Battle of Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă)(1476)
Background
In 1475 the Ottoman's attempt to bring Moldavia under their control, at winter by using an army of Rumelian local levies, ended disastrously with a defeat in the Battle of Vaslui. During the proper military campaign season, the Ottomans assembled a large army, estimated by contemporary western sources at about 90,000–150,000 soldiers, under the command of Sultan Mehmed II and entered Moldavia in June 1476. Dennis Deletant and Keith Hitchins regard these numbers as accurate, Meanwhile, groups of Tartars from the Crimean Khanate (the Ottomans' recent ally) were sent to attack Moldavia. According to Dennis Deletant and Keith Hitchins, they were repelled. But according to Shaw Stanford that joint Ottoman and Crimean Tatar forces "occupied Bessarabia and took Akkerman, gaining control of the southern mouth of the Danube. Stephan tried to avoid open battle with the Ottomans by following a scorched-earth policy." In the process the Moldavians forces ended up being dispersed throughout the country, leaving only a small force of about 10,000–12,000 men, led by Stephen himself, to face the main Ottoman attack.
Campaign: Great Ottoman-Moldavian War 1475–1476
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Mehmed II personally led a massive retaliatory invasion after Vaslui. Stefan's Moldavian force, weakened by plague and desertion, faced the full Ottoman army. Stefan fought a fighting retreat, then made a last stand at Războieni. The Moldavian army was shattered; Stefan fled north to his fortresses (Suceava, Neamț). The Ottomans could not take the fortresses and withdrew due to plague and supply failures.
The Battle of Valea Albă, also known as the Battle of Războieni or the Battle of Akdere, was an important event in the medieval history of Moldavia. It took place at Războieni, also known as Valea Albă, on 26 July 1476, between the Moldavian army of Stephen the Great and an invading Ottoman army which was commanded personally by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.
“"Ştefan lost the battle but not the war. He built a monument — the church of Războieni — to the fallen. The Ottomans could not take his fortresses and withdrew in shame." — Romanian chronicle tradition
Casualties & Outcome
Moldavian army shattered: ~7,000 dead; Ottoman losses estimated 30,000 from battle and disease
Ottoman Empire achieved victory over Moldova.
Stephen retreated into the north-western part of Moldavia or even into the Polish Kingdom and began forming another army. The Ottomans captured considerable parts of Moldavian territory but were unable to conquer some of the major Moldavian strongholds such as Suceava, Neamț, and Hotin and were constantly harassed by small-scale Moldavians attacks. Soon they were also confronted with starvation, a situation made worse by an outbreak of the plague. Meanwhile, anti-Ottoman forces were being assembled in Transylvania under Stephen V Báthory's command. Confronted with this army and with Stephen's counterattack, after failing to conquer Neamț Citadel the Ottomans retreated from major parts of Moldavia in August 1476 to come back again in 1480.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Stefan's greatest defeat in battle — but a strategic victory. Fortress resistance and disease stopped the Ottoman conquest of Moldavia. Stefan rebuilt his army within months.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Battle of Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă)?
- The Battle of Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă) took place in 1476. Jul 26, 1476.
- Who won the Battle of Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă)?
- The Ottoman Empire were victorious against the Moldova.
- What was the significance of the Battle of Războieni (Battle of Valea Albă)?
- Stefan's greatest defeat in battle — but a strategic victory. Fortress resistance and disease stopped the Ottoman conquest of Moldavia. Stefan rebuilt his army within months.