In the 14th century, with the decline of the neighboring imperial powers (the

Poles, the Hungarians, the Tartars), south and east of the Carpathian Mountains
range the autonomous feudal states were formed: Wallachia, under Basarab I
(around 1310) and Moldavia, under Bogdan I (around 1359). The Polish and
Hungarian kingdoms attempted in the 14-15th centuries to annex or subordinate
the two principalities, but they did not succeed.In the second half of the 14th
century a new threat against the Romanian lands emerged: the Ottoman Empire.
After first setting foot on European soil in 1354, the Ottoman Turks began their rapid
expansion on the continent, so the green banner of the Islam already flew south of
the Danube in 1396.Alone or in alliance with the neighbouring Christian countries,
more often in alliance with the neighbouring voivodes of the other two Romanian
principalities, the voivodes of Wallachia Mircea the Old (1386-1418) and Vlad the
Impeller (Dracula of the Mediaeval legends, 1456-1462), with Stephen the Great
and Holy (1457-1504), the voivode of Moldavia and Iancu of Hunedoara, the voivode
of Transylvania (1441-1456) fought heavy defence battles against the Ottoman
Turks, delaying their expansion to Central Europe.
The whole Balkan Peninsula became a Turkish-ruled territory, Constantinople
was captured by Mohammed II (1453), Suleiman the Magnificent captured the city
of Belgrade (1521), and the Hungarian kingdom disappeared following the battle of
Mohacs (1526). Therefore, Wallachia and Moldavia were surrounded and they had to
recognise for over three centuries the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire.After Buda
was captured and Hungary became a pashalik, Transylvania became a selfruling
principality (1541) and it, too, recognised the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, as
the other two Romanian lands. Unlike all the other peoples of south-east Europe,
unlike the Hungarians and the Poles, the Romanians were the only ones who
maintained their state entity during the Middle Ages, along with their own political,
military and administrative structures.
The tribute paid to the sultan was the guarantee for the preservation of
domestic autonomy, but also for the protection against more powerful enemies.
Wallachia and Moldavia, owing to their autonomy status, continued after the fall of
the Byzantine Empire to foster their Byzantine cultural traditions, taking at the same
time upon themselves to protect the Eastern Orthodox religion; on their territory,
scholars from all over the Balkan Peninsula, chased away by the intolerant Islam,

were able to continue their work without any obstacles; they prepared the cultural
revival of their nations.
The end of the 16th century was dominated by the personality of Michael the
Brave. He became voivode of Wallachia in 1593, joined the Christian League - an
anti-Ottoman coalition initiated by the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire and he
succeeded, following heavy battles (Calugareni, Giurgiu) to actually regain the
independence of his country. In 1599-1600 he united for the first time in history all
the territories inhabited by Romanians, proclaiming himself "prince of Wallachia,
Transylvania and the whole of Moldavia."The domestic situation was very complex,
the neighbouring great-powers - the Ottoman Empire, Poland, the Hapsburg Empire
- were hostile and joined forces to overthrow him; so this union was short-lived as
Michael the Brave was assassinated in 1601. The union achieved by the valiant
voivode became, however, a symbol to the posterity. In the 17th century, in various
forms and with evanescent success, other princes attempted to restart the
ambitious political program of Michael the Brave, by trying to form a united antiOttoman front, made-up of the three principalities and to restore the unity of
ancient Dacia.
The end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century brought about
changes in the politics of Central and Eastern Europe. The Ottoman Empire failed to
capture Vienna in 1683 and following that, the Hapsburg Empire began its
expansion to the south-east of Europe.
Many wars were fought by Austria and Russia against the Ottoman Empire
those battles took place on Romanian soil, always accompanied by a foreign military
occupation, which was often maintained long after the war proper was over