Night attack at Târgoviște facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Night attack at Târgoviște
Part of the Wallachian campaign and the Ottoman–Wallachian wars
The Battle With Torches by Romanian painter Theodor Aman (1866)
Date 17 June 1462 Location present-day Târgoviște, Romania Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
Wallachia	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Vlad III Țepeș	Mehmed II
Strength
30,000	Contemporary estimates vary from 90,000 to 300,000; 150,000 according to Mehmed II himself
Casualties and losses
5,000	10,000–15,000

The night attack at Târgoviște was a famous battle fought on June 17, 1462. It was between the forces of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia and Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. This event was part of a larger conflict between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire.

The battle happened after Sultan Mehmed II found out that Vlad was allied with Hungary. Mehmed ordered his forces to ambush Vlad, but Vlad discovered the plan and attacked first. He even invaded Bulgaria. In response, Mehmed gathered a huge army to conquer Wallachia. The two leaders had several smaller fights. The most well-known was when Vlad attacked the Turkish camp at night, trying to kill Sultan Mehmed.

The assassination attempt failed. Mehmed then marched to Wallachia's capital, Târgoviște. There, he found a shocking sight: thousands of dead Ottoman soldiers on stakes. This was a message from Vlad. After leaving the capital, Mehmed's forces burned the city of Brăila before going back home. They took many captured people, horses, and cattle with them.

Why the War Started

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II wanted to expand his empire. He aimed to control the Danube river, which was important for trade and military movements. Meanwhile, Pope Pius II called for a new crusade against the Ottomans in 1459. Only Vlad Țepeș showed real interest in joining this crusade.

Vlad Țepeș had tense relations with Mehmed II. Vlad had not paid his annual tax (called jizya) to the Ottomans since 1459. Mehmed also demanded 1,000 young boys to be trained as janissaries, who were elite Ottoman soldiers. Vlad refused both demands. When Turkish forces tried to recruit boys themselves, Vlad captured and killed them.

In late 1461, Vlad told Mehmed he couldn't pay the tax because of his wars. He also couldn't leave Wallachia. However, Mehmed learned that Vlad was secretly allied with the Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus. Mehmed sent a commander named Hamza Pasha to trick Vlad into a meeting and capture him.

Vlad found out about the ambush. He set his own trap for Hamza Pasha near Giurgiu. Vlad's soldiers surrounded Hamza's 1,000 cavalry and killed them all. Vlad even disguised himself as a Turk to enter and destroy the Giurgiu fortress. After this, Vlad launched a campaign into Bulgaria, crossing the frozen Danube. His army covered a huge distance, killing over 23,000 Turks. Christian Bulgarians were spared and some moved to Wallachia.

When Sultan Mehmed heard about Vlad's attacks, he was very angry. He was busy fighting elsewhere, but he sent an army to destroy the Wallachian port of Brăila. Vlad turned back and defeated this army. News of Vlad's success spread across Europe, making him a hero to many. People in Italian states, the Pope, and even a pilgrim in Rhodes celebrated his victories. Many Turks became afraid of Vlad and moved away from the European parts of the Ottoman Empire. Mehmed then decided to lead a massive army against Vlad himself.

Getting Ready for Battle

The Ottoman Army

Sultan Mehmed II, painted by Gentile Bellini

Sultan Mehmed II gathered a huge army, perhaps as large as the one he used to conquer Constantinople. He himself said he had 150,000 men. Other historians estimated his forces to be even larger, up to 300,000 or 400,000. This army included many different types of soldiers:

• Janissaries: Elite foot soldiers.
• Sipâhis: Cavalry (horseback) soldiers.
• Akinji: Light cavalry and archers.
• Azabs: Pikemen (soldiers with long spears).
• Beshlis: Soldiers who used firearms.
• Saiales: Special units of slaves who could earn freedom if they survived.

Vlad's half-brother, Radu the Handsome, who served the Sultan, led 4,000 horsemen. The Ottomans also brought 120 cannons, engineers to build roads and bridges, religious leaders, astrologers, and even women. They used a large fleet of 25 large ships and 150 smaller ones to transport the army across the Danube.

The Wallachian Army

Vlad's portrait at Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck

Vlad Țepeș asked the Hungarian king for help, but he received none. So, Vlad called for everyone in Wallachia to join his army. This included not just men of fighting age, but also women and children as young as twelve. Even enslaved Romani people were part of his forces.

Vlad's army was much smaller, estimated to be between 22,000 and 30,900 soldiers. Most of his army were peasants and shepherds. The noblemen (boyars) on horseback were few and wore chainmail armor. Vlad's personal guards were mercenaries from different countries and some Romani people. Before the battle, Vlad reportedly told his men that anyone who feared death should not follow him.

The Battle Begins

The Ottoman army first tried to land at Vidin but was pushed back by Wallachian archers. Later, some janissaries landed at Turnu Severin, but 300 of them were killed by Vlad's attacks. A janissary named Konstantin Mihailović described how they managed to cross the Danube under heavy fire from Vlad's army.

As the Ottomans advanced, Vlad Țepeș used a "scorched earth" tactic. This meant destroying everything useful in the path of the enemy. They poisoned water sources and created muddy areas to slow down the Ottomans. They also dug hidden pits covered with leaves to trap soldiers. The people and animals were moved to the mountains. For seven days, Mehmed's army struggled, finding no food, water, or people.

Vlad also used guerrilla tactics. His cavalry made quick "hit-and-run" attacks. He also used clever tactics, like sending people with certain illnesses into the Ottoman camp to spread sickness, which caused problems for the Ottoman army. The Ottoman navy tried to attack some ports, but Vlad had already destroyed most of them. Sultan Mehmed was impressed by a captured Wallachian soldier who refused to give information, saying, "if your master had many soldiers like yourself, in a short time he could conquer the world!"

The Turks continued towards Târgoviște after failing to capture other fortresses. On June 17, when the Turks camped south of the capital, Vlad Țepeș launched his famous night attack. He had about 7,000 to 10,000 horsemen. Some stories say Vlad even went into the Turkish camp disguised as a Turk to find the Sultan's tent.

The attack lasted for hours, causing great confusion in the Ottoman camp. The Wallachians used bugles and torches to add to the chaos. They launched several attacks, not just one. Vlad aimed for the Sultan's tent but mistakenly attacked the tents of two grand viziers (high-ranking officials). Some accounts say the Wallachians killed many Turks, while others say the losses were smaller. Many horses and camels were killed.

A Wallachian veteran later described the attack, saying Vlad caused a huge massacre without losing many of his own men. He left the enemy camp before dawn, and no one dared to follow him because of the terror he had caused. The veteran claimed the Sultan lost confidence and even tried to flee.

The janissaries pursued the Wallachians, killing about 1,000 to 2,000 of them. Overall, Wallachia lost about 5,000 men, while the Ottomans lost around 15,000. Even though the Sultan's army was discouraged, Mehmed decided to march on the capital.

When Mehmed's army reached Târgoviște, they found it empty with its gates wide open. As they marched into the city, they saw a shocking sight: a forest of stakes with thousands of dead Ottoman soldiers, a grim message from Vlad. This sight deeply impressed Mehmed, who reportedly said that a man who could do such things was truly formidable.

Mehmed ordered a deep trench dug around his camp for protection. The next day, the Turks retreated. A few days later, Vlad's cousin, Stephen III of Moldavia, tried to capture a town called Chilia. Vlad rushed there with 7,000 men and defended the town, even wounding Stephen with artillery fire. On June 29, the Sultan reached Brăila, which he burned down. He then sailed to Adrianople, arriving on July 11. The Turks celebrated their "Great victory" over Vlad Țepeș, taking many enslaved people, cattle, and horses back with them.

See also

• Ottoman wars in Europe