VIDEO. Stephen the Great’s resounding 1475 victory over the Ottomans at Vaslui
On Jan. 10, 1475, 546 years ago. Stephen the Great, prince of Moldavia, defeated a large Ottoman army in the Battle of Vaslui (or the Battle of "Podul Înalt").
Stephen the Great's victory at Vaslui (north-east Romania) is arguably the most important victory any of the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldova against the Ottomans. A Turkish contemporary chronicler described the 1475 confrontation: But the Moldovan [Prince Stephen the Great] did not obey the Sultan's command. After that, the Beylerbey Hadim, taking the army from Rumelia, went to Moldova. Than the accursed man, coming unexpectedly and harassing the Islamic army, attacked the Turks as they walked like strangers with their eyes closed. Many Muslims died as martyrs
Stephen the Great's Battle of Vaslui (at "Podul Inalt" - ”the High Bridge”) took place 19 years after another resounding victory of Medieval Christendom, the Siege of Belgrade, when the Christian armies led by the famous Transylvanian military commander John Hunyadi defeated the Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (July 22, 1456).
But the Moldovan [Prince Stephen the Great] did not obey the Sultan's command. After that, the Beylerbey Hadim, taking the army from Rumelia, went to Moldova. Than the accursed man, coming unexpectedly and harassing the Islamic army, attacked the Turks as they walked like strangers with their eyes closed. Many Muslims died as martyrs
As for Stephen the Great, the Prince of the Moldavian principality, the Polish chronicler Jan Długosz said in 1475 that he is a:
Praiseworthy hero in no respect inferior to other heroes 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.
The famous Voronet Monastery (nowadays UNESCO World Heritage monument) was erected in 1488 by Stephen the Great to thank God for the victory over the Ottoman army at Poul Înalt - Vaslui.
