Battle of Finta(1653)
Approximate site. The pin marks a locally accepted site or a nearby anchor point, not a survey-grade position.
Finta commune, Dâmbovița County
Coordinate source: latitude.to GPS Finta 44.80, 25.80
Background
Moldavian Voivode Vasile Lupu, backed by his son-in-law Tymofiy Khmelnytsky and Zaporozhian Cossacks, invaded Wallachia in a bid to depose Matei Basarab and extend his influence over both principalities.
Campaign: Wallachian-Moldavian War 1653
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Vasile Lupu attempted to install his son on the Wallachian throne but was utterly routed after Wallachian artillery broke the Moldavian-Cossack lines. Thousands of Moldavians, Cossacks, and Tatar auxiliaries were killed or captured.
The Battle of Finta was a confrontation between Prince Matei Basarab's Wallachian army and a combined Moldavian–Cossack–Tatar force under Prince Vasile Lupu and Tymofiy Khmelnytsky. It took place around Finta, now a commune in Dâmbovița County, Romania.
Casualties & Outcome
1,000 Wallachians, 200 Poles and Lithuanians, 100 Serbs, 80 Hungarians | 3,000 Moldavians, 7,000 Cossacks, 1,000 Tatars, all Germans and Austrians killed, the rest captured
Wallachia & Allies achieved victory over Moldova & Cossacks.
Vasile Lupu was deposed and fled; Gheorghe Ștefan became the new Moldavian voivode. The battle curtailed Cossack military adventurism in the Romanian principalities.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Led directly to Vasile Lupu's permanent ousting from Moldova and the installation of Gheorghe Ștefan. The battle demonstrated the limits of Cossack military power in the Romanian principalities and ended Lupu's bid for regional hegemony.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Battle of Finta?
- The Battle of Finta took place in 1653. May 27, 1653.
- What was the outcome of the Battle of Finta?
- The Wallachia & Allies were victorious against the Moldova & Cossacks.
- What was the significance of the Battle of Finta?
- Led directly to Vasile Lupu's permanent ousting from Moldova and the installation of Gheorghe Ștefan. The battle demonstrated the limits of Cossack military power in the Romanian principalities and ended Lupu's bid for regional hegemony.