Battle of Guruslău

The Battle of Guruslău or Battle of Goroszló (Hungarian: goroszlói csata) was fought on 3 August 1601, between the troops of the Habsburg Monarchy led by Giorgio Basta, the Cossacks and Wallachia led by Michael the Brave on one side and the Transylvanian troops led by Sigismund Báthory on the other side. It was part of a series of military encounters between the Ottoman Empire and opposing European states during 1591–1606 (see also The Long War).

Battle of Guruslău
Part of Long War (Ottoman wars)

Center: Discordia, holding some of the 110 flags captured by Michael and Basta (left: Moldavia, right: Odorhei, center: Báthory's flag). Right: Transylvanian prisoners sitting under a round shield with Transylvanian symbols: a hand, a bird, a donkey, a sheep. Left: Diana, holding a spear with the imperial twin-headed eagle, under the Capricorn, Emperor Rudolph IInd's astrological sign. By Hans von Aachen, 1603–1604
Date3 August 1601
Location
Goroszló, Principality of Transylvania (today Guruslău, as part of Hereclean, Romania)
47°15′N 23°01′E
Result Wallachian-Austrian victory, Transylvania is taken out from the Ottoman suzerainty
Belligerents
 Wallachia
 Habsburg Monarchy
Cossacks		 Principality of Transylvania
 Moldavia
Commanders and leaders
Michael the Brave
Giorgio Basta		 Sigismund Báthory

Background

Michael asked for assistance from Emperor Rudolf II during a visit in Prague between 23 February and 5 March 1601, which was granted when the emperor heard that General Giorgio Basta had lost control of Transylvania to the Transylvanian Hungarian nobility led by Sigismund Báthory, who accepted Ottoman protection. Meanwhile, Wallachian forces loyal to Michael and led by his son, Nicolae Pătraşcu, drove out Simion Movilă from Moldavia and prepared to re-enter Transylvania.[1]

Battle

The battle was carried out by two armies, those of Michael the Brave (Wallachians and Cossacks) together with Giorgio Basta, on one side and those of Sigismund Báthory on the other side. The battle happened between nine and seven o'clock on 3 August 1601. The Battle of Guruslău took place in the plain of the river Guruslău, a small right tributary of the Zalău.[2]

Legacy

A monument was built to commemorate the victory of Michael the Brave.[3]

Notes
  1. Dinu C. Giurescu, Stephen Fischer-Galaţi. Romania, p.141. East European Monographs, 1998. pp. 201–205
  2. Constantin C. Giurescu, Istoria Românilor, 1943
  3. (in English) Guruslau, Monument Mihai Viteazul
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.