The military of Wallachia existed throughout the history of the country. Starting from its founding to 1860, when it was united with the Moldavian army into what would become the Romanian Army. [1]
The army mainly consisted of light cavalry which was used in hit-and-run tactics, though various other units existed as well. [2] [3] Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the army was mostly formed from mercenary units. [4] In 1830, following the Organic Regulation, the standing army of Wallachia was created. [5] [6]
The Wallachian fleet used riverboats of various sizes between the 15th and 17th centuries. In 1794, a small flotilla was created with the approval of The Porte. [7] After the regulations of 1830, a military flotilla was created as well. [8] The Wallachian flotilla was merged with the Moldavian one in 1860, forming the Danube Flotilla Corps, the precursor of the Romanian Naval Forces. [9]
Before the formation of a Wallachian state, some Romanian leaders controlled lands south of the Carpathians. During the Mongol invasion of Europe, two such leaders, Bezerenbam and Mișelav, fought against the invading Mongol armies. Bezerenbam's army was defeated in the Ilaut Country, while Mișelav's army was defeated by Budjek. [10]
In 1277, the Wallachian voivode Litovoi, first mentioned in the Diploma of the Joannites, fought against the Hungarians over the lands claimed by the Hungarian crown. Litovoi was killed in the battle, and his brother, Bărbat, was captured and forced to pay a ransom and recognize Hungarian rule. [11]
One of the first military actions after the founding of Wallachia was the Battle of Velbazhd in 1330. There, an army led by Basarab I fought alongside the Bulgarians. The battle ended in a defeat. [12]
In the same year, Wallachia was invaded by Charles I of Hungary who was seeking to recapture the "marginal lands" held by Basarab. [13] The Hungarian royal army captured Severin in September, appointing Dionysius Széchy as Ban. Due to the poor supplies of Charles' army, he was compelled to sign an armistice and retreat from Wallachia. [14] His army was ambushed by Basarab in a mountain valley on 9 November. According to historian Constantin Rezachevici , in the first phase of the battle which lasted two days, the Hungarian army was stopped in the valley and attacked with ranged weapons. The last two days of battle were primarily fought in melee combat, which marked the character of the battle. [15] While portrayed only as peasants armed with bows and rocks in the Illuminated Chronicle, the Wallachian army of Basarab was just as well equipped as the King's army as noted by Stephen, the son of the Cuman Ispán Parabuh. [16]
Wars with Hungary continued during the reign of Vladislav Vlaicu, with Vlaicu defeating an army led by Nicholas Lackfi in the autumn of 1368, though he later submitted to Louis I. [17] For a battle against the Hungarians, Radu I prepared his army with armour from Venice as described in Cronaca Carrarese by Galeazzo and Bartolomeo Gatari. His army was however defeated in the clash according to the chronicle. [18]
During the reign of Mircea the Elder, Wallachia first faced the Ottomans. A victory was achieved at the Battle of Rovine, [19] and Mircea also participated in the Battle of Nicopolis. [20] In 1430, a document issued by King Sigismund of Luxembourg mentioned that Wallachia and Moldavia could raise an army of 10,000 pancerati, [21] [a] and in 1448 a contingent of 4,000 archers led by the Voivode participated in the Battle of Kosovo. [23]
Due to the constant internal and external conflicts, Vlad Dracula organized a small army of 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers composed of small land owners, boyars, courtiers, and a hired personal guard of trabants from Transylvania. Vlad also made use of artillery, which was likely operated by foreign mercenaries. [24] [25]
With this army, Vlad campaigned against the Transylvanian Saxons who supported his rivals. [26] He also defeated an Ottoman army led by Hamza Bey in 1460. [27] In 1462, Vlad launched a campaign south of the Danube. Dividing his army into six columns, he attacked strategic settlements near the river. Vlad led the army heading towards Nicopolis. [28] During this offensive, he utilized culverins in his attack on Svishtov, [29] and also destroyed a number of 50 Ottoman ships. [30] During the night attack on Mehmet's camp near Târgoviște in 1462, the Voivode's army took heavy losses. [26]
The large host (oastea cea mare) was an army that consisted of peasants and city dwellers. The number of soldiers in this army could reach 30 to 40,000. Once the Prince ordered the call to arms, special envoys were dispatched to the territory to deliver the message. Territorial governors (vornici de județ and vornici de târg ) then passed the call to arms to villages and towns. In an Ottoman document from 1521, it is specified that this mobilization took at least 20 days. [24]
The first documented mention of the large host comes from the reign of Mircea the Elder in 1408 when the Voivode granted a village to the abbot of the Snagov Monastery, who was exempt from all taxes but not from service in the large host. Vlad the Impaler tried to raise this army in the summer of 1462, during Mehmet's invasion. Due to the relatively short time, Vlad failed to form the army and only relied on his small host. From the first half of the 16th century, this army was no longer raised. The last mention of the large host comes from Vlad Înecatul, who mentioned that villagers were still required to serve in this army. After this mention, the large host never appeared in any documents or other sources. [24]
During his four reigns as Voivode between 1522 and 1529, Radu of Afumați fought in 20 battles with Ottoman-supported pretenders to the throne such as Vladislav III and Mehmed Bey. [31] He won an important victory against Mehmed Bey at Grumazi. Forced out of the country in a new campaign launched by Mehmed, Radu gained support from John Zápolya, the Voivode of Transylvania, and defeated the pretender in the autumn of 1522. [32]
The army of Radu Paisie participated in the Ottoman expedition in Hungary under the command of Ban Șerban of Izvorani. In 1538, the Voivode himself led a 3,000-strong army in support of the invasion of Moldavia against Petru Rareș. [33] To better equip his army with cannons for an upcoming anti-Ottoman offensive, Voivode Petru Cercel established a bronze cannon foundry in Târgoviște. [34] The foundry, organized with the help of Venetian craftsmen, [35] functioned until the end of his reign. [36]
Voivode Michael the Brave carried out several successful campaigns. In 1594, he captured several Turkish forts along the Danube and won at the Battle of Călugăreni a year later. With new support from Transylvania, Michael launched another offensive against the Ottomans in the summer of 1595, continuing with his attacks as far as Adrianopole. His anti-Ottoman campaigns lasted until 1599. After the peace with the Ottomans, Michael then attacked Transylvania and disposed of Andrew Báthory following the Battle of Șelimbăr. [37] [38] His last victory came at the Battle of Guruslău against Sigismund Báthory in 1601. [37]
Besides the local troops of Roșii, Călărași, and Dorobanți, Michael's armies were composed of various mercenaries including Cossacks, Székelys, Serbs, Moldavians, and Germans. [39] Over the course of his reign their number increased, and by 1598 there were over 13,000 mercenaries. [40]
During the time of Leon Tomșa, there were 10,000 horsemen and 2,000 footmen in the Wallachian army, as the Voivode recounted to Paul Strassburg, a secret counselor of King Gustav II Adolph. [41] Prince Matei Basarab increased the number of soldiers in his army. The army, divided into Roșii, servants (Dorobanți and Călărași), and mercenaries reached around 40,000 soldiers. In 1646, Matei Basarab hired additional mercenaries, the Serbian Seimeni. With this army and with his Polish allies, he defeated Vasile Lupu at the Battle of Finta. [42]
As the Seimeni did not receive their pay after the battle, they began revolting against the Voivode. Initially, the revolt was stopped with the threat of invasion from George II Rákóczi. Due to the cost of maintaining the army, the new Prince, Constantin Șerban, disbanded the Seimeni in 1655. After this action, the uprising started again, this time the Seimeni being joined by the Dorobanți and some Roșii, and was aimed towards the boyars. The rebelling army reached a number of 20,000 soldiers and 30 cannons. They plundered churches, monasteries, and boyar estates, killing 32 boyars in the process. With help from Rákóczi, the rebel army led by Hrizea of Bogdănei was defeated in battle at Șoplea after the betrayal of some rebel commanders who joined forces with the Prince. The remnants of the Seimeni were further defeated at Târgul Bengăi. The uprising, although subsided, continued until 1657. [42]
As an Ottoman vassal, Prince Șerban Cantacuzino was required to participate in the siege of Vienna in 1683. The 4,000 strong army raised by the Prince was given auxiliary tasks, such as building bridges, as the Ottomans did not have much faith in them. Since Cantacuzino had secretly allied himself with the Holy League, the troops under his command were ordered to sabotage the Ottoman siege works and left the battlefield soon after Sobieski's attack without taking part in the battle. [43]
In 1711, Constantin Brâncoveanu prepared his army near the Moldavian border and waited for the Russian army. Due to the Voivode's hesitations, Spătar Toma Cantacuzino left with eight cavalry regiments to join with the Russians on 22 June. The Wallachian cavalry led by Toma took part in the siege of Brăila together with a Russian detachment led by General Carl Ewald von Rönne, an event which would lead to Brâncoveanu's arrest and execution. [44] [45]
After the establishment of the Phanariot rule, the armies of Wallachia and Moldavia continued their service. Like a century prior, the Wallachian army was mainly made up of mercenaries. [4] A total number of 27 different types of troops existed throughout the century. Their equipment and uniforms varied between each troop type. Though the boyars who led them were not trained at military academies, they studied the military tactics of their time and instructed their troops accordingly. [46] While the Phanariot armies carried out their tasks well during peacetime, such as guarding the Princely Courts, borders, and towns, and ensuring public order; during wartime, the efficiency of these armies was limited due to the poor training of the troops, lack of equipment, and the lack of a well-trained officer corps. Some victories were however achieved. [47]
During the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739, an army led by Spătar Ioan Nicolae Mavrocordat, Constantin Mavrocordat's brother, together with an Ottoman detachment defeated the Austrian troops in the Argeș and Muscel counties in September 1737. On 18 October, the Austrian vanguard of 5,000 Hungarian Hussars and 300 Germans was attacked and destroyed at Pitești, forcing the main army corps to retreat towards Oltenia. The Wallachian army continued the offensive and further defeated a 10,000-strong Imperial army at Râmnicu Vâlcea in November. By December 1737, all of Oltenia was under Wallachian control. The next year, an Austrian attack was repelled at Cozia and the troops under Constantin Mavrocordat forced a Russian army to retreat to Transylvania. [48] Other victories were registered against the Austrians along the Wallachian border by the army of Nicolae Mavrogheni in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) before the allied victory at the Battle of Focșani. [49]
The Wallachian soldiers mainly wore green and blue colored uniforms, with red being reserved for nobles, though eventually red was adopted by officers and certain troops as well. Yellow uniforms were sometimes worn by officers, while white ones were worn by the Princely Court guards. Other troops might have worn uniforms in multiple colors. Some irregular troops like the potecași wore peasant clothes. [50]
During the Russian occupation of the Danubian Principalities from 1829 to 1834, the Wallachian army was modernized. Under the supervision of Russian General Pavel Kiseleff, a Wallachian standing army was created. In April 1830, a committee composed of General Starov, Lieutenant Alexandru Ghica, Colonel Ment, and Lieutenant-colonel Ion Odobescu was formed. [5]
According to the drafted law, the Wallachian army was to be organized into 6 infantry battalions and 6 cavalry squadrons. The core of this army were the Pandurs, which formed six battalions. Around June 1830, it was announced that the new army would have 6 cavalry squadrons, and 3 regiments (the 1st , 2nd and 3rd line infantry regiments), each with 2 infantry battalions. [5] The previous Wallachian units were disbanded and the soldiers were instead transferred to the Dorobanți units which would ensure the internal guard of the country. [6]
The commander of the "militia" (army) was Spătar Alexandru Ghica, while the officer corps was made up of boyars and sons of boyars. The regimental commanders, appointed in July 1830, were Colonel Emanuel Băleanu and Major I. Solomon. Alexandru Ghica's brother, Costache, became the inspector of the cavalry. The reception of certain Pandur chiefs, like Christian Tell, as officers in the army caused some displeasure among the boyars. [5]
In 1843, with the occasion of a visit to Constantinople and advised by Lieutenant Ion Emanuel Florescu, Prince Gheorghe Bibescu requested and received four cannons for equipping the Wallachian army. The 4-pounder cannons, similar to the Gribeauval system, entered service with the first modern artillery battery of Wallachia on 10 November 1843. Another eight artillery pieces were received in 1849 and by 1850 these were organized in two batteries of six guns each. [51] [52] The two batteries participated in the battles against the Ottomans during the Crimean War, being confiscated by the Russians to avoid capture after their retreat from the Principality. The artillery was returned after the unification with Moldavia. [53]
During the 1848 revolution, as the Ottoman army led by Omar Pasha and Fuat Pasha crossed into Wallachia, an armed resistance began to be organized. Military units of the army were rallied at the Râureni camp by Gheorghe Magheru. Due to the poor economic conditions which did not allow the resistance to properly arm itself, and due to the hesitation of some revolution leaders, these troops never entered combat with the Ottomans. [54]
On 24 September, the Ottomans set up their camp at Cotroceni, being faced by several thousand peasants who tried to defend Bucharest. After arresting the revolution leaders, the Ottoman army began marching towards the city on 25 September, dividing their forces in three columns. The first column, led by Mehmed Pasha, passed through Văcărești. The larger second column, led by Fuat and Omar Pasha, forced their entry through the barrier at Beilic Bridge (Calea Șerban Vodă). The peasants tried to stop the advance of the Ottoman column, however, due to the lack of weapons they were defeated by the Turkish cavalry with hundreds of peasants being killed in the fight. [54]
The third Ottoman column, led by Kerim Pasha advanced along Calea Pandurilor, heading to the barracks on Dealul Spirii. Despite being ordered not to do so, Captain Pavel Zăgănescu prepared the fire company for armed resistance. At the same time, Colonel Radu Golescu with the 2nd Line Infantry Regiment and the 7th Company of the 1st Line Infantry Regiment, [55] refused to hand over the barracks to the Ottomans. In the ensuing battle , the Wallachain soldiers managed to hold their lines. To try and break them, the Ottomans used their cannons, causing casualties among the defenders. The firemen rushed the two pieces of artillery and managed to turn them on the Ottomans. Due to the intervention of an Ottoman cavalry squadron, however, the Wallachians were pushed back. Seeing the determined defense of their opponents, the Ottomans went on to negotiate with them. In exchange for laying down their weapons, they were to be guaranteed safe exit from the barracks, however, once a group of unarmed soldiers left the barracks the Turks opened fire. Eventually, the barracks were captured, and the rest of the city was pacified as well. [54]
In June 1853, Russian troops crossed into the two Danubian Principalities and occupied them without declaring war on the Ottoman Empire. The Russian administration decided to incorporate the Wallachian and Moldavian troops into the Imperial Russian Army. At the same time, volunteer detachments were formed to fight against the Ottomans. [56] Due to the entry of the United Kingdom and France into the war on the side of the Ottomans, the Russians were forced to retreat from the Principalities. [57]
Following the Boiagi-Kioi agreement from 14 July 1854, the Principalities were to come under a joint Austrian-Ottoman occupation. An Ottoman and an Austrian brigade were to be stationed in Bucharest, and General Johann Baptist Coronini-Cronberg was named commander of the occupation troops. The occupation lasted until 1857. [57]
The strategies used by Wallachia, as in Moldavia, were mostly defensive in nature. In order to disrupt an enemy's advance in the country, the population was often required to retreat to the wooded or mountainous regions, while the army engaged in hit-and-run tactics and avoided direct confrontations. This was done to delay the advance of an army and to try and lure the enemy into more defensible places like marshes, wooded areas, or mountain passes. [2]
The equipment and weapons of the Wallachian soldiers during the Middle Ages were Western-like with melee weapons like lances, swords, and maces. Later, with the influence of the Ottoman Empire, eastern style sabers were adopted. Ranged weapons used were bows and crossbows. The bows were made of hazel, hornbeam, ash or elm wood and their string was made of flax, hemp, or bowels. According to historian Radu Rosetti, the Wallachian archers could shoot about 10-12 arrows per minute, up to a distance of 220 m (720 ft). The use of guns in Wallachia was first mentioned in the mid-15th century when Vlad Dracul used two bombards during the siege of Giurgiu in 1445 as part of the Burgundian crusade led by Walerand de Wavrin. [2] A prior mention from 1432 of the purchase of firearms from Brașov also exists, while archeological evidence suggests that the first guns of Wallachia date to the rule of Mircea the Elder. [52] The use of wagon forts by Wallachia was first noted during the battle of Râmnicu Sărat in November 1473, when Radu the Handsome used one against the army of Stephen the Great of Moldavia. After the battle, the Moldavians captured this fort. [58]
Like Moldavia, Wallachia predominantly used light cavalry, therefore they were lightly equipped with their defensive equipment mainly consisting of a shield of different shapes (round, triangular, or winged). [3] Gambesons and mail armour were also used. [59] The viteji and the boyars, could be equipped with heavier equipment including plate armour. For example, according to the Italian chronicle "Cronaca Carrarese", Radu I of Wallachia acquired a number of 10,000 suits of armour from the Republic of Venice around the year 1377. [16] [18] In a document issued by John Zápolya to the Saxons of Brașov regarding a ban imposed by the King on the arms trade with Wallachia in 1522, it is detailed that the Saxons were bringing many weapons and armour to Transylvania from Hungary, and then selling them to Wallachia. [60]
From the Middle Ages through the early modern period, the soldiers (voinici) of the Wallachian army were organized in three types of military units: [61]
The Wallachian Army used various units between the 14th and the 19th centuries:
The first mention of Wallachia's use of ships for military operations comes from Jean de Wavrin, who wrote about the 1445 Burgundian expedition in Wallachia. During this expedition led by Walerand de Wavrin, the Wallachain Voivode Vlad Dracul offered to guide the Burgundian fleet on the Danube. A number of 40 or 50 monoxyles with 500 soldiers were sent to aid the eight crusader galleys. [72] These kinds of boats might have also been used by Vlad the Impaler during his 1462 campaign south of the Danube. [25]
During the reign of Michael the Brave, the voivode constructed șăici of various sizes to arm his fleet. These were used to harass Ottoman commercial ships on the river. According to Turkish chronicler Mustafa Selaniki, in 1596 the Wallachians used some 200 șăici to transport an army of over 2,000 soldiers and attack Ottoman positions in the Babadag region. In 1598, these ships were also used to carry out an attack on Vidin, transporting soldiers, horses, artillery, and ammunition. The șaica along with other boats was further used in the attack against Nicopolis. [73]
Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu also encouraged naval construction. During his reign, the so-called Brâncovean caïques were built. These caïques were similar to galleys, being crewed by 28 oarsmen, one or two gunners, a helmsman, and a commander, and could transport up to 100 soldiers. [74]
In 1793, Alexander Mourouzis obtained the approval of The Porte to build a small flotilla of "bolozane, șăici, caïques, and other vessels, to carry out the emperor's orders". For this, he issued the "Hrisov for the country's ships, which are to sail on the waters of the Danube" (Hrisov pentru corăbiile țărei, ce sunt a umbla pe apa Dunărei). In 1794, 5 large sailing ships and 16 smaller vessels were built, followed by two gunboats a year later. [7]
With the establishment of the regular armies of Wallachia and Moldavia, each state created a flotilla of 26 row boats. The Wallachian boats were constructed in Giurgiu. These were crewed by army soldiers and tasked with patrolling the port areas. Between 1844 and 1845, the river police corps was equipped with three gunboats built in Austria and with another 42 boats. Of the three, one was armed with two 3-pounder guns and two 1-pounder guns, and the other two were armed with one 3-pounder. The gunboats patrolled the ports of Brăila, Giurgiu, and Calafat. In 1851, another gunboat was purchased. [8]
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Muntenia and Oltenia. Dobruja could sometimes be considered a third section due to its proximity and brief rule over it. Wallachia as a whole is sometimes referred to as Muntenia through identification with the larger of the two traditional sections.
Basarab I, also known as Basarab the Founder, was a voivode and later the first independent ruler of Wallachia who lived in the first half of the 14th century. Many details of his life are uncertain. According to two popular theories, Basarab either came into power between 1304 and 1324 by dethroning or peacefully succeeding the legendary founder of Wallachia, Radu Negru, or in 1310 by succeeding his father, Thocomerius.
Stephen III, commonly known as Stephen the Great ; died 2 July 1504), was Voivode of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 in a conspiracy organized by his brother and Stephen's uncle Peter III Aaron, who took the throne. Stephen fled to Hungary, and later to Wallachia; with the support of Vlad III Țepeș, Voivode of Wallachia, he returned to Moldavia, forcing Aaron to seek refuge in Poland in the summer of 1457. Teoctist I, Metropolitan of Moldavia, anointed Stephen prince. He attacked Poland and prevented Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, from supporting Peter Aaron, but eventually acknowledged Casimir's suzerainty in 1459.
Radu III of Wallachia, commonly called Radu the Handsome, Radu the Fair, or Radu the Beautiful, was the younger brother of Vlad the Impaler and prince of the principality of Wallachia. They were both sons of Vlad II Dracul and his wife, Princess Cneajna of Moldavia. In addition to Vlad III, Radu also had two older siblings, Mircea II and Vlad Călugărul, both of whom would also briefly rule Wallachia. In 1462, he defeated his brother, Vlad III, alongside Ottoman Empire sultan Mehmed II, with whom Radu had an intimate relationship.
Vlad II, also known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Dragon, was Voivode of Wallachia from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447. He is internationally known as the father of Vlad the Impaler, or Dracula. Born an illegitimate son of Mircea I of Wallachia, he spent his youth at the court of Sigismund of Luxembourg, who made him a member of the Order of the Dragon in 1431. Sigismund also recognized him as the lawful Voivode of Wallachia, allowing him to settle in nearby Transylvania. Vlad could not assert his claim during the life of his half-brother, Alexander I Aldea, who acknowledged the suzerainty of the Ottoman Sultan, Murad II.
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.
Dan II cel Viteaz was a voivode of the principality of Wallachia, ruling an extraordinary five times, and succeeded four times by Radu II Chelul, his rival for the throne. Of those five periods on the throne of Wallachia, four were within a period of only seven years.
Basarab IV cel Tânăr, also known as Țepeluș, son of Basarab II, and grandson of Dan II (1422-1431) was 4 times the voivode of the principality of Wallachia between 1474 and 1482: from Oct to Dec 1474, from Jan 1478 to June 1480, from Nov 1480 to before July 1481, and again from Aug 1481 to July 1482.
The House of Cantacuzino is a Romanian aristocratic family of Greek origin. The family gave a number of princes to Wallachia and Moldavia, and it claimed descent from a branch of the Byzantine Kantakouzenos family, specifically from Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. After the Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–11, a lateral branch of the family settled in Russia, receiving the princely status. In 1944, Prince Ștefan Cantacuzino settled in Sweden, where his descendants form part of the unintroduced nobility of that country.
Michael the Brave, born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia, Prince of Moldavia (1600) and de facto ruler of Transylvania (1599–1600). He is considered one of Romania's greatest national heroes. Since the 19th century, Michael the Brave has been regarded by Romanian nationalists as a symbol of Romanian unity, as his reign marked the first time all principalities inhabited by Romanians were under the same ruler.
The Battle of Vaslui was fought on 10 January 1475, between Stephen III of Moldavia and the Ottoman governor of Rumelia, Hadım Suleiman Pasha. The battle took place at Podul Înalt, near the town of Vaslui, in Moldavia. The Ottoman troops numbered up to 30,000 or 120,000, facing about 40,000 Moldavian troops, plus smaller numbers of allied and mercenary troops.
The early modern times in Romania started after the death of Michael the Brave, who ruled in a personal union, Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia – three principalities in the lands that now form Romania – for three months, in 1600. The three principalities were subjected to the Ottoman Empire, and paid a yearly tribute to the Ottoman Sultans, but they preserved their internal autonomy. In contrast, Dobruja and the Banat were fully incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.
Pârvu III Cantacuzino, also known as Pârvul, Părvul, Purvul or Pîrvu Cantacuzino, was a high-ranking Wallachian statesman who served intermittently as Spatharios and Ban of Oltenia, primarily known as the leader of an anti-Ottoman rebellion. Holding sway over a Russophile faction within the Wallachian boyardom, he briefly served as an officer in Russia's Imperial Army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. Pârvu was a member of the Cantacuzino family, which made him a descendant of several Wallachian Princes, and was joined in all of his political and military actions by his younger brothers, the Vistier Mihai and Clucer Răducanu Cantacuzino.
The House of Drăculești were one of two major rival lines of Wallachian voivodes of the House of Basarab, the other being the House of Dănești. These lines were in constant contest for the throne from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. Descendants of the line of Drăculești would eventually come to dominate the principality, until its common rule with Transylvania and Moldavia by Mihai Viteazul in 1600.
Radu of Afumați was Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between January 1522 and January 1529. He began his reign with a victory against Mehmed-Bey, a pretender to Wallachia's throne. From 1522 to 1525 he battled the Turks, who supported Vladislav III and Radu Bădica, both claimants of the throne. The inscription on his tombstone lists 20 battles. He was killed by decapitation on 2 January 1529 near Râmnicu Vâlcea, at Cetățuia Church. He was later buried in the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral.
Leon Tomșa, also known as Leon Vodă or Alion, was the Prince of Wallachia from October 1629 to July 1632. He claimed to be a son of Ștefan IX Tomșa, and as such a Moldavian, but was generally identified as a Greek of lowly origins, and reportedly an oyster-monger. He was imposed on the throne by the Ottoman Empire, one of a line of Princes who were primarily subservient to Ottoman power. In his first year, he also supported the political ascendancy of Greeks and Levantines, many of whom made their way into Wallachia's traditional aristocracy, or boyardom. This upset the local boyars, who were further alienated and impoverished by Leon's fiscal policies, which in turn reflected Ottoman demands for tribute. The regime was threatened by an Oltenia-centered rebellion, initially led by Ban Aslan, and later by Matei Basarab. Though often depicted as an anti-Greek movement, it had Greeks and Romanians fighting on either side.
Hrizea of Bogdănei, also rendered as Hrizică, sometimes Hrizea-Vodă, was a Wallachian boyar and rebel leader, who proclaimed himself reigning prince in 1655. After rising to high office under his relative, Prince Matei Basarab, he was reconfirmed by Constantin Șerban. He alternated the offices of Spatharios, in charge of the Wallachian military forces, and Paharnic, before being won over by the rebellious Seimeni mercenaries. He issued a claim to the throne in Târgoviște, but controlled only part of the country, and had his seat at Gherghița. In summer 1655, his army was defeated, at Șoplea, by Wallachian loyalist troops, supported by Transylvanians and Moldavians.
Diicul or Dicul Buicescul, also known as Diicu Buicescu and Diicu din Epotești, was a Wallachian statesman, noted as the designated heir of Prince Matei Basarab. A commoner on his father's side, he belonged to the boyardom of Oltenia through his mother's family. His political rise began when Matei, his maternal relative, seized the throne. Diicul alternated civilian offices and command postings in the Wallachian military forces, culminating with his appointment as Spatharios in January 1645. His main military involvement came during the wars opposing Wallachia and the Principality of Transylvania to Vasile Lupu's Moldavia. He saw action during the 1650 invasion of Moldavia, resulting in Gheorghe Ștefan's appointment as the puppet Moldavian Prince. In 1653 Buicescul was soundly defeated by Lupu and his Cossack allies, whose invasion of Wallachia was only overturned by Prince Matei's stand at Finta.
The Paharnic was a historical Romanian rank, one of the non-hereditary positions ascribed to the boyar aristocracy in Moldavia and Wallachia. It was the local equivalent of a cup-bearer or cześnik, originally centered on pouring and obtaining wine for the court of Moldavian and Wallachian Princes. With time, it became a major administrative office and, in Wallachia, also had a lesser military function. The retinue of such boyars, usually called Păhărnicei, was in both countries also a private army.