Battle of Miraslau
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Miriszló or Battle of Mirăslău took place on September 18, 1600 near Miriszló
, Transylvania
, between the Wallachia
n troops led by Michael the Brave supported by ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and the troops of Austrian general Giorgio Basta
supported by the Hungarian nobility of Transylvania.
In 1599, Michael took control of Transylvania after the Battle of Sellenberk
. In autumn 1599, Michael was elected prince of Transylvania by the Estates of the country. Although the Emperor Rudolf II wanted Michael and his general Basta to govern Transylvania together, Michael, the de facto ruler, despised Basta from their initial meetings. Therefore, at a certain point in 1600, Michael became disgraced at the Habsburg emperor.
In 1600, Hungarian noblemen from Transylvania rebelled against Michael and gathered an army near Gyulafehérvár (currently: Alba Iulia
). The troops of Basta joined the Hungarian noblemen rebelling against Michael. The ethnic Hungarian Szeklers, however, kept supporting Michael as he had confirmed Szekler privileges disputed by the Hungarian nobility.
Basta marched against the Wallachian army which Michael had gathered in the small village of Miriszló , a few kilometers north of the river Maros
. The Wallachian army numbered approximately 22,000, consisting mainly of mercenaries of different nationalities, including Hungarian Szeklers
, Cossack
s, and Poles
. Baba Novac led the cavalry at the center of the army. Basta's army of 30,000 consisted of troops of the Hungarian nobility, Austrian
and Saxon
troops, mostly mercenaries.
Michael's forces began the battle with a well-positioned cannonade from a hillside, while his main troops were protected in the town by 2,000 Szekler gunmen. In this first stage, many Hungarian noblemen were killed by cannonballs, and the battle appeared to be setting itself as an easy victory for Michael.
However, Basta had set a trap for the Wallachian army; by pretending to retreat from his position, Basta intended for Michael to leave his defensive entrenchment
s and follow the Austrian. Upon viewing Basta's feigned retreat, Michael supposedly said, "Now the coward dog is running, we should follow him." Michael's army quickly left the fortifications to charge Basta's army, but the general turned his heavy cavalry
on the advancing Wallachians and routed them.
This defeat caused panic to ensue in Michael's army. The Cossack mercenaries were the first to flee, leading to many of them drowning in the Maros. Baba Novac led a determined resistance in the middle of the line with his cavalry, but it was not enough to turn the tide of the battle. Realizing the futility of continuing the battle, Michael took his horse and swam across the Maros. The Wallachian casualties were high, with more than 5,000 men killed in action and many more prisoners, especially Szeklers, later executed by the vindictive Hungarian nobility. Basta's army lost approximately 1,000 men in the battle.
The defeat of Michael put an end to his rule in Transylvania. After being soon expelled from Wallachia by the Polish troops led by Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
, Michael went to Prague to win Rudolf's favour once again. After succeeding to do so, he was sent back to Transylvania by Rudolf in 1601. Basta and Michael defeated together prince Sigismund Báthory
at Goroszló, however, Basta had him assassinated on August 9, 1601.
As he was already the prince of Wallachia and Moldavia, his election prince of Transylvania is regarded by Romanian historiography as a very important moment of Romanian history, being the first occasion that all three territories which had a Romanian population came under a single ruler. Romanian historiography asserts that it was Michael's goal to unite the three provinces inhabited by Romanians.
Hungarian historiography regards his election prince of Transylvania as an episode in the anarchic years of the Long War
fought by the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire
which did not have national character in the modern sense of the term. In Transylvania, these years were characterized by fierce political struggle and intrigues between different factions of Hungarian nobility, ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and Saxons forming the Union of Three Nations. This struggle was combined with the military and political interference into Transylvanian affairs by the rivaling Habsburg and Ottoman Empires supporting from time to time one faction or another. The years of the Long War
had a devastating effect on Transylvania which took an end only by the rule of prince István Bocskay in 1604.
Miraslau, Alba
Mirăslău is a commune located in Alba County, Romania. It has a population of 2334. The commune is composed of six villages: Cicău , Decea , Lopadea Veche , Mirăslău, Ormeniş and Rachiş .The commune is the site of a battle in 1600 between the Wallachian army led by Michael the Brave and the...
, Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, between the Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
n troops led by Michael the Brave supported by ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and the troops of Austrian general Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt was an Italian general of Arbëreshë descent, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to command Habsburg forces in the Long War of 1591-1606 and later to administer Transylvania as an Imperial vassal to restore Catholicism as a predominant religion in...
supported by the Hungarian nobility of Transylvania.
In 1599, Michael took control of Transylvania after the Battle of Sellenberk
Battle of Selimbar
The Battle of Şelimbăr is one of the great events of medieval Romanian history. It took place on 18 October 1599 between the Wallachian army of Michael the Brave and the Transylvanian-Hungarian army of Andrew Bathory...
. In autumn 1599, Michael was elected prince of Transylvania by the Estates of the country. Although the Emperor Rudolf II wanted Michael and his general Basta to govern Transylvania together, Michael, the de facto ruler, despised Basta from their initial meetings. Therefore, at a certain point in 1600, Michael became disgraced at the Habsburg emperor.
In 1600, Hungarian noblemen from Transylvania rebelled against Michael and gathered an army near Gyulafehérvár (currently: Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania...
). The troops of Basta joined the Hungarian noblemen rebelling against Michael. The ethnic Hungarian Szeklers, however, kept supporting Michael as he had confirmed Szekler privileges disputed by the Hungarian nobility.
Basta marched against the Wallachian army which Michael had gathered in the small village of Miriszló , a few kilometers north of the river Maros
Mures River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
. The Wallachian army numbered approximately 22,000, consisting mainly of mercenaries of different nationalities, including Hungarian Szeklers
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
, Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s, and Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
. Baba Novac led the cavalry at the center of the army. Basta's army of 30,000 consisted of troops of the Hungarian nobility, Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
and Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
troops, mostly mercenaries.
Michael's forces began the battle with a well-positioned cannonade from a hillside, while his main troops were protected in the town by 2,000 Szekler gunmen. In this first stage, many Hungarian noblemen were killed by cannonballs, and the battle appeared to be setting itself as an easy victory for Michael.
However, Basta had set a trap for the Wallachian army; by pretending to retreat from his position, Basta intended for Michael to leave his defensive entrenchment
Entrenchment
Entrenchment or Entrenched may refer to:* Military trenches with relation to Trench warfare, especially that of World War I *Entrenchment as a feature of a Constitution, making it more difficult to amend* Entrenched clause within a constitution...
s and follow the Austrian. Upon viewing Basta's feigned retreat, Michael supposedly said, "Now the coward dog is running, we should follow him." Michael's army quickly left the fortifications to charge Basta's army, but the general turned his heavy cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
on the advancing Wallachians and routed them.
This defeat caused panic to ensue in Michael's army. The Cossack mercenaries were the first to flee, leading to many of them drowning in the Maros. Baba Novac led a determined resistance in the middle of the line with his cavalry, but it was not enough to turn the tide of the battle. Realizing the futility of continuing the battle, Michael took his horse and swam across the Maros. The Wallachian casualties were high, with more than 5,000 men killed in action and many more prisoners, especially Szeklers, later executed by the vindictive Hungarian nobility. Basta's army lost approximately 1,000 men in the battle.
The defeat of Michael put an end to his rule in Transylvania. After being soon expelled from Wallachia by the Polish troops led by Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz was a famous Lithuanian military commander and one of the most prominent noblemen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Biography:...
, Michael went to Prague to win Rudolf's favour once again. After succeeding to do so, he was sent back to Transylvania by Rudolf in 1601. Basta and Michael defeated together prince Sigismund Báthory
Sigismund Báthory
Sigismund Báthory was Prince of Transylvania.-Biography:Hailing from the Báthory family's Somlyó branch, he was the son of Christopher Báthory, Voivod of Transylvania, and nephew of Stephen Báthory, King of Poland...
at Goroszló, however, Basta had him assassinated on August 9, 1601.
As he was already the prince of Wallachia and Moldavia, his election prince of Transylvania is regarded by Romanian historiography as a very important moment of Romanian history, being the first occasion that all three territories which had a Romanian population came under a single ruler. Romanian historiography asserts that it was Michael's goal to unite the three provinces inhabited by Romanians.
Hungarian historiography regards his election prince of Transylvania as an episode in the anarchic years of the Long War
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
fought by the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
which did not have national character in the modern sense of the term. In Transylvania, these years were characterized by fierce political struggle and intrigues between different factions of Hungarian nobility, ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and Saxons forming the Union of Three Nations. This struggle was combined with the military and political interference into Transylvanian affairs by the rivaling Habsburg and Ottoman Empires supporting from time to time one faction or another. The years of the Long War
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
had a devastating effect on Transylvania which took an end only by the rule of prince István Bocskay in 1604.