai Viteazul. In 1490, Stephen built the church of Saint
   John the Baptist, in remembrance of his great victory at Vaslui; the
   Moldavian churches built by Stephen are on UNESCO's World Heritage
   List.
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