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{{EngvarB|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Vaslui
| image = Vaslui 15cMD.png
| image_size = 350px
| caption =
| partof = the [[Moldavian-Ottoman Wars]]<br />and the [[Ottoman-Hungarian Wars]]
| date = 10 January 1475{{sfn|Kármán|Kunčevic|2013| p=266}}
| place = Near [[Vaslui]], present-day [[Romania]]
| result = Decisive Moldavian Victory <ref>Ferencz Kállay (1850). Historiai brtekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben</ref>
| combatant1 = {{flag|Moldavia|1467}}<br />{{flagicon image|Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]]<br />
| combatant2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Ottoman Empire]]<br />
* {{flag|Wallachia|1545}}
| commander1 = [[File:Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg|15px]] [[Stephen III of Moldavia]]<br />Mihály Fants<ref name="szeklers">{{cite book | author = Ferencz Kállay | title = Historiai értekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben |trans-title=Historical discourse about the origin of the 'magnanimous szekler nation' : military and civil institutes in the past times. | publisher = Fiedler Gottfried | location = [[Nagyenyed]], Hungary | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tDo-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#v=onepage&q&f=false | language = Hungarian | accessdate = 9 October 2010 | year = 1829 | page = 247}}</ref>
| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)|Hadım Suleiman Pasha]]<br />
*[[File:Emblem of Wallachia under Radu Paisie (Dimitrije Ljubavić's Molitvenik, Jan 10, 1545).png|15px]] [[Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân]]{{sfn|Kármán|Kunčevic|2013| p=266}}
| strength1 = 40,000 Moldavians<br />5,000 [[Székelys]]<br />2,000 Polish<br />1,800 Hungarians (did not engage)<br />20 cannons
| strength2 = 50,000-120,000 Ottomans<br />17,000 Wallachians (did not engage)<br />20,000 Bulgarians ([[Slavery in the Ottoman Empire|enslaved]])
| casualties1 = ~5,000 killed and wounded
| casualties2 = ~50,000 killed<ref>Liviu Pilat and Ovidiu Cristea, ''The Ottoman Threat and Crusading on the Eastern Border of Christendom during Vaslui'', (Brill, 2006), 149.</ref><br>70,000 captured
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Ottoman-Hungarian War}}<br />{{Campaignbox Moldavian–Ottoman Wars}}
}}
The '''Battle of Vaslui''' (also referred to as the '''Battle of Podul Înalt''' or the '''Battle of Racova''') was fought on 10 January 1475, between [[Stephen III of Moldavia]] and the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] governor of [[Rumelia Eyalet|Rumelia]], [[Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)|Hadım Suleiman Pasha]]. The battle took place at Podul Înalt (''the High Bridge''), near the town of [[Vaslui]], in [[Moldavia]] (now part of eastern [[Romania]]). The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] troops numbered up to 120,000, facing about 40,000 Moldavian troops, plus smaller numbers of allied and mercenary troops.<ref>''Kronika Polska'' mentions 40,000 Moldavian troops; ''Gentis Silesiæ Annales'' mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops and "no more than" 40,000 Moldavian troops; the letter of Stephen addressed to the Christian countries, sent on 25 January 1475, mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops; see also ''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 588;</ref>
Stephen inflicted a decisive defeat on the Ottomans, described as "the greatest ever secured by [[Christianity]] against Islam,"<ref>''The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey''{{Full citation needed|date=December 2019}}</ref> with casualties, according to [[Venice|Venetian]] and Polish records, reaching beyond 40,000 on the Ottoman side. [[Mara Brankovic]] (Mara Hatun), the former younger wife of [[Murad II]], told a Venetian envoy that the invasion had been the worst ever defeat for the Ottomans.<ref name = "p. 133">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 133</ref> Stephen was later awarded the title "[[Athleta Christi]]" (''Champion of Christ'') by [[Pope Sixtus IV]], who referred to him as {{lang|la|"verus christianae fidei athleta"}} ("the true defender of the Christian faith").<ref>''Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana)'', p. 141</ref>
According to the Polish chronicler [[Jan 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 [[God in Christianity|the Lord]].
==Background==
{{See also|The Night Attack|Battle of Baia}}
The conflict between Stephen and Ottoman Sultan [[Mehmed II]] worsened when both laid their claims to the historical region of [[Budjak|Southern Bessarabia]], now known under the name of [[Budjak]]. The region had belonged to [[Wallachia]], but later succumbed to Moldavian influence under [[Petru II of Moldavia|Petru Mușat]] and was possibly annexed to Moldavia in the late 14th century by [[Roman I of Moldavia]].<ref>''Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries'', pp. 218–19</ref> Under [[Alexandru cel Bun]], it had become an integral part of Moldavia and was successfully defended in 1420 against the first Ottoman attempt to capture castle [[Kilia, Ukraine|Chilia]].<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 449</ref> The ports of Chilia and [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi|Akkerman]] (Romanian: ''Cetatea Albă'') were essential for Moldavian commerce. The old trade route from [[Caffa]], Akkerman, and Chilia passed through [[Suceava]] in Moldavia and [[Lwow]] in Poland (now in [[Ukraine]]).
[[Image:Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi.jpg|left|thumb|The fortress of [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi|Akkerman (Cetatea Albă)]].]] Both Poland and [[Hungary]] had previously made attempts to control the region, but had failed; and for the Ottomans, "the control of these two ports and of Caffa was as much an economic as a political necessity,"<ref>''The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600'', p. 129</ref> 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]]. This is confirmed by a German chronicle which explains that Mehmet wanted to turn Moldavia into "some kind of fortress," and from there, to launch attacks against Poland and Hungary.<ref>''Gentis Silesiæ Annales''</ref> The Ottomans also feared the strategic position of Moldavia, whence it would only take 15 to 20 days to reach [[Constantinople]].<ref>Letter to [[Leonardo Loredano]], written on 7 December 1502</ref>
In 1448, [[Petru III of Moldavia|Petru II of Moldavia]] awarded Chilia to [[John Hunyadi]], the governor of [[Transylvania]];<ref name="p. 133"/> and in effect, it gave Hungary control of the strategic area on the [[Danube]], with access to the [[Black Sea]]. With the assassination of [[Bogdan II of Moldavia]] in 1451 by his brother [[Petru Aron]], the country fell into civil war, as two pretenders fought for the throne: Aron and [[Alexăndrel]].<ref name = "p.92">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi — Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 92</ref> Bogdan's son, Stephen, fled Moldavia together with his cousin, [[Vlad Dracula]] — who had sought protection at the Moldavian court – to [[Transylvania]], at the court of Hunyadi.<ref name = "p.93">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 93</ref> Even though Hungary had made peace with the Turks in 1451, Hunyadi wanted to transform Wallachia and Moldavia into a barrier that would protect the kingdom from Ottoman expansion.<ref name = "p.92-3">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', pp. 92–93</ref> In the fall of 1453, after the Ottoman capture of [[Constantinople]], Moldavia received an ultimatum to start paying tribute to the Porte;<ref name = "studii">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 91</ref> two years later, on 5 October 1455, Aron sent the first Moldavian tribute to the Porte: a payment of 2,000 [[ducats]].<ref name = "p.164">''The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers'', p. 164</ref> With both Wallachia and Moldavia conducting a pro-Ottoman policy, the plan to install Vlad Țepeș as prince of Wallachia began to take shape. Sometime between April to July 1456, with the support of a few Hungarian troops and Wallachian boyars, Prince [[Vladislav II]] was dethroned and slain, as Vlad Țepeș took possession of the Wallachian throne;<ref name="p.92-3"/> and as such, Chilia became a shared Wallachian-Hungarian possession. In April 1457, Vlad Țepeș supported Stephen with 6,000 horsemen, which the latter used to invade Moldavia and occupy the Moldavian throne,<ref name = "p. 94">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 94</ref> ending the civil war as Aron fled to Poland. The new prince continued sending the tribute that his uncle and Mehmed had agreed upon, and in such way, avoided any premature confrontation with his enemy. His first priority was to strengthen the country and to retrieve its lost territory. Because Aron resided in Poland, Stephen made a few incursions in southern Poland. The hostilities ended on 4 April 1459, when in a new treaty between the two countries, Moldavia accepted vassalage and Poland returned [[Khotyn|Hotin]] back to Moldavia; the latter also assumed the obligation to support Moldavia in retrieving Chilia and Cetatea Albă.<ref name = "p. 96">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 96</ref> It was also in the interest of Poland to have the area belonging to Moldavia, as it would increase their commerce in the region.<ref name = "p. 134">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 134</ref> On 2 March 1462, in a renewed treaty between the two countries, it was agreed that no Moldavian territory should remain under foreign rulership, and if such territory was under foreign rulership, that territory should be regained.<ref name = "p. 134"/> Later that year, it is believed that Stephen asked Vlad to return Chilia back to Moldavia – a demand which was most likely refused.<ref>''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc,'' pp. 95–96</ref>
On 22 June, when Vlad was fighting Mehmed, Stephen allied himself with the Sultan and with some Turkish assistance, he launched an attack on Chilia.<ref name = "p. 149">''Vlad Dracul: Prince of many faces – His life and his times'', p. 149</ref> The fortress, defended by tall stone walls and 12 cannons, was in the middle of the 15th century the strongest fortification located in the Danube area.<ref name = "p. 97">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 97</ref> The Wallachians rushed to the scene with 7,000 men, and together with the Hungarian garrison battled the Moldavians and the Turks for eight days. They managed to defend the town, while wounding Stephen in his foot with a shrapnel.<ref name = "p. 149"/> In 1465, while Vlad was imprisoned in Hungary, Stephen again advanced towards Chilia with a large force and siege weapons; but instead of besieging the fortress, he showed the garrison – who favoured the Polish King – a letter in which the King required them to surrender the fortress. This they did, and Stephen entered the fortress where he found "its two captains, rather tipsy, for they have been to a wedding."<ref name = "p. 552">''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 552</ref> Mehmed was furious about the news and claimed Chilia for being a part of Wallachia – which now was a vassal to the [[Ottoman Porte|Porte]] – and demanded Stephen to give it over to him. The latter refused, however, and recruited an army, forcing Mehmed – who was not yet ready to wage war – to accept the situation, if only for the time being.<ref name = "p. 552"/> The Moldavian prince, realising that a future war with Mehmed could not be avoided, tried to gain time by increasing his tribute to the Porte by 50 percent (to 3,000 ducats); and also sent an envoy to Constantinople with gifts for the sultan.<ref name = "Denize">''Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii''</ref> In 1467, [[Matthias Corvinus]] of Hungary launched an expedition against Moldavia in order to punish Stephen for annexing the region. The invasion ended in a disaster for the Hungarians as they suffered a bitter defeat at the [[Battle of Baia]], where Corvinus was thrice wounded by arrows and had to be “carried from the battlefield on a stretcher, to avoid him falling into the hands of the enemy.”<ref name = "p. 566">The Annals of Jan Długosz, p. 566</ref>
[[Image:LaiotaBasarab.jpg|left|thumb|Laiotă Basarab at [[Monastery of Horezu]].]]
To secure his southern frontier from Ottoman threats, Stephen wanted to liberate Wallachia – where the hostile [[Radu the Handsome]], the halfbrother of Vlad Țepeș ruled – from Ottoman dominion. In 1470, he invaded the country and burned down the town of [[Brăila]]<ref name="Costin Letopiseţul">Costin, N. ''Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei''</ref> and in 1471, Stephen and Radu confronted each other in Moldavia, where the latter was defeated.<ref name = "R">''Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare''</ref> Meanwhile, [[Genoa]], which possessed several colonies in the [[Crimean Peninsula|Crimea]], began to worry about Stephen's growing influence in the region; and ordered her colonies to do whatever was needed to revenge past mischief from which allegedly, the Genovese had suffered.<ref name = "R"/> The colonies in turn pursued the Tatars to attack Moldavia. Later that year, the Tatars invaded the country from the north, causing great damage to the land and enslaving many.<ref name = "R"/> Stephen replied by invading Tatar territory with Polish assistance. In 1472, [[Uzun Hassan]] of [[Ak Koyunlu]] invaded the Ottoman Empire from the east, causing a great crisis to the empire. He was defeated the following year, but this unexpected event, as it is explained in a contemporary source, encouraged Venice and Hungary to renew their war on the Ottomans, and Moldavia to free herself from any Ottoman influence.<ref name = "R"/> In 1473, Stephen stopped paying the annual tribute to the Porte<ref name = "p.165">''The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers'', p. 165</ref> and as a reaction to this, an Italian letter, dated from 1473 to [[Bartolomeo Scala]], secretary of the [[Republic of Florence]], reveals that Mehmed had left Constantinople on 13 April and was planning to invade Moldavia from land and sea.<ref name = "Pippidi">Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002</ref> Stephen still hoped to make peace with Radu and asked the Polish king to work as mediator.<ref name = "R"/> The peace attempts failed and the conflict intensified with three leaders challenging each other for the Wallachian throne: Radu, who was supported by Mehmed; the seemingly loyal [[Basarab Laiotă]], who at first was supported by Stephen; and [[Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr]]—who would gain the support of Stephen after Laiotă's betrayal.<ref name = "Babinger">''Mehmed the Conqueror and his time'', p. 339</ref> A series of "absurd"<ref name = "Babinger"/> clashes followed, starting with another confrontation between Stephen and Radu on 18–20 November, at [[Râmnicu Sărat]], where the latter suffered his second defeat at the hands of the Moldavian "warlike" prince.<ref name = "Babinger"/> A few days later, on 28 November, the Ottomans intervened with an army consisting of 12,000 Ottomans and 6,000 Wallachians, but "they incurred heavy losses and fled across the Danube."<ref name = "Babinger"/> After capturing the castle of [[Bucharest]], Stephen put Laiotă on the throne,<ref name="Costin Letopiseţul"/> but on 31 December, a new Ottoman army of 17,000 set camp around river [[Bârlad]], laying waste to the countryside, and intimidating the new prince into abandoning his Wallachian throne and fleeing to Moldavia.<ref name = "Babinger"/> In the spring of 1474, Laiotă took the Wallachian throne for the second time; and in June, he made the decision to betray his protégé by submitting to Mehmet.<ref name = "Babinger"/> Stephen then invested his support into a new candidate, named Ţepeluş (little spear), but his reign was even shorter, as it only lasted a few weeks after being defeated by Laiotă in battle on 5 October. Two weeks later, Stephen returned to Wallachia and forced Laiotă to flee.<ref name = "Babinger"/> Mehmed, tired of what transpired in Wallachia, gave Stephen an ultimatum to forfeit Chilia to the Porte, to abolish his aggressive policy in Wallachia, and to come to [[Constantinople]] with his delayed homage.<ref name = "p.165"/> The Prince refused and in November 1474, he wrote to the Pope to warn him of further Ottoman expansion, and to ask him for support.<ref>Letter of Stephen, Vaslui 29 November 1474</ref>
==Preparations for war==
===Ottomans===
[[Image:Gentile Bellini 003.jpg|thumb|Mehmed II by [[Gentile Bellini]].]]
Mehmed ordered his general, Suleiman Pasha, to end the siege of [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]]-controlled [[Shkodër]]<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty">''The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty''</ref> (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, who had besieged the city from 17 May to 15 August,<ref name = "Denize"/> the transit from Shkodër to Moldavia was a month's journey through bad weather and difficult terrain.<ref>''Great Events''</ref> According to Długosz, Suleiman was also ordered that after inflicting defeat on Stephen, he was to advance towards Poland, set camp for the winter, then invade Hungary in spring, and unite his forces with the army of the Sultan. The Ottoman army consisted of [[Janissary|Janissaries]] and heavy infantry, which were supported by the heavy cavalry ''[[sipahi]]s'' and by the light cavalry (''[[akinci]]''), who would scout ahead. There were also [[Tatar]] cavalry and other troops (such as the [[Timariots]]) from vassal states. Twenty thousand [[Bulgarians|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.<ref>''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p.127</ref> In total, the Ottoman cavalry numbered 30,000.<ref>''Historia Turchesca''</ref> In September 1474, the Ottoman army gathered in [[Sofia]], and from there, Suleiman marched towards Moldavia by crossing the frozen Danube on foot.<ref name = "p. 128">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 128</ref> His first stop was Wallachia, which he entered via [[Vidin]] and [[Nicopolis]]. His army rested in Wallachia for two weeks, and was later met by a Wallachian contingent of 17,000 under [[Basarab Laiotă]], who had changed sides to join the Ottomans.
[[Image:Humorstefan.jpg|left|thumb|Stephen the Great – detail of a dedication miniature in the 1473 ''Gospel'' at Humor Monastery.]]
[[Image:Stephenletter.JPG|right|thumb|Letter of Stephen to European leaders, November 29, 1474.]]
===Moldavians===
Stephen was hoping to gain support from the West, and more specifically from the Pope. However, the help that he received was modest in numbers. The Hungarian Kingdom sent 1,800 Hungarians, while Poland sent 2,000 horsemen.<ref name="Kronika Polska">''Kronika Polska''</ref> Stephen recruited 5,000 [[Székely]] soldiers.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> [[History of Moldavia#The Army|The Moldavian army]] consisted of twenty [[cannon]]; [[light cavalry]] (Călăraşi); elite, heavy cavalry – named Viteji, Curteni, and [[Boyar]]s – and professional foot soldiers. The army reached a strength of up to 40,000, of whom 10,000 to 15,000 comprised the standing army. The remainder consisted of 30,000 peasants armed with maces,<ref>''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', pp. 127, 130</ref> bows, and other home-made weapons. They were recruited into ''Oastea Mare'' (the Great Army), into which all able-bodied free men over the age of 14 were conscripted.
==Battle==
[[Image:Vaslui Battle map.svg|thumb|Map of the battle.]]
The invading army entered Moldavia in December 1474. To fatigue the Ottomans, Stephen had instituted a policy of [[scorched earth]]<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> and poisoned waters.<ref name="p. 128"/> Troops who specialised in setting [[ambush]]es harassed the advancing Ottomans. The population and livestock were evacuated to the north of the country into the mountains.<ref name = "p.42">''The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699'', p. 42</ref>
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]]. To reach Vaslui, where the Moldavian army had its main camp, they needed to cross Podul Înalt over the [[Bârlad River]]. The bridge was made of wood and not suitable for heavy transportation of troops.<ref name="p. 128"/> Stephen chose that area for the battle – the same location where his father, [[Bogdan II]], had defeated the Poles in 1450; and where he, at the age of 17,<ref name = "p.129">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 129</ref> had fought side-by-side with Vlad 'the Impaler'.<ref name = "p. 149"/> The area was ideal for the defenders: the valley was a semi-oval surrounded on all sides by hills covered by forest. Inside the valley, the terrain was marshy, which restricted troop movement.<ref name = "p.129"/> Suleiman had full confidence in his troops and made few efforts to scout the area.
On 10 January, on a dark and misty<ref name = "p.42"/> 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."<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty" /> Stephen fortified the bridge, while setting and 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.<ref>Grigore U. ''Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei''</ref> Instead, the centre of the valley held the Székely 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.<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty"/> 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.<ref name = "p.130">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 130</ref> Those Ottoman soldiers who survived 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 Székely soldiers further up the valley. The 5,000 Székely soldiers were successful in repelling 7,000 Ottoman infantrymen. Thereafter, they made a slow retreat,<ref name = "p.42"/> as instructed by Stephen, but were later routed by the Ottoman [[sipahi]],<ref name = "p.130"/> while the remaining Ottoman infantry attacked the Moldavian flanks.
Suleiman tried to reinforce his offensive, not knowing what had happened in the valley, but then Stephen, with the full support of his boyars, 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.<ref>''Roumania Past and Present'', Chapter XI.</ref> When the Moldavian army attacked, Suleiman lost control of his army.<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty"/> He desperately tried to regain control, but eventually was forced to signal a retreat. The battle lasted for four days,<ref>Documentary: ''Amintirile unui Pelerin'', [[Antena 1 (Romania)|Antena 1]]</ref> with the last three days consisting of the fleeing Ottoman army being pursued by the Moldavian light cavalry and the 2,000-strong Polish cavalry 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; on 20 January, he exited his castle and confronted some of the Turks that were lurking on his land. Thereafter, he took one of their flags and sent it to a Hungarian friend as proof of his bravery.<ref name = "pp. 131-32">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', pp. 131–32</ref> The Ottoman casualties were reported as 45,000, including four [[Pasha]]s killed and a hundred standards taken.<ref>''A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day'', Oxford 1941, p. 108</ref> [[Jan Długosz]] writes that "all but the most eminent of the Turkish prisoners are [[Impalement|impaled]]",<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 588</ref> and their corpses burned.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> Only one was spared – the only son of the Ottoman general Isaac Bey, of the [[Gazi Evrenos]] family, whose father had fought with [[Mircea the Elder]].<ref name = "pp. 131-32"/> Another Polish chronicler reported that on the spot of the battle rested huge piles of bones upon each other, next to three immured crosses.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/>
==Aftermath==
After the battle, Stephen sent "four of the captured Turkish commanders, together with thirty-six of their standards and much splendid booty, to [[Casimir IV Jagiellon|King Casimir]] in Poland", and implored him to provide troops and money to support the Moldavians in the struggle against the Ottomans. He also sent letters and a few prisoners and Turkish standards to the Pope and Hungarian King [[Matthias Corvinus]], asking for support.<ref name = "pp. 588-9">''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', pp. 588–9</ref> 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."<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 589</ref> The Pope's reply to Stephen denied him help, but awarded him with the "[[Athleta Christi]]",<ref>website: [http://countrystudies.us/romania/8.htm Romania Country study], U.S. Library of Congress.</ref> 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.<ref name = "pp. 588-9"/> Chronicler [[Jan Długosz]] hailed Stephen for his victory in the battle:
<blockquote>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.<ref>''Historiae Polonicae'', libri XIII, vol. II, note 528, Leipzig 1712.</ref></blockquote>
Hassan tried to create a new coalition with the European powers, arguing that Mehmed's best troops were lost at Vaslui.<ref name = "R"/> Upon hearing about the devastating defeat, Mehmed refused for several days to give audience to anyone; his other plans of expansion were put to rest as he planned revenge on Stephen.<ref name = "p. 133"/> In the following year, Mehmed 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 [[religious war|Holy War]], attacked with their cavalry from the north and started to pillage the country. The Moldavians took chase after them, and 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."<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', pp. 592, 594</ref> Giray wrote to Mehmed that he could not wage more war against Stephen, as he had lost his son and two brothers, and had returned with only one horse.<ref>Letter of Giray to Mehmed, 10–19 October 1476</ref>
In July 1476, after killing 30,000 Ottomans, Stephen was defeated at the [[Battle of Valea Albă]]. However, the Ottomans were unsuccessful in their siege of the [[Suceava]] citadel and the [[Siege of Cetatea Neamţului|Neamţ]] fortress, while Laiotă was forced to retreat back to Wallachia when Vlad and [[Stefan Báthory]], Voivode of Transylvania, gave chase with an army of 30,000.<ref>Diary of Ladislav, servant of Vlad; 7 August 1476</ref> Stephen assembled his army and invaded Wallachia from the north, while Vlad and Báthory invaded from the west. Laiotă fled, and in November, Vlad Țepeș was installed on the Wallachian throne. He received 200 loyal knights from Stephen to serve as his loyal bodyguards, but his army remained small.
[[Image:Voronet last judgment.jpg|left|thumb|The ''last judgment'', painted outside the monastery.]]
When Laiotă returned, [[Vlad Tepes]] went to battle and was killed by the [[Janissary|Janissaries]] near Bucharest in December 1476. 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 a [[House of Dăneşti|Dăneşti]], [[Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr|Ţepeluş]], was established as ruler of the country.
In 1484, the Ottomans under [[Bayezid II]] managed to conquer [[Kiliya, Ukraine|Chilia]] and [[Cetatea Albă]] and incorporate it into their empire under the name of [[Budjak]], leaving Moldavia a landlocked principality for many years to come.
Between May and September 1488, Stephen built the [[Voroneţ Monastery]] to commemorate the victory at Vaslui; "the exterior walls – including a representation of the Last Judgment on the west wall – were painted in 1547 with a background of vivid cerulean blue. This is so vibrant that art historians refer to Voroneţ blue the same way they do Titian red."<ref>''Artistic Route Through Romania''</ref> In 1490, he extended his work by building another monastery of [[Saint John the Baptist]]. These monasteries served as cultural centres; today, they are on [[UNESCO]]'s [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|World Heritage List]]. Stephen's victory at Vaslui is considered one of the greatest Moldavian victories over the Ottomans, and as such "played a role in universal history" by securing the culture and civilization of the Christian West from the onslaught of Islam.<ref>''Catholic Encyclopedia''</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|3}}
== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite book|title = The European Tributary States of the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries|publisher = Brill|year = 2013|isbn = 9789004246065|location = Leiden|pages = |url = http://www.brill.com/european-tributary-states-ottoman-empire-sixteenth-and-seventeenth-centuries|ref = harv|editor-last = Kármán|editor-first = Gábor|editor-last2 = Kunčevic|editor-first2 = Lovro}}
*[[Antena 1 (Romania)|Antena 1]], Amintirile unui Pelerin (documentary)
*[[Franz Babinger|Babinger, Franz]]. Mehmed the Conqueror and his time {{ISBN|0-691-01078-1}}
*Cândea, Virgil. Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana), Balkan Studies 2004
*Catholic Encyclopedia, Rumania. (source: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13224b.htm New Advent])
*Denize, Eugen. Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii.
*[[Jan Długosz|Długosz, Jan]]. The Annals of Jan Długosz {{ISBN|1-901019-00-4}}
*Ghyka, Matila. A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day, Oxford 1941
*Florescu, R. Radu; McNally, T. Raymond. Dracula: Prince of many faces – His life and his times {{ISBN|978-0-316-28656-5}}
*Inalcik, Halil. The Ottoman Empire – The Classical Age 1300–1600 {{ISBN|1-84212-442-0}}
*Iorga, Nicolae. Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare, 1904 (new edition 1966), Bucharest.
*Matei, Mircea D.; Cârciumaru, Radu. Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc. Editura Cetatea de Scaun, {{ISBN|973-85907-2-8}}
*Nevill Forbes; Arnold J. Toynbee; D. Mitrany, D.G. Hogarth. The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey, 2004. ISO-8859-1
*Samuelson, James. [http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/toc_pag.shtml Roumania Past and Present], [http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/11.shtml#171 Chapter XI]. Originally published London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1882. Electronic text archive on the site of the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities, [[University of Washington]].
*Sandberg-Diment, Erik. [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/21/travel/artistic-route-through-romania.html?sec=travel&pagewanted=2 Artistic Route Through Romania], New York Times, The. 1998
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061114112449/http://www.stefancelmare.ro/izvoare.htm Sfântul Voievod Ştefan cel Mare], Chronicles. (retrieved)
**[[Giovanni Maria Angiolello|Angiolello, Giovanni Maria]]. Historia Turchesca
**Bonfinius, Antonius. Historia Pannonica ab Origine Gentis AD Annum 1495
**Curius, Joachim. Gentis Silesiæ Annales
**Długosz, Jan. Historiae Polonicae, Leipzig 1712
**Husein, Kodja. Great Events
**Murianus, Mathaeus. Letter to [[Leonardo Loredano]], written on 7 December 1502
**Orudj bin Adil and Şemseddin Ahmed bin Suleiman Kemal paşa-zade. The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty
**Pasha, Lütfi. The Chronicles of the House of Osman (Tevarih-i al-i Osman)
**[[Hoca Sadeddin Efendi]]. Crown of Histories (Tadj al-tawarikh)
**Stephen the Great; letter of 25 January 1475
**[[Maciej Stryjkowski|Stryjkowski, Maciej]]. ''Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudzka i wszystkiej Rusi''
*Spinei, Victor. Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries, Romania 1986
*Panaite, Viorel. The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers. {{ISBN|0-88033-461-4}}
*Papacostea, Şerban. Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare
*Pippidi, Andrei. Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002
*Turnbull, Stephen. The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699 {{ISBN|1-84176-569-4}}
*[[Grigore Ureche|Ureche, Grigore]] and Costin, Nicolae. Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051118174511/http://www.gdws.co.uk/vaslui.htm Detailed article describing the strategy and the units used in the battle]
* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/matthaywood/main/Moldavia.htm#The_battle_of_Vaslui Brief history of Moldavia covering the Vaslui battle]
* [http://www.east-west-wg.org/cst/cst-mold/stephen.html Short essay about Stephen the Great with a description of the Vaslui battle]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050618051520/http://www.tabula-rasa.info/JamesAdams/treasure_trove/vasluiBattle/vaslui.htm Short article describing the battle]
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{{Ottoman battles}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaslui 1475}}
[[Category:1475 in Europe]]
[[Category:Battles involving Moldavia]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Battles of the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:1475 in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1475]]
[[Category:Stephen III of Moldavia]]
[[Category:15th century in Moldavia]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{short description|Battle between Stephen III of Moldavia and the Ottoman governor of Rumelia, Hadım Suleiman Pasha}}
{{EngvarB|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Vaslui
| image = Vaslui 15cMD.png
| image_size = 350px
| caption =
| partof = the [[Moldavian-Ottoman Wars]]<br />and the [[Ottoman-Hungarian Wars]]
| date = 10 January 1475{{sfn|Kármán|Kunčevic|2013| p=266}}
| place = Near [[Vaslui]], present-day [[Romania]]
| result = Decisive Moldavian Victory <ref>Ferencz Kállay (1850). Historiai brtekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben</ref>
| combatant1 = {{flag|Moldavia|1467}}<br />
| combatant2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Ottoman Empire]]<br />
* {{flag|Wallachia|1545}}
| commander1 = [[File:Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg|15px]] [[Stephen III of Moldavia]]<br />
| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)|Hadım Suleiman Pasha]]<br />
*[[File:Emblem of Wallachia under Radu Paisie (Dimitrije Ljubavić's Molitvenik, Jan 10, 1545).png|15px]] [[Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân]]{{sfn|Kármán|Kunčevic|2013| p=266}}
| strength1 = 40,000 Moldavians<br />5,000 [[Székelys]]<br />2,000 Polish<br />1,800 Hungarians (did not engage)<br />20 cannons
| strength2 = 50,000-120,000 Ottomans<br />17,000 Wallachians (did not engage)<br />20,000 Bulgarians ([[Slavery in the Ottoman Empire|enslaved]])
| casualties1 = ~5,000 killed and wounded
| casualties2 = ~50,000 killed<ref>Liviu Pilat and Ovidiu Cristea, ''The Ottoman Threat and Crusading on the Eastern Border of Christendom during Vaslui'', (Brill, 2006), 149.</ref><br>70,000 captured
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Ottoman-Hungarian War}}<br />{{Campaignbox Moldavian–Ottoman Wars}}
}}
The '''Battle of Vaslui''' (also referred to as the '''Battle of Podul Înalt''' or the '''Battle of Racova''') was fought on 10 January 1475, between [[Stephen III of Moldavia]] and the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] governor of [[Rumelia Eyalet|Rumelia]], [[Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)|Hadım Suleiman Pasha]]. The battle took place at Podul Înalt (''the High Bridge''), near the town of [[Vaslui]], in [[Moldavia]] (now part of eastern [[Romania]]). The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] troops numbered up to 120,000, facing about 40,000 Moldavian troops, plus smaller numbers of allied and mercenary troops.<ref>''Kronika Polska'' mentions 40,000 Moldavian troops; ''Gentis Silesiæ Annales'' mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops and "no more than" 40,000 Moldavian troops; the letter of Stephen addressed to the Christian countries, sent on 25 January 1475, mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops; see also ''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 588;</ref>
Stephen inflicted a decisive defeat on the Ottomans, described as "the greatest ever secured by [[Christianity]] against Islam,"<ref>''The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey''{{Full citation needed|date=December 2019}}</ref> with casualties, according to [[Venice|Venetian]] and Polish records, reaching beyond 40,000 on the Ottoman side. [[Mara Brankovic]] (Mara Hatun), the former younger wife of [[Murad II]], told a Venetian envoy that the invasion had been the worst ever defeat for the Ottomans.<ref name = "p. 133">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 133</ref> Stephen was later awarded the title "[[Athleta Christi]]" (''Champion of Christ'') by [[Pope Sixtus IV]], who referred to him as {{lang|la|"verus christianae fidei athleta"}} ("the true defender of the Christian faith").<ref>''Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana)'', p. 141</ref>
According to the Polish chronicler [[Jan 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 [[God in Christianity|the Lord]].
==Background==
{{See also|The Night Attack|Battle of Baia}}
The conflict between Stephen and Ottoman Sultan [[Mehmed II]] worsened when both laid their claims to the historical region of [[Budjak|Southern Bessarabia]], now known under the name of [[Budjak]]. The region had belonged to [[Wallachia]], but later succumbed to Moldavian influence under [[Petru II of Moldavia|Petru Mușat]] and was possibly annexed to Moldavia in the late 14th century by [[Roman I of Moldavia]].<ref>''Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries'', pp. 218–19</ref> Under [[Alexandru cel Bun]], it had become an integral part of Moldavia and was successfully defended in 1420 against the first Ottoman attempt to capture castle [[Kilia, Ukraine|Chilia]].<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 449</ref> The ports of Chilia and [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi|Akkerman]] (Romanian: ''Cetatea Albă'') were essential for Moldavian commerce. The old trade route from [[Caffa]], Akkerman, and Chilia passed through [[Suceava]] in Moldavia and [[Lwow]] in Poland (now in [[Ukraine]]).
[[Image:Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi.jpg|left|thumb|The fortress of [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi|Akkerman (Cetatea Albă)]].]] Both Poland and [[Hungary]] had previously made attempts to control the region, but had failed; and for the Ottomans, "the control of these two ports and of Caffa was as much an economic as a political necessity,"<ref>''The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600'', p. 129</ref> 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]]. This is confirmed by a German chronicle which explains that Mehmet wanted to turn Moldavia into "some kind of fortress," and from there, to launch attacks against Poland and Hungary.<ref>''Gentis Silesiæ Annales''</ref> The Ottomans also feared the strategic position of Moldavia, whence it would only take 15 to 20 days to reach [[Constantinople]].<ref>Letter to [[Leonardo Loredano]], written on 7 December 1502</ref>
In 1448, [[Petru III of Moldavia|Petru II of Moldavia]] awarded Chilia to [[John Hunyadi]], the governor of [[Transylvania]];<ref name="p. 133"/> and in effect, it gave Hungary control of the strategic area on the [[Danube]], with access to the [[Black Sea]]. With the assassination of [[Bogdan II of Moldavia]] in 1451 by his brother [[Petru Aron]], the country fell into civil war, as two pretenders fought for the throne: Aron and [[Alexăndrel]].<ref name = "p.92">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi — Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 92</ref> Bogdan's son, Stephen, fled Moldavia together with his cousin, [[Vlad Dracula]] — who had sought protection at the Moldavian court – to [[Transylvania]], at the court of Hunyadi.<ref name = "p.93">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 93</ref> Even though Hungary had made peace with the Turks in 1451, Hunyadi wanted to transform Wallachia and Moldavia into a barrier that would protect the kingdom from Ottoman expansion.<ref name = "p.92-3">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', pp. 92–93</ref> In the fall of 1453, after the Ottoman capture of [[Constantinople]], Moldavia received an ultimatum to start paying tribute to the Porte;<ref name = "studii">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 91</ref> two years later, on 5 October 1455, Aron sent the first Moldavian tribute to the Porte: a payment of 2,000 [[ducats]].<ref name = "p.164">''The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers'', p. 164</ref> With both Wallachia and Moldavia conducting a pro-Ottoman policy, the plan to install Vlad Țepeș as prince of Wallachia began to take shape. Sometime between April to July 1456, with the support of a few Hungarian troops and Wallachian boyars, Prince [[Vladislav II]] was dethroned and slain, as Vlad Țepeș took possession of the Wallachian throne;<ref name="p.92-3"/> and as such, Chilia became a shared Wallachian-Hungarian possession. In April 1457, Vlad Țepeș supported Stephen with 6,000 horsemen, which the latter used to invade Moldavia and occupy the Moldavian throne,<ref name = "p. 94">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 94</ref> ending the civil war as Aron fled to Poland. The new prince continued sending the tribute that his uncle and Mehmed had agreed upon, and in such way, avoided any premature confrontation with his enemy. His first priority was to strengthen the country and to retrieve its lost territory. Because Aron resided in Poland, Stephen made a few incursions in southern Poland. The hostilities ended on 4 April 1459, when in a new treaty between the two countries, Moldavia accepted vassalage and Poland returned [[Khotyn|Hotin]] back to Moldavia; the latter also assumed the obligation to support Moldavia in retrieving Chilia and Cetatea Albă.<ref name = "p. 96">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 96</ref> It was also in the interest of Poland to have the area belonging to Moldavia, as it would increase their commerce in the region.<ref name = "p. 134">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 134</ref> On 2 March 1462, in a renewed treaty between the two countries, it was agreed that no Moldavian territory should remain under foreign rulership, and if such territory was under foreign rulership, that territory should be regained.<ref name = "p. 134"/> Later that year, it is believed that Stephen asked Vlad to return Chilia back to Moldavia – a demand which was most likely refused.<ref>''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc,'' pp. 95–96</ref>
On 22 June, when Vlad was fighting Mehmed, Stephen allied himself with the Sultan and with some Turkish assistance, he launched an attack on Chilia.<ref name = "p. 149">''Vlad Dracul: Prince of many faces – His life and his times'', p. 149</ref> The fortress, defended by tall stone walls and 12 cannons, was in the middle of the 15th century the strongest fortification located in the Danube area.<ref name = "p. 97">''Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc'', p. 97</ref> The Wallachians rushed to the scene with 7,000 men, and together with the Hungarian garrison battled the Moldavians and the Turks for eight days. They managed to defend the town, while wounding Stephen in his foot with a shrapnel.<ref name = "p. 149"/> In 1465, while Vlad was imprisoned in Hungary, Stephen again advanced towards Chilia with a large force and siege weapons; but instead of besieging the fortress, he showed the garrison – who favoured the Polish King – a letter in which the King required them to surrender the fortress. This they did, and Stephen entered the fortress where he found "its two captains, rather tipsy, for they have been to a wedding."<ref name = "p. 552">''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 552</ref> Mehmed was furious about the news and claimed Chilia for being a part of Wallachia – which now was a vassal to the [[Ottoman Porte|Porte]] – and demanded Stephen to give it over to him. The latter refused, however, and recruited an army, forcing Mehmed – who was not yet ready to wage war – to accept the situation, if only for the time being.<ref name = "p. 552"/> The Moldavian prince, realising that a future war with Mehmed could not be avoided, tried to gain time by increasing his tribute to the Porte by 50 percent (to 3,000 ducats); and also sent an envoy to Constantinople with gifts for the sultan.<ref name = "Denize">''Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii''</ref> In 1467, [[Matthias Corvinus]] of Hungary launched an expedition against Moldavia in order to punish Stephen for annexing the region. The invasion ended in a disaster for the Hungarians as they suffered a bitter defeat at the [[Battle of Baia]], where Corvinus was thrice wounded by arrows and had to be “carried from the battlefield on a stretcher, to avoid him falling into the hands of the enemy.”<ref name = "p. 566">The Annals of Jan Długosz, p. 566</ref>
[[Image:LaiotaBasarab.jpg|left|thumb|Laiotă Basarab at [[Monastery of Horezu]].]]
To secure his southern frontier from Ottoman threats, Stephen wanted to liberate Wallachia – where the hostile [[Radu the Handsome]], the halfbrother of Vlad Țepeș ruled – from Ottoman dominion. In 1470, he invaded the country and burned down the town of [[Brăila]]<ref name="Costin Letopiseţul">Costin, N. ''Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei''</ref> and in 1471, Stephen and Radu confronted each other in Moldavia, where the latter was defeated.<ref name = "R">''Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare''</ref> Meanwhile, [[Genoa]], which possessed several colonies in the [[Crimean Peninsula|Crimea]], began to worry about Stephen's growing influence in the region; and ordered her colonies to do whatever was needed to revenge past mischief from which allegedly, the Genovese had suffered.<ref name = "R"/> The colonies in turn pursued the Tatars to attack Moldavia. Later that year, the Tatars invaded the country from the north, causing great damage to the land and enslaving many.<ref name = "R"/> Stephen replied by invading Tatar territory with Polish assistance. In 1472, [[Uzun Hassan]] of [[Ak Koyunlu]] invaded the Ottoman Empire from the east, causing a great crisis to the empire. He was defeated the following year, but this unexpected event, as it is explained in a contemporary source, encouraged Venice and Hungary to renew their war on the Ottomans, and Moldavia to free herself from any Ottoman influence.<ref name = "R"/> In 1473, Stephen stopped paying the annual tribute to the Porte<ref name = "p.165">''The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers'', p. 165</ref> and as a reaction to this, an Italian letter, dated from 1473 to [[Bartolomeo Scala]], secretary of the [[Republic of Florence]], reveals that Mehmed had left Constantinople on 13 April and was planning to invade Moldavia from land and sea.<ref name = "Pippidi">Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002</ref> Stephen still hoped to make peace with Radu and asked the Polish king to work as mediator.<ref name = "R"/> The peace attempts failed and the conflict intensified with three leaders challenging each other for the Wallachian throne: Radu, who was supported by Mehmed; the seemingly loyal [[Basarab Laiotă]], who at first was supported by Stephen; and [[Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr]]—who would gain the support of Stephen after Laiotă's betrayal.<ref name = "Babinger">''Mehmed the Conqueror and his time'', p. 339</ref> A series of "absurd"<ref name = "Babinger"/> clashes followed, starting with another confrontation between Stephen and Radu on 18–20 November, at [[Râmnicu Sărat]], where the latter suffered his second defeat at the hands of the Moldavian "warlike" prince.<ref name = "Babinger"/> A few days later, on 28 November, the Ottomans intervened with an army consisting of 12,000 Ottomans and 6,000 Wallachians, but "they incurred heavy losses and fled across the Danube."<ref name = "Babinger"/> After capturing the castle of [[Bucharest]], Stephen put Laiotă on the throne,<ref name="Costin Letopiseţul"/> but on 31 December, a new Ottoman army of 17,000 set camp around river [[Bârlad]], laying waste to the countryside, and intimidating the new prince into abandoning his Wallachian throne and fleeing to Moldavia.<ref name = "Babinger"/> In the spring of 1474, Laiotă took the Wallachian throne for the second time; and in June, he made the decision to betray his protégé by submitting to Mehmet.<ref name = "Babinger"/> Stephen then invested his support into a new candidate, named Ţepeluş (little spear), but his reign was even shorter, as it only lasted a few weeks after being defeated by Laiotă in battle on 5 October. Two weeks later, Stephen returned to Wallachia and forced Laiotă to flee.<ref name = "Babinger"/> Mehmed, tired of what transpired in Wallachia, gave Stephen an ultimatum to forfeit Chilia to the Porte, to abolish his aggressive policy in Wallachia, and to come to [[Constantinople]] with his delayed homage.<ref name = "p.165"/> The Prince refused and in November 1474, he wrote to the Pope to warn him of further Ottoman expansion, and to ask him for support.<ref>Letter of Stephen, Vaslui 29 November 1474</ref>
==Preparations for war==
===Ottomans===
[[Image:Gentile Bellini 003.jpg|thumb|Mehmed II by [[Gentile Bellini]].]]
Mehmed ordered his general, Suleiman Pasha, to end the siege of [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]]-controlled [[Shkodër]]<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty">''The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty''</ref> (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, who had besieged the city from 17 May to 15 August,<ref name = "Denize"/> the transit from Shkodër to Moldavia was a month's journey through bad weather and difficult terrain.<ref>''Great Events''</ref> According to Długosz, Suleiman was also ordered that after inflicting defeat on Stephen, he was to advance towards Poland, set camp for the winter, then invade Hungary in spring, and unite his forces with the army of the Sultan. The Ottoman army consisted of [[Janissary|Janissaries]] and heavy infantry, which were supported by the heavy cavalry ''[[sipahi]]s'' and by the light cavalry (''[[akinci]]''), who would scout ahead. There were also [[Tatar]] cavalry and other troops (such as the [[Timariots]]) from vassal states. Twenty thousand [[Bulgarians|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.<ref>''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p.127</ref> In total, the Ottoman cavalry numbered 30,000.<ref>''Historia Turchesca''</ref> In September 1474, the Ottoman army gathered in [[Sofia]], and from there, Suleiman marched towards Moldavia by crossing the frozen Danube on foot.<ref name = "p. 128">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 128</ref> His first stop was Wallachia, which he entered via [[Vidin]] and [[Nicopolis]]. His army rested in Wallachia for two weeks, and was later met by a Wallachian contingent of 17,000 under [[Basarab Laiotă]], who had changed sides to join the Ottomans.
[[Image:Humorstefan.jpg|left|thumb|Stephen the Great – detail of a dedication miniature in the 1473 ''Gospel'' at Humor Monastery.]]
[[Image:Stephenletter.JPG|right|thumb|Letter of Stephen to European leaders, November 29, 1474.]]
===Moldavians===
Stephen was hoping to gain support from the West, and more specifically from the Pope. However, the help that he received was modest in numbers. The Hungarian Kingdom sent 1,800 Hungarians, while Poland sent 2,000 horsemen.<ref name="Kronika Polska">''Kronika Polska''</ref> Stephen recruited 5,000 [[Székely]] soldiers.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> [[History of Moldavia#The Army|The Moldavian army]] consisted of twenty [[cannon]]; [[light cavalry]] (Călăraşi); elite, heavy cavalry – named Viteji, Curteni, and [[Boyar]]s – and professional foot soldiers. The army reached a strength of up to 40,000, of whom 10,000 to 15,000 comprised the standing army. The remainder consisted of 30,000 peasants armed with maces,<ref>''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', pp. 127, 130</ref> bows, and other home-made weapons. They were recruited into ''Oastea Mare'' (the Great Army), into which all able-bodied free men over the age of 14 were conscripted.
==Battle==
[[Image:Vaslui Battle map.svg|thumb|Map of the battle.]]
The invading army entered Moldavia in December 1474. To fatigue the Ottomans, Stephen had instituted a policy of [[scorched earth]]<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> and poisoned waters.<ref name="p. 128"/> Troops who specialised in setting [[ambush]]es harassed the advancing Ottomans. The population and livestock were evacuated to the north of the country into the mountains.<ref name = "p.42">''The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699'', p. 42</ref>
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]]. To reach Vaslui, where the Moldavian army had its main camp, they needed to cross Podul Înalt over the [[Bârlad River]]. The bridge was made of wood and not suitable for heavy transportation of troops.<ref name="p. 128"/> Stephen chose that area for the battle – the same location where his father, [[Bogdan II]], had defeated the Poles in 1450; and where he, at the age of 17,<ref name = "p.129">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 129</ref> had fought side-by-side with Vlad 'the Impaler'.<ref name = "p. 149"/> The area was ideal for the defenders: the valley was a semi-oval surrounded on all sides by hills covered by forest. Inside the valley, the terrain was marshy, which restricted troop movement.<ref name = "p.129"/> Suleiman had full confidence in his troops and made few efforts to scout the area.
On 10 January, on a dark and misty<ref name = "p.42"/> 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."<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty" /> Stephen fortified the bridge, while setting and 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.<ref>Grigore U. ''Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei''</ref> Instead, the centre of the valley held the Székely 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.<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty"/> 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.<ref name = "p.130">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', p. 130</ref> Those Ottoman soldiers who survived 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 Székely soldiers further up the valley. The 5,000 Székely soldiers were successful in repelling 7,000 Ottoman infantrymen. Thereafter, they made a slow retreat,<ref name = "p.42"/> as instructed by Stephen, but were later routed by the Ottoman [[sipahi]],<ref name = "p.130"/> while the remaining Ottoman infantry attacked the Moldavian flanks.
Suleiman tried to reinforce his offensive, not knowing what had happened in the valley, but then Stephen, with the full support of his boyars, 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.<ref>''Roumania Past and Present'', Chapter XI.</ref> When the Moldavian army attacked, Suleiman lost control of his army.<ref name="Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty"/> He desperately tried to regain control, but eventually was forced to signal a retreat. The battle lasted for four days,<ref>Documentary: ''Amintirile unui Pelerin'', [[Antena 1 (Romania)|Antena 1]]</ref> with the last three days consisting of the fleeing Ottoman army being pursued by the Moldavian light cavalry and the 2,000-strong Polish cavalry 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; on 20 January, he exited his castle and confronted some of the Turks that were lurking on his land. Thereafter, he took one of their flags and sent it to a Hungarian friend as proof of his bravery.<ref name = "pp. 131-32">''Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare'', pp. 131–32</ref> The Ottoman casualties were reported as 45,000, including four [[Pasha]]s killed and a hundred standards taken.<ref>''A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day'', Oxford 1941, p. 108</ref> [[Jan Długosz]] writes that "all but the most eminent of the Turkish prisoners are [[Impalement|impaled]]",<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 588</ref> and their corpses burned.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/> Only one was spared – the only son of the Ottoman general Isaac Bey, of the [[Gazi Evrenos]] family, whose father had fought with [[Mircea the Elder]].<ref name = "pp. 131-32"/> Another Polish chronicler reported that on the spot of the battle rested huge piles of bones upon each other, next to three immured crosses.<ref name="Kronika Polska"/>
==Aftermath==
After the battle, Stephen sent "four of the captured Turkish commanders, together with thirty-six of their standards and much splendid booty, to [[Casimir IV Jagiellon|King Casimir]] in Poland", and implored him to provide troops and money to support the Moldavians in the struggle against the Ottomans. He also sent letters and a few prisoners and Turkish standards to the Pope and Hungarian King [[Matthias Corvinus]], asking for support.<ref name = "pp. 588-9">''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', pp. 588–9</ref> 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."<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', p. 589</ref> The Pope's reply to Stephen denied him help, but awarded him with the "[[Athleta Christi]]",<ref>website: [http://countrystudies.us/romania/8.htm Romania Country study], U.S. Library of Congress.</ref> 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.<ref name = "pp. 588-9"/> Chronicler [[Jan Długosz]] hailed Stephen for his victory in the battle:
<blockquote>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.<ref>''Historiae Polonicae'', libri XIII, vol. II, note 528, Leipzig 1712.</ref></blockquote>
Hassan tried to create a new coalition with the European powers, arguing that Mehmed's best troops were lost at Vaslui.<ref name = "R"/> Upon hearing about the devastating defeat, Mehmed refused for several days to give audience to anyone; his other plans of expansion were put to rest as he planned revenge on Stephen.<ref name = "p. 133"/> In the following year, Mehmed 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 [[religious war|Holy War]], attacked with their cavalry from the north and started to pillage the country. The Moldavians took chase after them, and 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."<ref>''The Annals of Jan Długosz'', pp. 592, 594</ref> Giray wrote to Mehmed that he could not wage more war against Stephen, as he had lost his son and two brothers, and had returned with only one horse.<ref>Letter of Giray to Mehmed, 10–19 October 1476</ref>
In July 1476, after killing 30,000 Ottomans, Stephen was defeated at the [[Battle of Valea Albă]]. However, the Ottomans were unsuccessful in their siege of the [[Suceava]] citadel and the [[Siege of Cetatea Neamţului|Neamţ]] fortress, while Laiotă was forced to retreat back to Wallachia when Vlad and [[Stefan Báthory]], Voivode of Transylvania, gave chase with an army of 30,000.<ref>Diary of Ladislav, servant of Vlad; 7 August 1476</ref> Stephen assembled his army and invaded Wallachia from the north, while Vlad and Báthory invaded from the west. Laiotă fled, and in November, Vlad Țepeș was installed on the Wallachian throne. He received 200 loyal knights from Stephen to serve as his loyal bodyguards, but his army remained small.
[[Image:Voronet last judgment.jpg|left|thumb|The ''last judgment'', painted outside the monastery.]]
When Laiotă returned, [[Vlad Tepes]] went to battle and was killed by the [[Janissary|Janissaries]] near Bucharest in December 1476. 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 a [[House of Dăneşti|Dăneşti]], [[Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr|Ţepeluş]], was established as ruler of the country.
In 1484, the Ottomans under [[Bayezid II]] managed to conquer [[Kiliya, Ukraine|Chilia]] and [[Cetatea Albă]] and incorporate it into their empire under the name of [[Budjak]], leaving Moldavia a landlocked principality for many years to come.
Between May and September 1488, Stephen built the [[Voroneţ Monastery]] to commemorate the victory at Vaslui; "the exterior walls – including a representation of the Last Judgment on the west wall – were painted in 1547 with a background of vivid cerulean blue. This is so vibrant that art historians refer to Voroneţ blue the same way they do Titian red."<ref>''Artistic Route Through Romania''</ref> In 1490, he extended his work by building another monastery of [[Saint John the Baptist]]. These monasteries served as cultural centres; today, they are on [[UNESCO]]'s [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|World Heritage List]]. Stephen's victory at Vaslui is considered one of the greatest Moldavian victories over the Ottomans, and as such "played a role in universal history" by securing the culture and civilization of the Christian West from the onslaught of Islam.<ref>''Catholic Encyclopedia''</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|3}}
== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite book|title = The European Tributary States of the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries|publisher = Brill|year = 2013|isbn = 9789004246065|location = Leiden|pages = |url = http://www.brill.com/european-tributary-states-ottoman-empire-sixteenth-and-seventeenth-centuries|ref = harv|editor-last = Kármán|editor-first = Gábor|editor-last2 = Kunčevic|editor-first2 = Lovro}}
*[[Antena 1 (Romania)|Antena 1]], Amintirile unui Pelerin (documentary)
*[[Franz Babinger|Babinger, Franz]]. Mehmed the Conqueror and his time {{ISBN|0-691-01078-1}}
*Cândea, Virgil. Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana), Balkan Studies 2004
*Catholic Encyclopedia, Rumania. (source: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13224b.htm New Advent])
*Denize, Eugen. Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii.
*[[Jan Długosz|Długosz, Jan]]. The Annals of Jan Długosz {{ISBN|1-901019-00-4}}
*Ghyka, Matila. A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day, Oxford 1941
*Florescu, R. Radu; McNally, T. Raymond. Dracula: Prince of many faces – His life and his times {{ISBN|978-0-316-28656-5}}
*Inalcik, Halil. The Ottoman Empire – The Classical Age 1300–1600 {{ISBN|1-84212-442-0}}
*Iorga, Nicolae. Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare, 1904 (new edition 1966), Bucharest.
*Matei, Mircea D.; Cârciumaru, Radu. Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc. Editura Cetatea de Scaun, {{ISBN|973-85907-2-8}}
*Nevill Forbes; Arnold J. Toynbee; D. Mitrany, D.G. Hogarth. The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey, 2004. ISO-8859-1
*Samuelson, James. [http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/toc_pag.shtml Roumania Past and Present], [http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/11.shtml#171 Chapter XI]. Originally published London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1882. Electronic text archive on the site of the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities, [[University of Washington]].
*Sandberg-Diment, Erik. [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/21/travel/artistic-route-through-romania.html?sec=travel&pagewanted=2 Artistic Route Through Romania], New York Times, The. 1998
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061114112449/http://www.stefancelmare.ro/izvoare.htm Sfântul Voievod Ştefan cel Mare], Chronicles. (retrieved)
**[[Giovanni Maria Angiolello|Angiolello, Giovanni Maria]]. Historia Turchesca
**Bonfinius, Antonius. Historia Pannonica ab Origine Gentis AD Annum 1495
**Curius, Joachim. Gentis Silesiæ Annales
**Długosz, Jan. Historiae Polonicae, Leipzig 1712
**Husein, Kodja. Great Events
**Murianus, Mathaeus. Letter to [[Leonardo Loredano]], written on 7 December 1502
**Orudj bin Adil and Şemseddin Ahmed bin Suleiman Kemal paşa-zade. The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty
**Pasha, Lütfi. The Chronicles of the House of Osman (Tevarih-i al-i Osman)
**[[Hoca Sadeddin Efendi]]. Crown of Histories (Tadj al-tawarikh)
**Stephen the Great; letter of 25 January 1475
**[[Maciej Stryjkowski|Stryjkowski, Maciej]]. ''Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudzka i wszystkiej Rusi''
*Spinei, Victor. Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries, Romania 1986
*Panaite, Viorel. The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers. {{ISBN|0-88033-461-4}}
*Papacostea, Şerban. Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare
*Pippidi, Andrei. Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002
*Turnbull, Stephen. The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699 {{ISBN|1-84176-569-4}}
*[[Grigore Ureche|Ureche, Grigore]] and Costin, Nicolae. Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051118174511/http://www.gdws.co.uk/vaslui.htm Detailed article describing the strategy and the units used in the battle]
* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/matthaywood/main/Moldavia.htm#The_battle_of_Vaslui Brief history of Moldavia covering the Vaslui battle]
* [http://www.east-west-wg.org/cst/cst-mold/stephen.html Short essay about Stephen the Great with a description of the Vaslui battle]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050618051520/http://www.tabula-rasa.info/JamesAdams/treasure_trove/vasluiBattle/vaslui.htm Short article describing the battle]
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{{Ottoman battles}}
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[[Category:1475 in Europe]]
[[Category:Battles involving Moldavia]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Battles of the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:1475 in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1475]]
[[Category:Stephen III of Moldavia]]
[[Category:15th century in Moldavia]]' |
Unified diff of changes made by edit (edit_diff) | '@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
| place = Near [[Vaslui]], present-day [[Romania]]
| result = Decisive Moldavian Victory <ref>Ferencz Kállay (1850). Historiai brtekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben</ref>
-| combatant1 = {{flag|Moldavia|1467}}<br />{{flagicon image|Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]]<br />
+| combatant1 = {{flag|Moldavia|1467}}<br />
| combatant2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Ottoman Empire]]<br />
* {{flag|Wallachia|1545}}
-| commander1 = [[File:Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg|15px]] [[Stephen III of Moldavia]]<br />Mihály Fants<ref name="szeklers">{{cite book | author = Ferencz Kállay | title = Historiai értekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben |trans-title=Historical discourse about the origin of the 'magnanimous szekler nation' : military and civil institutes in the past times. | publisher = Fiedler Gottfried | location = [[Nagyenyed]], Hungary | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tDo-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#v=onepage&q&f=false | language = Hungarian | accessdate = 9 October 2010 | year = 1829 | page = 247}}</ref>
+| commander1 = [[File:Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg|15px]] [[Stephen III of Moldavia]]<br />
| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Ottoman Empire}} [[Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)|Hadım Suleiman Pasha]]<br />
*[[File:Emblem of Wallachia under Radu Paisie (Dimitrije Ljubavić's Molitvenik, Jan 10, 1545).png|15px]] [[Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân]]{{sfn|Kármán|Kunčevic|2013| p=266}}
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1 => '| commander1 = [[File:Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg|15px]] [[Stephen III of Moldavia]]<br />Mihály Fants<ref name="szeklers">{{cite book | author = Ferencz Kállay | title = Historiai értekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben |trans-title=Historical discourse about the origin of the 'magnanimous szekler nation' : military and civil institutes in the past times. | publisher = Fiedler Gottfried | location = [[Nagyenyed]], Hungary | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tDo-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#v=onepage&q&f=false | language = Hungarian | accessdate = 9 October 2010 | year = 1829 | page = 247}}</ref>'
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Parsed HTML source of the new revision (new_html) | '<div class="mw-parser-output"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Battle between Stephen III of Moldavia and the Ottoman governor of Rumelia, Hadım Suleiman Pasha</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r904532608">@media all and (min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .desktop-float-right{box-sizing:border-box;float:right;clear:right}}</style><div class="mw-stack desktop-float-right"><div style="overflow:hidden;margin:1px"><table class="infobox vevent" style="width:25.5em;border-spacing:2px;"><tbody><tr><th class="summary" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Battle of Vaslui</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;">Part of the <a href="/wiki/Moldavian-Ottoman_Wars" class="mw-redirect" title="Moldavian-Ottoman Wars">Moldavian-Ottoman Wars</a><br />and the <a href="/wiki/Ottoman-Hungarian_Wars" class="mw-redirect" title="Ottoman-Hungarian Wars">Ottoman-Hungarian Wars</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;line-height:1.5em;"><a href="/wiki/File:Vaslui_15cMD.png" class="image"><img alt="Vaslui 15cMD.png" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Vaslui_15cMD.png/350px-Vaslui_15cMD.png" decoding="async" width="350" height="321" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Vaslui_15cMD.png 1.5x" data-file-width="357" data-file-height="327" /></a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><table style="width:100%;margin:0;padding:0;border:0"><tbody><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Date</th><td>10 January 1475<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266-1">[1]</a></sup></td></tr><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Location</th><td><div class="location">Near <a href="/wiki/Vaslui" title="Vaslui">Vaslui</a>, present-day <a href="/wiki/Romania" title="Romania">Romania</a></div></td></tr><tr><th style="padding-right:1em">Result</th><td>
Decisive Moldavian Victory <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Belligerents</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;">
<span class="flagicon"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg/23px-Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="8" class="thumbborder" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg/35px-Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg/46px-Battle_Flag_of_Moldavia_%281467%29_-_1st_version.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="500" data-file-height="180" /> </span><a href="/wiki/Moldavia" title="Moldavia">Moldavia</a><br /></td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em">
<p><span class="flagicon"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="thumbborder" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/45px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></span> <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire">Ottoman Empire</a><br />
</p>
<ul><li><span class="flagicon"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/15px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="thumbborder" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/23px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/30px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png 2x" data-file-width="304" data-file-height="309" /> </span><a href="/wiki/Wallachia" title="Wallachia">Wallachia</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Commanders and leaders</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;">
<a href="/wiki/File:Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_(1457-1504)_v2.svg" class="image"><img alt="Coa Romania Country History Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504) v2.svg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg/15px-Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="18" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg/23px-Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg/30px-Coa_Romania_Country_History_%C8%98tefan_cel_Mare_%281457-1504%29_v2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="250" data-file-height="300" /></a> <a href="/wiki/Stephen_III_of_Moldavia" title="Stephen III of Moldavia">Stephen III of Moldavia</a><br /></td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em">
<p><span class="flagicon"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="thumbborder" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/45px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></span> <a href="/wiki/Had%C4%B1m_Suleiman_Pasha_(governor_of_Rumelia)" title="Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)">Hadım Suleiman Pasha</a><br />
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/File:Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_(Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik,_Jan_10,_1545).png" class="image"><img alt="Emblem of Wallachia under Radu Paisie (Dimitrije Ljubavić's Molitvenik, Jan 10, 1545).png" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/15px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/23px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png/30px-Emblem_of_Wallachia_under_Radu_Paisie_%28Dimitrije_Ljubavi%C4%87%27s_Molitvenik%2C_Jan_10%2C_1545%29.png 2x" data-file-width="304" data-file-height="309" /></a> <a href="/wiki/Basarab_Laiot%C4%83_cel_B%C4%83tr%C3%A2n" title="Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân">Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân</a><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266-1">[1]</a></sup></li></ul></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Strength</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;">
40,000 Moldavians<br />5,000 <a href="/wiki/Sz%C3%A9kelys" title="Székelys">Székelys</a><br />2,000 Polish<br />1,800 Hungarians (did not engage)<br />20 cannons</td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em">
50,000-120,000 Ottomans<br />17,000 Wallachians (did not engage)<br />20,000 Bulgarians (<a href="/wiki/Slavery_in_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="Slavery in the Ottoman Empire">enslaved</a>)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Casualties and losses</th></tr><tr><td style="width:50%;border-right:1px dotted #aaa;">
~5,000 killed and wounded</td><td style="width:50%;padding-left:0.25em">
~50,000 killed<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup><br />70,000 captured</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="overflow:hidden;margin:1px"><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Ottoman–Hungarian_wars" style="margin:0;float:right;clear:right;width:25.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;margin-left:1em;;padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks navbox-vertical mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;"><div class="plainlinks hlist navbar mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Campaignbox_Ottoman%E2%80%93Hungarian_War" title="Template:Campaignbox Ottoman–Hungarian War"><abbr title="View this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Campaignbox_Ottoman%E2%80%93Hungarian_War" title="Template talk:Campaignbox Ottoman–Hungarian War"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Campaignbox_Ottoman%E2%80%93Hungarian_War&action=edit"><abbr title="Edit this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Ottoman–Hungarian_wars" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span style="line-height:1.6em"><a href="/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Hungarian_wars" title="Ottoman–Hungarian wars"><span class="wrap">Ottoman–Hungarian wars</span></a></span></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nicopolis" title="Battle of Nicopolis">Nicopolis</a> (1396)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_Of_Doboj_(1415)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Battle Of Doboj (1415) (page does not exist)">Doboj</a> (1415)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Radkersburg&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Siege of Radkersburg (page does not exist)">Radkersburg</a> (1417)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Golubac" title="Siege of Golubac">Golubac</a> (1428)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Lower_Danube_War&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Lower Danube War (page does not exist)">Lower Danube War</a> </li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Smederevo&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Battle of Smederevo (page does not exist)">Smederevo</a> (1441)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Hermannstadt" title="Battle of Hermannstadt">Hermannstadt</a> (1442)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_the_Iron_Gate&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Battle of the Iron Gate (page does not exist)">Iron Gate</a> (1442)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Crusade_of_Varna" title="Crusade of Varna">Crusade of Varna</a> (1443–1444)
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nish_(1443)" title="Battle of Nish (1443)">Niš</a> (1443)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Zlatitsa" title="Battle of Zlatitsa">Zlatitsa</a> (1443)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kunovica" title="Battle of Kunovica">Kunovica</a> (1444)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Varna" title="Battle of Varna">Várna</a> (1444)</li></ul></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo_(1448)" title="Battle of Kosovo (1448)">Kosovo</a> (1448)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kru%C5%A1evac" title="Battle of Kruševac">Kruševac</a> (1454)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Belgrade_(1456)" title="Siege of Belgrade (1456)">Belgrade</a> (1456)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Travnik&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Siege of Travnik (page does not exist)">Travnik</a> (1463)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Bobovac&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Siege of Bobovac (page does not exist)">Bobovac</a> (1463)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Klju%C4%8D&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Battle of Ključ (page does not exist)">Ključ</a> (1463)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Jajce" title="Siege of Jajce">Jajce</a> (1463)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Jajce_(1464)" title="Siege of Jajce (1464)">Jajce</a> (1464)</li>
<li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Vaslui</a> (1475)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Breadfield" title="Battle of Breadfield">Breadfield</a> (1479)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Jajce_(1480)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Siege of Jajce (1480) (page does not exist)">Jajce</a> (1480)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Ottoman_invasion_of_Otranto" title="Ottoman invasion of Otranto">Otranto</a> (1480–81)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Krbava_Field" title="Battle of Krbava Field">Krbava Field</a> (1493)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Belgrade_(1521)" title="Siege of Belgrade (1521)">Belgrade</a> (1521)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs" title="Battle of Mohács">Mohács</a> (1526)</li></ul>
<dl><dd>see also: <i><a href="/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Habsburg_wars" title="Ottoman–Habsburg wars">Ottoman–Habsburg wars</a></i></dd></dl>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Moldavian–Ottoman_Wars" style="margin:0;float:right;clear:right;width:25.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;margin-left:1em;;padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks navbox-vertical mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;"><div class="plainlinks hlist navbar mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Campaignbox_Moldavian%E2%80%93Ottoman_Wars" title="Template:Campaignbox Moldavian–Ottoman Wars"><abbr title="View this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Campaignbox_Moldavian%E2%80%93Ottoman_Wars" title="Template talk:Campaignbox Moldavian–Ottoman Wars"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Campaignbox_Moldavian%E2%80%93Ottoman_Wars&action=edit"><abbr title="Edit this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Moldavian–Ottoman_Wars" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span style="line-height:1.6em"><a href="/wiki/Moldavian%E2%80%93Ottoman_Wars" title="Moldavian–Ottoman Wars"><span class="wrap">Moldavian–Ottoman Wars</span></a></span></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"><b><a href="/wiki/Crusade_of_Varna" title="Crusade of Varna">Crusade of Varna</a></b>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Varna" title="Battle of Varna">Varna</a> (1444)<br /></li></ul>
<p><b><a href="/wiki/Stephen_III_of_Moldavia" title="Stephen III of Moldavia">Stephen the Great</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mehmed_II" class="mw-redirect" title="Mehmed II">Mehmed II</a></b>
</p>
<ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Vaslui</a> (1475)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Valea_Alb%C4%83" title="Battle of Valea Albă">Valea Albă</a> (1476)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Neam%C8%9B_Citadel" title="Siege of Neamț Citadel">Neamț Citadel</a> (1476)<br /></li></ul>
<p><b><a href="/wiki/Bayezid_II" title="Bayezid II">Bayezid II</a>'s Consolidation of Ottoman control of Moldavia</b>
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ottoman_conquest_of_Kilia&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ottoman conquest of Kilia (page does not exist)">Kilia</a> (1484)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ottoman_conquest_of_Akkerman&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ottoman conquest of Akkerman (page does not exist)">Akkerman</a> (1484)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_C%C4%83tl%C4%83buga" title="Battle of Cătlăbuga">Cătlăbuga</a> (1485)</li>
<li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Scheia&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Battle of Scheia (page does not exist)">Scheia</a> (1486)</li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div>
<p>The <b>Battle of Vaslui</b> (also referred to as the <b>Battle of Podul Înalt</b> or the <b>Battle of Racova</b>) was fought on 10 January 1475, between <a href="/wiki/Stephen_III_of_Moldavia" title="Stephen III of Moldavia">Stephen III of Moldavia</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire">Ottoman</a> governor of <a href="/wiki/Rumelia_Eyalet" title="Rumelia Eyalet">Rumelia</a>, <a href="/wiki/Had%C4%B1m_Suleiman_Pasha_(governor_of_Rumelia)" title="Hadım Suleiman Pasha (governor of Rumelia)">Hadım Suleiman Pasha</a>. The battle took place at Podul Înalt (<i>the High Bridge</i>), near the town of <a href="/wiki/Vaslui" title="Vaslui">Vaslui</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Moldavia" title="Moldavia">Moldavia</a> (now part of eastern <a href="/wiki/Romania" title="Romania">Romania</a>). The <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire">Ottoman</a> troops numbered up to 120,000, facing about 40,000 Moldavian troops, plus smaller numbers of allied and mercenary troops.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup>
</p><p>Stephen inflicted a decisive defeat on the Ottomans, described as "the greatest ever secured by <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a> against Islam,"<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> with casualties, according to <a href="/wiki/Venice" title="Venice">Venetian</a> and Polish records, reaching beyond 40,000 on the Ottoman side. <a href="/wiki/Mara_Brankovic" class="mw-redirect" title="Mara Brankovic">Mara Brankovic</a> (Mara Hatun), the former younger wife of <a href="/wiki/Murad_II" title="Murad II">Murad II</a>, told a Venetian envoy that the invasion had been the worst ever defeat for the Ottomans.<sup id="cite_ref-p._133_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._133-6">[6]</a></sup> Stephen was later awarded the title "<a href="/wiki/Athleta_Christi" title="Athleta Christi">Athleta Christi</a>" (<i>Champion of Christ</i>) by <a href="/wiki/Pope_Sixtus_IV" title="Pope Sixtus IV">Pope Sixtus IV</a>, who referred to him as <i lang="la" title="Latin language text">"verus christianae fidei athleta"</i> ("the true defender of the Christian faith").<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup>
</p><p>According to the Polish chronicler <a href="/wiki/Jan_D%C5%82ugosz" title="Jan Długosz">Jan Długosz</a>, Stephen did not celebrate his victory; instead, he <a href="/wiki/Fasted" class="mw-redirect" title="Fasted">fasted</a> for forty days on bread and water and forbade anyone to attribute the victory to him, insisting that credit be given only to <a href="/wiki/God_in_Christianity" title="God in Christianity">the Lord</a>.
</p>
<div id="toc" class="toc"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2>Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Background"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Background</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Preparations_for_war"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Preparations for war</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Ottomans"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Ottomans</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Moldavians"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Moldavians</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#Battle"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Battle</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Aftermath"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Aftermath</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="#Bibliography"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Bibliography</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Background">Background</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Background">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/The_Night_Attack" class="mw-redirect" title="The Night Attack">The Night Attack</a> and <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Baia" title="Battle of Baia">Battle of Baia</a></div>
<p>The conflict between Stephen and Ottoman Sultan <a href="/wiki/Mehmed_II" class="mw-redirect" title="Mehmed II">Mehmed II</a> worsened when both laid their claims to the historical region of <a href="/wiki/Budjak" title="Budjak">Southern Bessarabia</a>, now known under the name of <a href="/wiki/Budjak" title="Budjak">Budjak</a>. The region had belonged to <a href="/wiki/Wallachia" title="Wallachia">Wallachia</a>, but later succumbed to Moldavian influence under <a href="/wiki/Petru_II_of_Moldavia" title="Petru II of Moldavia">Petru Mușat</a> and was possibly annexed to Moldavia in the late 14th century by <a href="/wiki/Roman_I_of_Moldavia" title="Roman I of Moldavia">Roman I of Moldavia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup> Under <a href="/wiki/Alexandru_cel_Bun" class="mw-redirect" title="Alexandru cel Bun">Alexandru cel Bun</a>, it had become an integral part of Moldavia and was successfully defended in 1420 against the first Ottoman attempt to capture castle <a href="/wiki/Kilia,_Ukraine" class="mw-redirect" title="Kilia, Ukraine">Chilia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup> The ports of Chilia and <a href="/wiki/Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi" title="Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi">Akkerman</a> (Romanian: <i>Cetatea Albă</i>) were essential for Moldavian commerce. The old trade route from <a href="/wiki/Caffa" class="mw-redirect" title="Caffa">Caffa</a>, Akkerman, and Chilia passed through <a href="/wiki/Suceava" title="Suceava">Suceava</a> in Moldavia and <a href="/wiki/Lwow" class="mw-redirect" title="Lwow">Lwow</a> in Poland (now in <a href="/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine">Ukraine</a>).
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<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg/220px-Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg/330px-Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg/440px-Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="450" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Bilhorod_Dnistrovskyi.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>The fortress of <a href="/wiki/Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi" title="Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi">Akkerman (Cetatea Albă)</a>.</div></div></div><p> Both Poland and <a href="/wiki/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary</a> had previously made attempts to control the region, but had failed; and for the Ottomans, "the control of these two ports and of Caffa was as much an economic as a political necessity,"<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup> 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 <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Poland-Lithuania" class="mw-redirect" title="Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania">Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania</a>. This is confirmed by a German chronicle which explains that Mehmet wanted to turn Moldavia into "some kind of fortress," and from there, to launch attacks against Poland and Hungary.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup> The Ottomans also feared the strategic position of Moldavia, whence it would only take 15 to 20 days to reach <a href="/wiki/Constantinople" title="Constantinople">Constantinople</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 1448, <a href="/wiki/Petru_III_of_Moldavia" title="Petru III of Moldavia">Petru II of Moldavia</a> awarded Chilia to <a href="/wiki/John_Hunyadi" title="John Hunyadi">John Hunyadi</a>, the governor of <a href="/wiki/Transylvania" title="Transylvania">Transylvania</a>;<sup id="cite_ref-p._133_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._133-6">[6]</a></sup> and in effect, it gave Hungary control of the strategic area on the <a href="/wiki/Danube" title="Danube">Danube</a>, with access to the <a href="/wiki/Black_Sea" title="Black Sea">Black Sea</a>. With the assassination of <a href="/wiki/Bogdan_II_of_Moldavia" title="Bogdan II of Moldavia">Bogdan II of Moldavia</a> in 1451 by his brother <a href="/wiki/Petru_Aron" class="mw-redirect" title="Petru Aron">Petru Aron</a>, the country fell into civil war, as two pretenders fought for the throne: Aron and <a href="/wiki/Alex%C4%83ndrel" class="mw-redirect" title="Alexăndrel">Alexăndrel</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-p.92_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.92-13">[13]</a></sup> Bogdan's son, Stephen, fled Moldavia together with his cousin, <a href="/wiki/Vlad_Dracula" class="mw-redirect" title="Vlad Dracula">Vlad Dracula</a> — who had sought protection at the Moldavian court – to <a href="/wiki/Transylvania" title="Transylvania">Transylvania</a>, at the court of Hunyadi.<sup id="cite_ref-p.93_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.93-14">[14]</a></sup> Even though Hungary had made peace with the Turks in 1451, Hunyadi wanted to transform Wallachia and Moldavia into a barrier that would protect the kingdom from Ottoman expansion.<sup id="cite_ref-p.92-3_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.92-3-15">[15]</a></sup> In the fall of 1453, after the Ottoman capture of <a href="/wiki/Constantinople" title="Constantinople">Constantinople</a>, Moldavia received an ultimatum to start paying tribute to the Porte;<sup id="cite_ref-studii_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-studii-16">[16]</a></sup> two years later, on 5 October 1455, Aron sent the first Moldavian tribute to the Porte: a payment of 2,000 <a href="/wiki/Ducats" class="mw-redirect" title="Ducats">ducats</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-p.164_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.164-17">[17]</a></sup> With both Wallachia and Moldavia conducting a pro-Ottoman policy, the plan to install Vlad Țepeș as prince of Wallachia began to take shape. Sometime between April to July 1456, with the support of a few Hungarian troops and Wallachian boyars, Prince <a href="/wiki/Vladislav_II" class="mw-redirect" title="Vladislav II">Vladislav II</a> was dethroned and slain, as Vlad Țepeș took possession of the Wallachian throne;<sup id="cite_ref-p.92-3_15-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.92-3-15">[15]</a></sup> and as such, Chilia became a shared Wallachian-Hungarian possession. In April 1457, Vlad Țepeș supported Stephen with 6,000 horsemen, which the latter used to invade Moldavia and occupy the Moldavian throne,<sup id="cite_ref-p._94_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._94-18">[18]</a></sup> ending the civil war as Aron fled to Poland. The new prince continued sending the tribute that his uncle and Mehmed had agreed upon, and in such way, avoided any premature confrontation with his enemy. His first priority was to strengthen the country and to retrieve its lost territory. Because Aron resided in Poland, Stephen made a few incursions in southern Poland. The hostilities ended on 4 April 1459, when in a new treaty between the two countries, Moldavia accepted vassalage and Poland returned <a href="/wiki/Khotyn" title="Khotyn">Hotin</a> back to Moldavia; the latter also assumed the obligation to support Moldavia in retrieving Chilia and Cetatea Albă.<sup id="cite_ref-p._96_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._96-19">[19]</a></sup> It was also in the interest of Poland to have the area belonging to Moldavia, as it would increase their commerce in the region.<sup id="cite_ref-p._134_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._134-20">[20]</a></sup> On 2 March 1462, in a renewed treaty between the two countries, it was agreed that no Moldavian territory should remain under foreign rulership, and if such territory was under foreign rulership, that territory should be regained.<sup id="cite_ref-p._134_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._134-20">[20]</a></sup> Later that year, it is believed that Stephen asked Vlad to return Chilia back to Moldavia – a demand which was most likely refused.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21">[21]</a></sup>
</p><p>On 22 June, when Vlad was fighting Mehmed, Stephen allied himself with the Sultan and with some Turkish assistance, he launched an attack on Chilia.<sup id="cite_ref-p._149_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._149-22">[22]</a></sup> The fortress, defended by tall stone walls and 12 cannons, was in the middle of the 15th century the strongest fortification located in the Danube area.<sup id="cite_ref-p._97_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._97-23">[23]</a></sup> The Wallachians rushed to the scene with 7,000 men, and together with the Hungarian garrison battled the Moldavians and the Turks for eight days. They managed to defend the town, while wounding Stephen in his foot with a shrapnel.<sup id="cite_ref-p._149_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._149-22">[22]</a></sup> In 1465, while Vlad was imprisoned in Hungary, Stephen again advanced towards Chilia with a large force and siege weapons; but instead of besieging the fortress, he showed the garrison – who favoured the Polish King – a letter in which the King required them to surrender the fortress. This they did, and Stephen entered the fortress where he found "its two captains, rather tipsy, for they have been to a wedding."<sup id="cite_ref-p._552_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._552-24">[24]</a></sup> Mehmed was furious about the news and claimed Chilia for being a part of Wallachia – which now was a vassal to the <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Porte" class="mw-redirect" title="Ottoman Porte">Porte</a> – and demanded Stephen to give it over to him. The latter refused, however, and recruited an army, forcing Mehmed – who was not yet ready to wage war – to accept the situation, if only for the time being.<sup id="cite_ref-p._552_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._552-24">[24]</a></sup> The Moldavian prince, realising that a future war with Mehmed could not be avoided, tried to gain time by increasing his tribute to the Porte by 50 percent (to 3,000 ducats); and also sent an envoy to Constantinople with gifts for the sultan.<sup id="cite_ref-Denize_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Denize-25">[25]</a></sup> In 1467, <a href="/wiki/Matthias_Corvinus" title="Matthias Corvinus">Matthias Corvinus</a> of Hungary launched an expedition against Moldavia in order to punish Stephen for annexing the region. The invasion ended in a disaster for the Hungarians as they suffered a bitter defeat at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Baia" title="Battle of Baia">Battle of Baia</a>, where Corvinus was thrice wounded by arrows and had to be “carried from the battlefield on a stretcher, to avoid him falling into the hands of the enemy.”<sup id="cite_ref-p._566_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._566-26">[26]</a></sup>
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<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:LaiotaBasarab.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5a/LaiotaBasarab.jpg/220px-LaiotaBasarab.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="352" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5a/LaiotaBasarab.jpg/330px-LaiotaBasarab.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/LaiotaBasarab.jpg 2x" data-file-width="374" data-file-height="599" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:LaiotaBasarab.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Laiotă Basarab at <a href="/wiki/Monastery_of_Horezu" class="mw-redirect" title="Monastery of Horezu">Monastery of Horezu</a>.</div></div></div>
<p>To secure his southern frontier from Ottoman threats, Stephen wanted to liberate Wallachia – where the hostile <a href="/wiki/Radu_the_Handsome" class="mw-redirect" title="Radu the Handsome">Radu the Handsome</a>, the halfbrother of Vlad Țepeș ruled – from Ottoman dominion. In 1470, he invaded the country and burned down the town of <a href="/wiki/Br%C4%83ila" title="Brăila">Brăila</a><sup id="cite_ref-Costin_Letopiseţul_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Costin_Letopiseţul-27">[27]</a></sup> and in 1471, Stephen and Radu confronted each other in Moldavia, where the latter was defeated.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> Meanwhile, <a href="/wiki/Genoa" title="Genoa">Genoa</a>, which possessed several colonies in the <a href="/wiki/Crimean_Peninsula" class="mw-redirect" title="Crimean Peninsula">Crimea</a>, began to worry about Stephen's growing influence in the region; and ordered her colonies to do whatever was needed to revenge past mischief from which allegedly, the Genovese had suffered.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> The colonies in turn pursued the Tatars to attack Moldavia. Later that year, the Tatars invaded the country from the north, causing great damage to the land and enslaving many.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> Stephen replied by invading Tatar territory with Polish assistance. In 1472, <a href="/wiki/Uzun_Hassan" class="mw-redirect" title="Uzun Hassan">Uzun Hassan</a> of <a href="/wiki/Ak_Koyunlu" class="mw-redirect" title="Ak Koyunlu">Ak Koyunlu</a> invaded the Ottoman Empire from the east, causing a great crisis to the empire. He was defeated the following year, but this unexpected event, as it is explained in a contemporary source, encouraged Venice and Hungary to renew their war on the Ottomans, and Moldavia to free herself from any Ottoman influence.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> In 1473, Stephen stopped paying the annual tribute to the Porte<sup id="cite_ref-p.165_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.165-29">[29]</a></sup> and as a reaction to this, an Italian letter, dated from 1473 to <a href="/wiki/Bartolomeo_Scala" title="Bartolomeo Scala">Bartolomeo Scala</a>, secretary of the <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_Florence" title="Republic of Florence">Republic of Florence</a>, reveals that Mehmed had left Constantinople on 13 April and was planning to invade Moldavia from land and sea.<sup id="cite_ref-Pippidi_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Pippidi-30">[30]</a></sup> Stephen still hoped to make peace with Radu and asked the Polish king to work as mediator.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> The peace attempts failed and the conflict intensified with three leaders challenging each other for the Wallachian throne: Radu, who was supported by Mehmed; the seemingly loyal <a href="/wiki/Basarab_Laiot%C4%83" class="mw-redirect" title="Basarab Laiotă">Basarab Laiotă</a>, who at first was supported by Stephen; and <a href="/wiki/Basarab_%C5%A2epelu%C5%9F_cel_T%C3%A2n%C4%83r" class="mw-redirect" title="Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr">Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr</a>—who would gain the support of Stephen after Laiotă's betrayal.<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> A series of "absurd"<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> clashes followed, starting with another confrontation between Stephen and Radu on 18–20 November, at <a href="/wiki/R%C3%A2mnicu_S%C4%83rat" title="Râmnicu Sărat">Râmnicu Sărat</a>, where the latter suffered his second defeat at the hands of the Moldavian "warlike" prince.<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> A few days later, on 28 November, the Ottomans intervened with an army consisting of 12,000 Ottomans and 6,000 Wallachians, but "they incurred heavy losses and fled across the Danube."<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> After capturing the castle of <a href="/wiki/Bucharest" title="Bucharest">Bucharest</a>, Stephen put Laiotă on the throne,<sup id="cite_ref-Costin_Letopiseţul_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Costin_Letopiseţul-27">[27]</a></sup> but on 31 December, a new Ottoman army of 17,000 set camp around river <a href="/wiki/B%C3%A2rlad" title="Bârlad">Bârlad</a>, laying waste to the countryside, and intimidating the new prince into abandoning his Wallachian throne and fleeing to Moldavia.<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> In the spring of 1474, Laiotă took the Wallachian throne for the second time; and in June, he made the decision to betray his protégé by submitting to Mehmet.<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> Stephen then invested his support into a new candidate, named Ţepeluş (little spear), but his reign was even shorter, as it only lasted a few weeks after being defeated by Laiotă in battle on 5 October. Two weeks later, Stephen returned to Wallachia and forced Laiotă to flee.<sup id="cite_ref-Babinger_31-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Babinger-31">[31]</a></sup> Mehmed, tired of what transpired in Wallachia, gave Stephen an ultimatum to forfeit Chilia to the Porte, to abolish his aggressive policy in Wallachia, and to come to <a href="/wiki/Constantinople" title="Constantinople">Constantinople</a> with his delayed homage.<sup id="cite_ref-p.165_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.165-29">[29]</a></sup> The Prince refused and in November 1474, he wrote to the Pope to warn him of further Ottoman expansion, and to ask him for support.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32">[32]</a></sup>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Preparations_for_war">Preparations for war</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Preparations for war">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Ottomans">Ottomans</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Ottomans">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg/220px-Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="297" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg/330px-Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg/440px-Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3132" data-file-height="4226" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Gentile_Bellini_003.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Mehmed II by <a href="/wiki/Gentile_Bellini" title="Gentile Bellini">Gentile Bellini</a>.</div></div></div>
<p>Mehmed ordered his general, Suleiman Pasha, to end the siege of <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_Venice" title="Republic of Venice">Venetian</a>-controlled <a href="/wiki/Shkod%C3%ABr" title="Shkodër">Shkodër</a><sup id="cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty-33">[33]</a></sup> (now in <a href="/wiki/Albania" title="Albania">Albania</a>), to assemble his troops in <a href="/wiki/Sofia" title="Sofia">Sofia</a>, and from there to advance with additional troops towards Moldavia. For these already exhausted Ottoman troops, who had besieged the city from 17 May to 15 August,<sup id="cite_ref-Denize_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Denize-25">[25]</a></sup> the transit from Shkodër to Moldavia was a month's journey through bad weather and difficult terrain.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34">[34]</a></sup> According to Długosz, Suleiman was also ordered that after inflicting defeat on Stephen, he was to advance towards Poland, set camp for the winter, then invade Hungary in spring, and unite his forces with the army of the Sultan. The Ottoman army consisted of <a href="/wiki/Janissary" class="mw-redirect" title="Janissary">Janissaries</a> and heavy infantry, which were supported by the heavy cavalry <i><a href="/wiki/Sipahi" title="Sipahi">sipahis</a></i> and by the light cavalry (<i><a href="/wiki/Akinci" class="mw-redirect" title="Akinci">akinci</a></i>), who would scout ahead. There were also <a href="/wiki/Tatar" class="mw-redirect" title="Tatar">Tatar</a> cavalry and other troops (such as the <a href="/wiki/Timariots" title="Timariots">Timariots</a>) from vassal states. Twenty thousand <a href="/wiki/Bulgarians" title="Bulgarians">Bulgarian</a> 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.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35">[35]</a></sup> In total, the Ottoman cavalry numbered 30,000.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36">[36]</a></sup> In September 1474, the Ottoman army gathered in <a href="/wiki/Sofia" title="Sofia">Sofia</a>, and from there, Suleiman marched towards Moldavia by crossing the frozen Danube on foot.<sup id="cite_ref-p._128_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._128-37">[37]</a></sup> His first stop was Wallachia, which he entered via <a href="/wiki/Vidin" title="Vidin">Vidin</a> and <a href="/wiki/Nicopolis" title="Nicopolis">Nicopolis</a>. His army rested in Wallachia for two weeks, and was later met by a Wallachian contingent of 17,000 under <a href="/wiki/Basarab_Laiot%C4%83" class="mw-redirect" title="Basarab Laiotă">Basarab Laiotă</a>, who had changed sides to join the Ottomans.
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<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Humorstefan.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Humorstefan.jpg/220px-Humorstefan.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="223" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Humorstefan.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="236" data-file-height="239" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Humorstefan.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Stephen the Great – detail of a dedication miniature in the 1473 <i>Gospel</i> at Humor Monastery.</div></div></div>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Stephenletter.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/13/Stephenletter.JPG/220px-Stephenletter.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="185" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/13/Stephenletter.JPG/330px-Stephenletter.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Stephenletter.JPG 2x" data-file-width="380" data-file-height="319" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Stephenletter.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Letter of Stephen to European leaders, November 29, 1474.</div></div></div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Moldavians">Moldavians</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Moldavians">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3>
<p>Stephen was hoping to gain support from the West, and more specifically from the Pope. However, the help that he received was modest in numbers. The Hungarian Kingdom sent 1,800 Hungarians, while Poland sent 2,000 horsemen.<sup id="cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38">[38]</a></sup> Stephen recruited 5,000 <a href="/wiki/Sz%C3%A9kely" class="mw-redirect" title="Székely">Székely</a> soldiers.<sup id="cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38">[38]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/History_of_Moldavia#The_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="History of Moldavia">The Moldavian army</a> consisted of twenty <a href="/wiki/Cannon" title="Cannon">cannon</a>; <a href="/wiki/Light_cavalry" title="Light cavalry">light cavalry</a> (Călăraşi); elite, heavy cavalry – named Viteji, Curteni, and <a href="/wiki/Boyar" title="Boyar">Boyars</a> – and professional foot soldiers. The army reached a strength of up to 40,000, of whom 10,000 to 15,000 comprised the standing army. The remainder consisted of 30,000 peasants armed with maces,<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39">[39]</a></sup> bows, and other home-made weapons. They were recruited into <i>Oastea Mare</i> (the Great Army), into which all able-bodied free men over the age of 14 were conscripted.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Battle">Battle</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Battle">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Vaslui_Battle_map.svg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Vaslui_Battle_map.svg/220px-Vaslui_Battle_map.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="288" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Vaslui_Battle_map.svg/330px-Vaslui_Battle_map.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Vaslui_Battle_map.svg/440px-Vaslui_Battle_map.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="660" data-file-height="863" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Vaslui_Battle_map.svg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Map of the battle.</div></div></div>
<p>The invading army entered Moldavia in December 1474. To fatigue the Ottomans, Stephen had instituted a policy of <a href="/wiki/Scorched_earth" title="Scorched earth">scorched earth</a><sup id="cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38">[38]</a></sup> and poisoned waters.<sup id="cite_ref-p._128_37-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._128-37">[37]</a></sup> Troops who specialised in setting <a href="/wiki/Ambush" title="Ambush">ambushes</a> harassed the advancing Ottomans. The population and livestock were evacuated to the north of the country into the mountains.<sup id="cite_ref-p.42_40-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.42-40">[40]</a></sup>
</p><p>Ottoman scouts reported to Suleiman that there were untouched villages near <a href="/wiki/Vaslui" title="Vaslui">Vaslui</a>, 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, <a href="/wiki/Suceava" title="Suceava">Suceava</a>. To reach Vaslui, where the Moldavian army had its main camp, they needed to cross Podul Înalt over the <a href="/wiki/B%C3%A2rlad_River" class="mw-redirect" title="Bârlad River">Bârlad River</a>. The bridge was made of wood and not suitable for heavy transportation of troops.<sup id="cite_ref-p._128_37-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._128-37">[37]</a></sup> Stephen chose that area for the battle – the same location where his father, <a href="/wiki/Bogdan_II" class="mw-redirect" title="Bogdan II">Bogdan II</a>, had defeated the Poles in 1450; and where he, at the age of 17,<sup id="cite_ref-p.129_41-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.129-41">[41]</a></sup> had fought side-by-side with Vlad 'the Impaler'.<sup id="cite_ref-p._149_22-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._149-22">[22]</a></sup> The area was ideal for the defenders: the valley was a semi-oval surrounded on all sides by hills covered by forest. Inside the valley, the terrain was marshy, which restricted troop movement.<sup id="cite_ref-p.129_41-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.129-41">[41]</a></sup> Suleiman had full confidence in his troops and made few efforts to scout the area.
On 10 January, on a dark and misty<sup id="cite_ref-p.42_40-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.42-40">[40]</a></sup> 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."<sup id="cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty-33">[33]</a></sup> Stephen fortified the bridge, while setting and aiming his cannons at the structure. Peasants and archers were hidden in the forest, together with their Prince and his boyar cavalry.
</p><p>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.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42">[42]</a></sup> Instead, the centre of the valley held the Székely 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty-33">[33]</a></sup> 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.<sup id="cite_ref-p.130_43-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.130-43">[43]</a></sup> Those Ottoman soldiers who survived 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 Székely soldiers further up the valley. The 5,000 Székely soldiers were successful in repelling 7,000 Ottoman infantrymen. Thereafter, they made a slow retreat,<sup id="cite_ref-p.42_40-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.42-40">[40]</a></sup> as instructed by Stephen, but were later routed by the Ottoman <a href="/wiki/Sipahi" title="Sipahi">sipahi</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-p.130_43-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p.130-43">[43]</a></sup> while the remaining Ottoman infantry attacked the Moldavian flanks.
</p><p>Suleiman tried to reinforce his offensive, not knowing what had happened in the valley, but then Stephen, with the full support of his boyars, 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.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44">[44]</a></sup> When the Moldavian army attacked, Suleiman lost control of his army.<sup id="cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty-33">[33]</a></sup> He desperately tried to regain control, but eventually was forced to signal a retreat. The battle lasted for four days,<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45">[45]</a></sup> with the last three days consisting of the fleeing Ottoman army being pursued by the Moldavian light cavalry and the 2,000-strong Polish cavalry until they reached the town of Obluciţa (now <a href="/wiki/Isaccea" title="Isaccea">Isaccea</a>, Romania), in <a href="/wiki/Dobruja" title="Dobruja">Dobruja</a>.
</p><p>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; on 20 January, he exited his castle and confronted some of the Turks that were lurking on his land. Thereafter, he took one of their flags and sent it to a Hungarian friend as proof of his bravery.<sup id="cite_ref-pp._131-32_46-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pp._131-32-46">[46]</a></sup> The Ottoman casualties were reported as 45,000, including four <a href="/wiki/Pasha" title="Pasha">Pashas</a> killed and a hundred standards taken.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-47">[47]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Jan_D%C5%82ugosz" title="Jan Długosz">Jan Długosz</a> writes that "all but the most eminent of the Turkish prisoners are <a href="/wiki/Impalement" title="Impalement">impaled</a>",<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48">[48]</a></sup> and their corpses burned.<sup id="cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38">[38]</a></sup> Only one was spared – the only son of the Ottoman general Isaac Bey, of the <a href="/wiki/Gazi_Evrenos" class="mw-redirect" title="Gazi Evrenos">Gazi Evrenos</a> family, whose father had fought with <a href="/wiki/Mircea_the_Elder" class="mw-redirect" title="Mircea the Elder">Mircea the Elder</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-pp._131-32_46-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pp._131-32-46">[46]</a></sup> Another Polish chronicler reported that on the spot of the battle rested huge piles of bones upon each other, next to three immured crosses.<sup id="cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38">[38]</a></sup>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Aftermath">Aftermath</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Aftermath">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<p>After the battle, Stephen sent "four of the captured Turkish commanders, together with thirty-six of their standards and much splendid booty, to <a href="/wiki/Casimir_IV_Jagiellon" title="Casimir IV Jagiellon">King Casimir</a> in Poland", and implored him to provide troops and money to support the Moldavians in the struggle against the Ottomans. He also sent letters and a few prisoners and Turkish standards to the Pope and Hungarian King <a href="/wiki/Matthias_Corvinus" title="Matthias Corvinus">Matthias Corvinus</a>, asking for support.<sup id="cite_ref-pp._588-9_49-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pp._588-9-49">[49]</a></sup> 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."<sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50">[50]</a></sup> The Pope's reply to Stephen denied him help, but awarded him with the "<a href="/wiki/Athleta_Christi" title="Athleta Christi">Athleta Christi</a>",<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-51">[51]</a></sup> 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.<sup id="cite_ref-pp._588-9_49-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pp._588-9-49">[49]</a></sup> Chronicler <a href="/wiki/Jan_D%C5%82ugosz" title="Jan Długosz">Jan Długosz</a> hailed Stephen for his victory in the battle:
</p>
<blockquote><p>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.<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-52">[52]</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>Hassan tried to create a new coalition with the European powers, arguing that Mehmed's best troops were lost at Vaslui.<sup id="cite_ref-R_28-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-R-28">[28]</a></sup> Upon hearing about the devastating defeat, Mehmed refused for several days to give audience to anyone; his other plans of expansion were put to rest as he planned revenge on Stephen.<sup id="cite_ref-p._133_6-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-p._133-6">[6]</a></sup> In the following year, Mehmed invaded the country with an army of 150,000, which was joined by 10,000 Wallachians under Laiotă and 30,000 Tatars under <a href="/wiki/Me%C3%B1li_I_Giray" title="Meñli I Giray">Meñli I Giray</a>. The Tatars, who called for a <a href="/wiki/Religious_war" title="Religious war">Holy War</a>, attacked with their cavalry from the north and started to pillage the country. The Moldavians took chase after them, and 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."<sup id="cite_ref-53" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-53">[53]</a></sup> Giray wrote to Mehmed that he could not wage more war against Stephen, as he had lost his son and two brothers, and had returned with only one horse.<sup id="cite_ref-54" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-54">[54]</a></sup>
</p><p>In July 1476, after killing 30,000 Ottomans, Stephen was defeated at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Valea_Alb%C4%83" title="Battle of Valea Albă">Battle of Valea Albă</a>. However, the Ottomans were unsuccessful in their siege of the <a href="/wiki/Suceava" title="Suceava">Suceava</a> citadel and the <a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Cetatea_Neam%C5%A3ului" class="mw-redirect" title="Siege of Cetatea Neamţului">Neamţ</a> fortress, while Laiotă was forced to retreat back to Wallachia when Vlad and <a href="/wiki/Stefan_B%C3%A1thory" class="mw-redirect" title="Stefan Báthory">Stefan Báthory</a>, Voivode of Transylvania, gave chase with an army of 30,000.<sup id="cite_ref-55" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-55">[55]</a></sup> Stephen assembled his army and invaded Wallachia from the north, while Vlad and Báthory invaded from the west. Laiotă fled, and in November, Vlad Țepeș was installed on the Wallachian throne. He received 200 loyal knights from Stephen to serve as his loyal bodyguards, but his army remained small.
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<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Voronet_last_judgment.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Voronet_last_judgment.jpg/220px-Voronet_last_judgment.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="thumbimage" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Voronet_last_judgment.jpg/330px-Voronet_last_judgment.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Voronet_last_judgment.jpg/440px-Voronet_last_judgment.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2592" data-file-height="1944" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Voronet_last_judgment.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>The <i>last judgment</i>, painted outside the monastery.</div></div></div>
<p>When Laiotă returned, <a href="/wiki/Vlad_Tepes" class="mw-redirect" title="Vlad Tepes">Vlad Tepes</a> went to battle and was killed by the <a href="/wiki/Janissary" class="mw-redirect" title="Janissary">Janissaries</a> near Bucharest in December 1476. 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 a <a href="/wiki/House_of_D%C4%83ne%C5%9Fti" class="mw-redirect" title="House of Dăneşti">Dăneşti</a>, <a href="/wiki/Basarab_%C5%A2epelu%C5%9F_cel_T%C3%A2n%C4%83r" class="mw-redirect" title="Basarab Ţepeluş cel Tânăr">Ţepeluş</a>, was established as ruler of the country.
</p><p>In 1484, the Ottomans under <a href="/wiki/Bayezid_II" title="Bayezid II">Bayezid II</a> managed to conquer <a href="/wiki/Kiliya,_Ukraine" class="mw-redirect" title="Kiliya, Ukraine">Chilia</a> and <a href="/wiki/Cetatea_Alb%C4%83" class="mw-redirect" title="Cetatea Albă">Cetatea Albă</a> and incorporate it into their empire under the name of <a href="/wiki/Budjak" title="Budjak">Budjak</a>, leaving Moldavia a landlocked principality for many years to come.
</p><p>Between May and September 1488, Stephen built the <a href="/wiki/Vorone%C5%A3_Monastery" class="mw-redirect" title="Voroneţ Monastery">Voroneţ Monastery</a> to commemorate the victory at Vaslui; "the exterior walls – including a representation of the Last Judgment on the west wall – were painted in 1547 with a background of vivid cerulean blue. This is so vibrant that art historians refer to Voroneţ blue the same way they do Titian red."<sup id="cite_ref-56" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-56">[56]</a></sup> In 1490, he extended his work by building another monastery of <a href="/wiki/Saint_John_the_Baptist" class="mw-redirect" title="Saint John the Baptist">Saint John the Baptist</a>. These monasteries served as cultural centres; today, they are on <a href="/wiki/UNESCO" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a>'s <a href="/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Europe" class="mw-redirect" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Europe">World Heritage List</a>. Stephen's victory at Vaslui is considered one of the greatest Moldavian victories over the Ottomans, and as such "played a role in universal history" by securing the culture and civilization of the Christian West from the onslaught of Islam.<sup id="cite_ref-57" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-57">[57]</a></sup>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<div class="reflist columns references-column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 25em; -webkit-column-width: 25em; column-width: 25em; list-style-type: decimal;">
<ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKármánKunčevic2013266_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFKármánKunčevic2013">Kármán & Kunčevic 2013</a>, p. 266.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Ferencz Kállay (1850). Historiai brtekezés a' nemes székely nemzet' eredetéről: hadi és polgári intézeteiről a régi időkben</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Liviu Pilat and Ovidiu Cristea, <i>The Ottoman Threat and Crusading on the Eastern Border of Christendom during Vaslui</i>, (Brill, 2006), 149.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Kronika Polska</i> mentions 40,000 Moldavian troops; <i>Gentis Silesiæ Annales</i> mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops and "no more than" 40,000 Moldavian troops; the letter of Stephen addressed to the Christian countries, sent on 25 January 1475, mentions 30,000 Ottoman troops; see also <i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, p. 588;</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey</i><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="A complete citation is needed (December 2019)">full citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._133-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p._133_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._133_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._133_6-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, p. 133</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana)</i>, p. 141</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries</i>, pp. 218–19</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, p. 449</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600</i>, p. 129</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Gentis Silesiæ Annales</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Letter to <a href="/wiki/Leonardo_Loredano" class="mw-redirect" title="Leonardo Loredano">Leonardo Loredano</a>, written on 7 December 1502</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.92-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p.92_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi — Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 92</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.93-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p.93_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 93</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.92-3-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p.92-3_15-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.92-3_15-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, pp. 92–93</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-studii-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-studii_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 91</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.164-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p.164_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers</i>, p. 164</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._94-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p._94_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 94</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._96-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p._96_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 96</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._134-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p._134_20-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._134_20-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 134</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc,</i> pp. 95–96</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._149-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p._149_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._149_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._149_22-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Vlad Dracul: Prince of many faces – His life and his times</i>, p. 149</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._97-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p._97_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc</i>, p. 97</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._552-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p._552_24-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._552_24-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, p. 552</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Denize-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Denize_25-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Denize_25-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._566-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-p._566_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Annals of Jan Długosz, p. 566</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Costin_Letopiseţul-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Costin_Letopiseţul_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Costin_Letopiseţul_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Costin, N. <i>Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-R-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-R_28-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.165-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p.165_29-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.165_29-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers</i>, p. 165</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Pippidi-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Pippidi_30-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Babinger-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Babinger_31-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Mehmed the Conqueror and his time</i>, p. 339</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Letter of Stephen, Vaslui 29 November 1474</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Chronicles_of_the_Ottoman_Dynasty_33-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Great Events</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, p.127</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Historia Turchesca</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p._128-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p._128_37-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._128_37-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p._128_37-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, p. 128</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Kronika_Polska-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kronika_Polska_38-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Kronika Polska</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, pp. 127, 130</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.42-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p.42_40-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.42_40-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.42_40-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699</i>, p. 42</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.129-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p.129_41-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.129_41-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, p. 129</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Grigore U. <i>Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-p.130-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-p.130_43-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-p.130_43-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, p. 130</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Roumania Past and Present</i>, Chapter XI.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Documentary: <i>Amintirile unui Pelerin</i>, <a href="/wiki/Antena_1_(Romania)" title="Antena 1 (Romania)">Antena 1</a></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-pp._131-32-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pp._131-32_46-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pp._131-32_46-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare</i>, pp. 131–32</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day</i>, Oxford 1941, p. 108</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, p. 588</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-pp._588-9-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pp._588-9_49-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pp._588-9_49-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, pp. 588–9</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, p. 589</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-51">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">website: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/romania/8.htm">Romania Country study</a>, U.S. Library of Congress.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-52"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-52">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Historiae Polonicae</i>, libri XIII, vol. II, note 528, Leipzig 1712.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-53"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-53">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>The Annals of Jan Długosz</i>, pp. 592, 594</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-54"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-54">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Letter of Giray to Mehmed, 10–19 October 1476</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-55">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Diary of Ladislav, servant of Vlad; 7 August 1476</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-56"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-56">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Artistic Route Through Romania</i></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-57"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-57">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Catholic Encyclopedia</i></span>
</li>
</ol></div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Bibliography">Bibliography</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Bibliography">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFKármánKunčevic2013" class="citation book">Kármán, Gábor; Kunčevic, Lovro, eds. (2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.brill.com/european-tributary-states-ottoman-empire-sixteenth-and-seventeenth-centuries"><i>The European Tributary States of the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries</i></a>. Leiden: Brill. <a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789004246065" title="Special:BookSources/9789004246065"><bdi>9789004246065</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+European+Tributary+States+of+the+Ottoman+Empire+in+the+Sixteenth+and+Seventeenth+Centuries&rft.place=Leiden&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=9789004246065&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brill.com%2Feuropean-tributary-states-ottoman-empire-sixteenth-and-seventeenth-centuries&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ABattle+of+Vaslui" class="Z3988"></span><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886058088">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}</style></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Antena_1_(Romania)" title="Antena 1 (Romania)">Antena 1</a>, Amintirile unui Pelerin (documentary)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Franz_Babinger" title="Franz Babinger">Babinger, Franz</a>. Mehmed the Conqueror and his time <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-691-01078-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-691-01078-1">0-691-01078-1</a></li>
<li>Cândea, Virgil. Saint Stephen the Great in his contemporary Europe (Respublica Christiana), Balkan Studies 2004</li>
<li>Catholic Encyclopedia, Rumania. (source: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13224b.htm">New Advent</a>)</li>
<li>Denize, Eugen. Semnificaţia Haracului în relaţiile Moldo-Otomane din vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare – Câteva Consideraţii.</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Jan_D%C5%82ugosz" title="Jan Długosz">Długosz, Jan</a>. The Annals of Jan Długosz <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-901019-00-4" title="Special:BookSources/1-901019-00-4">1-901019-00-4</a></li>
<li>Ghyka, Matila. A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History – from prehistoric times to the present day, Oxford 1941</li>
<li>Florescu, R. Radu; McNally, T. Raymond. Dracula: Prince of many faces – His life and his times <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-316-28656-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-316-28656-5">978-0-316-28656-5</a></li>
<li>Inalcik, Halil. The Ottoman Empire – The Classical Age 1300–1600 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84212-442-0" title="Special:BookSources/1-84212-442-0">1-84212-442-0</a></li>
<li>Iorga, Nicolae. Istoria lui Ştefan cel Mare, 1904 (new edition 1966), Bucharest.</li>
<li>Matei, Mircea D.; Cârciumaru, Radu. Studii Noi Despre Probleme Vechi – Din Istoria Evului Mediu Românesc. Editura Cetatea de Scaun, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/973-85907-2-8" title="Special:BookSources/973-85907-2-8">973-85907-2-8</a></li>
<li>Nevill Forbes; Arnold J. Toynbee; D. Mitrany, D.G. Hogarth. The Balkans: A History of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey, 2004. ISO-8859-1</li>
<li>Samuelson, James. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/toc_pag.shtml">Roumania Past and Present</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/sam/11.shtml#171">Chapter XI</a>. Originally published London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1882. Electronic text archive on the site of the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities, <a href="/wiki/University_of_Washington" title="University of Washington">University of Washington</a>.</li>
<li>Sandberg-Diment, Erik. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/21/travel/artistic-route-through-romania.html?sec=travel&pagewanted=2">Artistic Route Through Romania</a>, New York Times, The. 1998</li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061114112449/http://www.stefancelmare.ro/izvoare.htm">Sfântul Voievod Ştefan cel Mare</a>, Chronicles. (retrieved)
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Giovanni_Maria_Angiolello" title="Giovanni Maria Angiolello">Angiolello, Giovanni Maria</a>. Historia Turchesca</li>
<li>Bonfinius, Antonius. Historia Pannonica ab Origine Gentis AD Annum 1495</li>
<li>Curius, Joachim. Gentis Silesiæ Annales</li>
<li>Długosz, Jan. Historiae Polonicae, Leipzig 1712</li>
<li>Husein, Kodja. Great Events</li>
<li>Murianus, Mathaeus. Letter to <a href="/wiki/Leonardo_Loredano" class="mw-redirect" title="Leonardo Loredano">Leonardo Loredano</a>, written on 7 December 1502</li>
<li>Orudj bin Adil and Şemseddin Ahmed bin Suleiman Kemal paşa-zade. The Chronicles of the Ottoman Dynasty</li>
<li>Pasha, Lütfi. The Chronicles of the House of Osman (Tevarih-i al-i Osman)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Hoca_Sadeddin_Efendi" title="Hoca Sadeddin Efendi">Hoca Sadeddin Efendi</a>. Crown of Histories (Tadj al-tawarikh)</li>
<li>Stephen the Great; letter of 25 January 1475</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Maciej_Stryjkowski" title="Maciej Stryjkowski">Stryjkowski, Maciej</a>. <i>Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmudzka i wszystkiej Rusi</i></li></ul></li>
<li>Spinei, Victor. Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries, Romania 1986</li>
<li>Panaite, Viorel. The Ottoman Law of War and Peace—The Ottoman Empire and Tribute Payers. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88033-461-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-88033-461-4">0-88033-461-4</a></li>
<li>Papacostea, Şerban. Relaţiile internaţionale ale Moldovei în vremea lui Ştefan cel Mare</li>
<li>Pippidi, Andrei. Noi Izvoare Italiene despre Vlad Ţepeş şi Ştefan cel Mare; Studies and Materials of Medium History XX/2002</li>
<li>Turnbull, Stephen. The Ottoman Empire 1326–1699 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886058088"/><a href="/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84176-569-4" title="Special:BookSources/1-84176-569-4">1-84176-569-4</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Grigore_Ureche" title="Grigore Ureche">Ureche, Grigore</a> and Costin, Nicolae. Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei</li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Vaslui&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20051118174511/http://www.gdws.co.uk/vaslui.htm">Detailed article describing the strategy and the units used in the battle</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/matthaywood/main/Moldavia.htm#The_battle_of_Vaslui">Brief history of Moldavia covering the Vaslui battle</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.east-west-wg.org/cst/cst-mold/stephen.html">Short essay about Stephen the Great with a description of the Vaslui battle</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050618051520/http://www.tabula-rasa.info/JamesAdams/treasure_trove/vasluiBattle/vaslui.htm">Short article describing the battle</a></li></ul>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="coordinates"><a href="/wiki/Geographic_coordinate_system" title="Geographic coordinate system">Coordinates</a>: <span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Battle_of_Vaslui&params=46_37_N_27_43_E_type:city_region:RO"><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">46°37′N</span> <span class="longitude">27°43′E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">46.617°N 27.717°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">46.617; 27.717</span></span></span></a></span></span></span>
</p>
<div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="23x15px&#124;border_&#124;alt=Ottoman_Empire&#124;link=Ottoman_Empire_Battles_involving_the_Ottoman_Empire_by_era" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div class="plainlinks hlist navbar mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Ottoman_battles" title="Template:Ottoman battles"><abbr title="View this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Ottoman_battles" title="Template talk:Ottoman battles"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Ottoman_battles&action=edit"><abbr title="Edit this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none; padding:0;">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="23x15px&#124;border_&#124;alt=Ottoman_Empire&#124;link=Ottoman_Empire_Battles_involving_the_Ottoman_Empire_by_era" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><span class="flagicon"><a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire"><img alt="Ottoman Empire" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="thumbborder" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg/45px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/List_of_battles_involving_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="List of battles involving the Ottoman Empire">Battles</a> involving the <a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Empire" title="Ottoman Empire">Ottoman Empire</a> by era</div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Rise_of_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="Rise of the Ottoman Empire">Rise<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(1299–1453)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Land battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Bapheus" title="Battle of Bapheus">Bapheus</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Dimbos" title="Battle of Dimbos">Dimbos</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Pelekanon" title="Battle of Pelekanon">Pelekanon</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Demotika" title="Battle of Demotika">Demotika</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ihtiman" title="Battle of Ihtiman">Ihtiman</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_S%C4%B1rp_S%C4%B1nd%C4%B1%C4%9F%C4%B1" title="Battle of Sırp Sındığı">Sırp Sındığı</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Maritsa" title="Battle of Maritsa">Maritsa</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Dubravnica" title="Battle of Dubravnica">Dubravnica</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Savra" title="Battle of Savra">Savra</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Plo%C4%8Dnik" title="Battle of Pločnik">Pločnik</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Bile%C4%87a" title="Battle of Bileća">Bileća</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo" title="Battle of Kosovo">Kosovo</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_K%C4%B1rkdilim" title="Battle of Kırkdilim">Kırkdilim</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Rovine" title="Battle of Rovine">Rovine</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nicopolis" title="Battle of Nicopolis">Nicopolis</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ankara" title="Battle of Ankara">Ankara</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_%C3%87amurlu" title="Battle of Çamurlu">Çamurlu</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Zlatitsa" title="Battle of Zlatitsa">Zlatitsa</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kunovica" title="Battle of Kunovica">Kunovica</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Torvioll" title="Battle of Torvioll">Torvioll</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Varna" title="Battle of Varna">Varna</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo_(1448)" title="Battle of Kosovo (1448)">Kosovo (2nd)</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople" title="Fall of Constantinople">Constantinople</a></b></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Naval battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli_(1416)" title="Battle of Gallipoli (1416)">Gallipoli</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Classical_Age_of_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="Classical Age of the Ottoman Empire">Classical Age<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(1453–1550)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Land battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Krusevac" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Krusevac">Krusevac</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Albulena" title="Battle of Albulena">Albulena</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Night_Attack_at_T%C3%A2rgovi%C5%9Fte" class="mw-redirect" title="Night Attack at Târgovişte">Târgoviște</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Jajce" title="Siege of Jajce">Jajce</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ohrid" title="Battle of Ohrid">Ohrid</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Otlukbeli" title="Battle of Otlukbeli">Otlukbeli</a></b></li>
<li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Vaslui</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Valea_Alb%C4%83" title="Battle of Valea Albă">Valea Albă</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Shkodra" title="Siege of Shkodra">Shkodra</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Breadfield" title="Battle of Breadfield">Breadfield</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Krbava_Field" title="Battle of Krbava Field">Krbava</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Chaldiran" title="Battle of Chaldiran">Çaldıran</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Turnadag" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Turnadag">Turnadag</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Marj_Dabiq" title="Battle of Marj Dabiq">Mercidabık</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Yaunis_Khan" title="Battle of Yaunis Khan">Han Yunus</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ridaniya" title="Battle of Ridaniya">Ridanieh</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Jajce_(1518)" title="Battle of Jajce (1518)">Jajce</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Fall_of_Tlemcen_(1518)" title="Fall of Tlemcen (1518)">Tlemcen</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs" title="Battle of Mohács">Mohács</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Gorjani" title="Battle of Gorjani">Gorjani</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sokhoista" title="Battle of Sokhoista">Sokhoista</a></b></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Naval battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Zonchio" title="Battle of Zonchio">Zonchio</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Modon_(1500)" title="Battle of Modon (1500)">Modon</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Diu_(1509)" title="Battle of Diu (1509)">Diu</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Capture_of_Algiers_(1516)" title="Capture of Algiers (1516)">Algiers (1516)</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Formentera" title="Battle of Formentera">Formentera</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Capture_of_Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n_of_Algiers_(1529)" title="Capture of Peñón of Algiers (1529)">Peñón of Algiers (1529)</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Conquest_of_Tunis_(1535)" title="Conquest of Tunis (1535)">Tunis</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Preveza" title="Battle of Preveza">Preveza</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Albor%C3%A1n" title="Battle of Alborán">Alborán</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Algiers_expedition_(1541)" title="Algiers expedition (1541)">Algiers (1541)</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ponza_(1552)" title="Battle of Ponza (1552)">Ponza</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Djerba" title="Battle of Djerba">Djerba</a></b></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Transformation_of_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="Transformation of the Ottoman Empire">Transformation<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(1550-1700)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Land battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Expedition_to_Mostaganem_(1558)" title="Expedition to Mostaganem (1558)">Mostaganem</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Szigetv%C3%A1r" title="Siege of Szigetvár">Szigeth</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_%C3%87%C4%B1ld%C4%B1r" title="Battle of Çıldır">Çıldır</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Torches" title="Battle of Torches">Torches</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Wadi_al-Laban" title="Battle of Wadi al-Laban">Wadi al Laban</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sisak" title="Battle of Sisak">Sisak</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_C%C4%83lug%C4%83reni" title="Battle of Călugăreni">Călugăreni</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Giurgiu" title="Battle of Giurgiu">Giurgiu</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Keresztes" title="Battle of Keresztes">Keresztes</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Urmia_(1604)" title="Battle of Urmia (1604)">Urmia</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sufiyan" title="Battle of Sufiyan">Sufiyan</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cecora_(1620)" title="Battle of Cecora (1620)">Cecora</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Khotyn_(1621)" title="Battle of Khotyn (1621)">1st Khotyn</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Candia" title="Siege of Candia">Candia</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_K%C3%B6b%C3%B6lk%C3%BAt" title="Battle of Köbölkút">Köbölkút</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Saint_Gotthard_(1664)" title="Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)">Saint Gotthard</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_%C5%81ady%C5%BCyn" title="Battle of Ładyżyn">Ładyżyn</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Krasnobr%C3%B3d_(1672)" title="Battle of Krasnobród (1672)">Krasnobród</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Niemir%C3%B3w" title="Battle of Niemirów">Niemirów</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Khotyn_(1673)" title="Battle of Khotyn (1673)">2nd Khotyn</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna" title="Battle of Vienna">2nd Vienna</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Moh%C3%A1cs_(1687)" title="Battle of Mohács (1687)">2nd Mohács</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Slankamen" title="Battle of Slankamen">Slankamen</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cenei" title="Battle of Cenei">Cenei</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ustechko" title="Battle of Ustechko">Ustechko</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Lugos" title="Battle of Lugos">Lugos</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ula%C5%9F" title="Battle of Ulaş">Ulaş</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Zenta" title="Battle of Zenta">Zenta</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Naval battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Lepanto" title="Battle of Lepanto">Lepanto</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Corvo" title="Battle of Cape Corvo">Cape Corvo</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Celidonia" title="Battle of Cape Celidonia">Cape Celidonia</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Focchies" title="Battle of Focchies">Focchies</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Dardanelles_(1654)" title="Battle of the Dardanelles (1654)">1st Dardanelles</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Dardanelles_(1655)" title="Battle of the Dardanelles (1655)">2nd Dardanelles</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Dardanelles_(1656)" title="Battle of the Dardanelles (1656)">3rd Dardanelles</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Dardanelles_(1657)" title="Battle of the Dardanelles (1657)">4th Dardanelles</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Oinousses_Islands" title="Battle of the Oinousses Islands">Oinousses</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Andros_(1696)" title="Battle of Andros (1696)">Andros</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Ottoman_Old_Regime" title="Ottoman Old Regime">Old Regime<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(1700–1789)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Land battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Pruth_River_Campaign" title="Pruth River Campaign">Pruth</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Petrovaradin" title="Battle of Petrovaradin">Petrovaradin</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Banja_Luka" title="Battle of Banja Luka">Banja Luka</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Grocka" title="Battle of Grocka">Grocka</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Stavuchany" title="Battle of Stavuchany">Stavunchany</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Aspindza" title="Battle of Aspindza">Aspindza</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Larga" title="Battle of Larga">Larga</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Yeghev%C4%81rd" title="Battle of Yeghevārd">Yeghevārd</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Ganja_(1734)" title="Siege of Ganja (1734)">Ganja</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kars_(1745)" title="Battle of Kars (1745)">Kars</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kozludzha" title="Battle of Kozludzha">Kozludzha</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kagul" title="Battle of Kagul">Kagul</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Naval battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Imbros_(1717)" title="Battle of Imbros (1717)">Imbros</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Matapan" title="Battle of Matapan">Matapan</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_%C3%87e%C5%9Fme" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Çeşme">Çeşme</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kerch_Strait_(1774)" title="Battle of Kerch Strait (1774)">1st Kerch Strait</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Decline_and_modernization_of_the_Ottoman_Empire" title="Decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire">Modernization<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(1789–1908)</span></a></th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Land battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Foc%C8%99ani" title="Battle of Focșani">Focşani</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Rymnik" title="Battle of Rymnik">Rymnik</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_M%C4%83cin" title="Battle of Măcin">Măcin</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Pyramids" title="Battle of the Pyramids">Pyramids</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Abukir_(1799)" title="Battle of Abukir (1799)">Abukir</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Arpachai" title="Battle of Arpachai">Arpachai</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Batin" title="Battle of Batin">Batin</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Al-Safra" title="Battle of Al-Safra">Al-Safra</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Jeddah_(1813)" title="Battle of Jeddah (1813)">Jeddah</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_%C4%8Cegar" title="Battle of Čegar">Čegar</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Alamana" title="Battle of Alamana">Alamana</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Gravia_Inn" title="Battle of Gravia Inn">Gravia</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Erzurum_(1821)" title="Battle of Erzurum (1821)">Erzurum</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Valtetsi" title="Battle of Valtetsi">Valtetsi</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Doliana" title="Battle of Doliana">Doliana</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Dragashani" title="Battle of Dragashani">Dragashani</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sculeni" title="Battle of Sculeni">Sculeni</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Vasilika" title="Battle of Vasilika">Vasilika</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Peta" title="Battle of Peta">Peta</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Dervenakia" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Dervenakia">Dervenakia</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Karpenisi" title="Battle of Karpenisi">Karpenisi</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Arachova" title="Battle of Arachova">Arachova</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kamatero" title="Battle of Kamatero">Kamatero</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Phaleron" title="Battle of Phaleron">Phaleron</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Petra" title="Battle of Petra">Petra</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kulevicha" title="Battle of Kulevicha">Kulevicha</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Invasion_of_Algiers_in_1830" title="Invasion of Algiers in 1830">Algiers</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Konya" title="Battle of Konya">Konya</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nezib" title="Battle of Nezib">Nezib</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kurekdere" title="Battle of Kurekdere">Kurekdere</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Olteni%C8%9Ba" title="Battle of Oltenița">Oltenița</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Eupatoria" title="Battle of Eupatoria">Eupatoria</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_K%C4%B1z%C4%B1l_Tepe" title="Battle of Kızıl Tepe">Kızıl Tepe</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Shipka_Pass" title="Battle of Shipka Pass">Shipka Pass</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Plevna" title="Siege of Plevna">Plevna</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Philippopolis_(1878)" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Philippopolis (1878)">Philippopolis</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Tashkessen" title="Battle of Tashkessen">Taşkesen</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nov%C5%A1i%C4%87e" title="Battle of Novšiće">Novšiće</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Ulcinj_(1880)" title="Battle of Ulcinj (1880)">Ulcinj</a></b></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Mouzaki" title="Battle of Mouzaki">Mouzaki</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Al_Wajbah" title="Battle of Al Wajbah">Al Wajbah</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Velestino" title="Battle of Velestino">Velestino</a></li>
<li><b><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Domokos" title="Battle of Domokos">Domokos</a></b></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Naval battles</th><td class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid;width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Kerch_Strait_(1790)" title="Battle of Kerch Strait (1790)">2nd Kerch Strait</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Kaliakra" title="Battle of Cape Kaliakra">Kaliakra </a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Athos" title="Battle of Athos">Athos</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Nauplia_(1822)" title="Battle of Nauplia (1822)">Nauplia</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Samos" title="Battle of Samos">Samos</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Gerontas" title="Battle of Gerontas">Gerontas</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Navarino" title="Battle of Navarino">Navarino</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Sinop" title="Battle of Sinop">Sinop</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li>For 20th-century battles before 1914 <i>see</i> <a href="/wiki/List_of_Ottoman_battles_in_the_20th_century" title="List of Ottoman battles in the 20th century">List of Ottoman battles in the 20th century</a></li>
<li>For the battles during World War I <i>see</i> <a href="/wiki/List_of_Ottoman_battles_in_World_War_I" title="List of Ottoman battles in World War I">List of Ottoman battles in World War I</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div>Ottoman victories are in <b>bold</b>.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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Unix timestamp of change (timestamp) | 1578680169 |