Battle of Râmnic
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| Battle of Râmnic | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Moldavian-Ottoman Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Moldavia |
 Wallachia Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Stephen III |
Basarab IV | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown |
20,000[1] Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Significant[1][2] | Entire army annihilated[3] | ||||||
The Battle of Râmnic took place during the invasion of Wallachia by Moldavian Voivode Stephen the Great against the Wallachian army of Basarab IV supported by the Ottoman Empire. It took place on 8 July 1481, resulting in Moldavian victory.[1][2]
On 2/3 May 1481, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II died. This led to a power struggle among the Ottoman leadership, including his son Bayezid II that sought to consolidate take power.[4] In a meanwhile, Wallachian ruler Basarab IV with support of Ottoman pashas Ali-Beg and Skender-Beg invaded Moldavia, plundering lands up to Lunca Mare.[3] Stephen seized his opportunity to respond to this attack and invade Wallachia.[3][4]
Battle
Stephen pursued the Wallachian-Ottoman army up to Râmnicu Sărat on 8 July 1481.[3] He previously invaded Wallachia in 1472, with his main obstacle being Râmnicu Sărat. This turned out to be the case again in 1481, but this time Stephen intended to attack without Translyvanian support.[1]
The battle was fierce and difficult for both sides, with two of Stephen boyars, Şendrea and brother-in-law Costea falling in battle.[1][2] However, the Bistrița chronicle stated the following about difficult Moldavian victory:
And he conquered again [Ștefan voivode] - and a great and innumerable crowd of people was completely defeated and all their banners were taken and not one of them remained and all the brave men and boyars fell then; and they will remember that fight and that death until the end of the world.[5]