Moldavian campaign in Poland
| Moldavian campaign in Poland | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Moldavian campaign (1497–1499) and Polish–Ottoman War (1485–1503) | |||||||
The death of the Franciscans at the hands of Stephen III's soldiers in 1498 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Moldavia Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate | Kingdom of Poland | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Stephen III |
John I Albert Stanisław Chodecki | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 40,000[1] | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
Many killed 100,000 enslaved[2][3] | ||||||
The Moldavian campaign in Poland[4] was a retaliatory invasion launched by Moldavian Voivode Stephen the Great with support of the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate against the Kingdom of Poland. It took place from June to July 1498, resulting in Moldavian victory and devastation of the southeastern Polish lands.[3][4][5]
Prelude
After an unsuccessful Polish invasion of Moldavia and their defeat at the Battle of Cosmin Forest in 1497, Stephen the Great sought to take revenge by launching his own campaign into the lands of the Kingdom of Poland.[4] The invasion force numbered 40,000 troops.[1] Ottoman Turks and Crimean Tatars were also to take part in the campaign.[3][6]
Campaign
The Ottoman forces attacked in June, with Moldavians attacking on 22 June or July.[4][5] Red Ruthenia and Podolia were devastated by the Ottoman and Moldavian forces, with numerous people driven off to slavery in process.[3][4][5]
Moldavian forces sacked Trembowla, Buczacz and Podhajce after capturing these cities. Stephen's army ravaged the lands up to Lwów and over the Dniester, particularly Pokucie.[4] Przemyśl, Radymno, Jarosław, Kańczuga, Łańcut and several other Polish cities were also devastated by Moldavians. Polish King John I Albert called on the Polish army and szlachta (nobility) to gather at Sandomierz, in order to repel the Moldavian invasion. However, the Moldavian army returned with loot and slaves to their capital Suceava by the time Polish forces finished mobilising.[5]
Aftermath
The Moldavian campaign in Poland led to devastation of its southeastern lands and enormous loss of life, with up to 100,000 Polish slaves taken by Moldavians.[2][3][4] The war ended favorably for Moldavia and the Ottoman Empire.[7][8][9] A peace treaty between Moldavia and Poland was concluded on 16 April 1499, under mediation of the Kingdom of Hungary.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b Fischer 1907, p. 46.
- ^ a b Fischer 1907, p. 47, "Moldovenii în unire cu Turcii luară aproape 100,000 prisonieri din Polonia. [The Moldavians, in alliance with the Turks, took nearly 100,000 prisoners from Poland.]".
- ^ a b c d e Smołucha, Janusz [in Polish] (2022). "Poland as the Bastion of Christianity and the Issue of a Union with the Orthodox Church". Perspektywy Kultury. 36 (1). Krakow: Jesuit University of Philosophy and Education Ignatianum: 41. doi:10.35765/pk.2022.3601.04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Giurescu, Constantin C. (1974). Chronological History of Romania. Editura enciclopedică română. p. 103.
- ^ a b c d e Fischer 1907, p. 47.
- ^ Fischer 1907, pp. 46–47.
- ^ Medieval Polish Armies 966–1500. David Nicolle, Witold Sarnecki. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ The Turks: Ottomans (2 v.).Hasan Celâl Güzel, Cem Oğuz, Osman Karatay. Yeni Türkiye.
- ^ History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Volume 1, Empire of the Gazis: The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire 1280-1808. Stanford J. Shaw, Ezel Kural Shaw. Cambridge University Press
Bibiliography
- Fischer, Eduard (1907). "Bătălia din Codrii Cosminului" [The Battle of Codrii Cosminului] (PDF) (in Romanian). Bucharest: Institutul De Arte Grafice „EMINESCU“.