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Revision as of 05:54, 7 September 2003 by Eloquence (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) (1558 - August 9 1601) was one of the most important Romanian voivodes, unifying for the first time the three Romanian voivodships.
In 1588 he became a ban of Mehedinti, then at the end of the 1588 stolnic (commissary) at the court of Mihnea Turcitul, and in 1593 Ban of Craiova during the time Wallachia was ruled by Alexandru cel Rau (Alexander the evil). In September 1593 with the help of the Ottomans, he became voivod of Wallachia, starting the effective ruling on October 11.
But it wouldn't take long to fight back against the Turks, the next year he adered to the "Holy League" Christian alliance against the Turks and signed treaties with Sigismund Bathory from Transylvania and Aron Voda in Moldavia. He started a campaign against the Turks in the autumn of 1594, setting the border on the Danube and conquering several citadels near the Danube, like Giurgiu, Cetatea de Floci, Harsova and Silistra.
In 1595, at Alba Iulia, Mihai Viteazul signs a treaty with Sigismund Bathory, Wallachia becoming the dependent of Transylvania, which will send help to fight the Turks.
On August 13 1595, at Calugareni, near the river of Neajlov, Mihai Viteazul defeats the Turkish army leaded by Sinan Pasha, then Mihai continued by liberating Targoviste, Bucharest and Braila.
The fights against the Turks continued in 1596, when Mihai Viteazul did several incursions South of Danube, Vidin, Plevna, Nicopole, Turnu and Babadag.
On October 18 1599 Mihai Viteazul obtained an important victory at Selimbar against the cardinal Andrei Bathory. Mihai Viteazul entered stately Alba Iulia with an impressive pomp, receiving the keys of the fortress from the bishop Napragy.
Next year, on May 8, the Romanian army under the command of Mihai, defeated the armies of Ieremia Movila and the Polish ones in Bacau, the Romanian nation was for the first time unified under one ruler, but this union did not last, since in 1601 Mihai was killed in Câmpia Turzii from the order of Habsburgic army leader Giorgio Basta.