The Forest of the Impaled / Ottoman Retreat from Wallachia(1462)
Background
Vlad employed scorched earth and psychological warfare to make Wallachia ungovernable for an occupying force. The Forest of the Impaled — 20,000 impaled Ottomans — was the culmination of this strategy.
Campaign: Mehmed II's Wallachian Invasion 1462
Forces Engaged
The Battle
Mehmed II's army reached Târgoviște to find 20,000 impaled Ottoman prisoners arranged in a forest formation. Mehmed, reportedly shaken, withdrew from Wallachia without installing a permanent garrison.
In summer 1462, Wallachian forces, under an unrecorded commander, launched a 30-day raid against retreating Ottoman troops during Mehmed II’s campaign. Employing scorched earth and psychological warfare tactics across the Wallachian plain near the Târgoviște approach, the Wallachians terrorized the Ottoman rearguard. This unorthodox approach compelled Mehmed II to withdraw his forces, marking the sole campaign where he failed to achieve his objective, representing a psychological victory for Wallachia.
Casualties & Outcome
Wallachia (psychological warfare) achieved victory over Ottoman Empire.
Mehmed withdrew. Vlad's political position was undermined by his brother Radu the Handsome, who led an Ottoman-backed coup. Vlad was captured and imprisoned in Hungary.
Historical Record
Significance & Legacy
Psychological victory. The only campaign in which Mehmed II withdrew without achieving his objective.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the The Forest of the Impaled / Ottoman Retreat from Wallachia?
- The The Forest of the Impaled / Ottoman Retreat from Wallachia took place in 1462. Jun–Jul 1462.
- Who won the The Forest of the Impaled / Ottoman Retreat from Wallachia?
- The Wallachia (psychological warfare) were victorious against the Ottoman Empire.
- What was the significance of the The Forest of the Impaled / Ottoman Retreat from Wallachia?
- Psychological victory. The only campaign in which Mehmed II withdrew without achieving his objective.