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BreadandWinePilled on scored.co
1 year ago5 points(+0/-0/+5Score on mirror)
Indeed. The Ottoman army borderline mutinied on the spot, refusing to step one inch further into "The Devil's Land" (rough translation). And who can blame them? They'd already been sabotaged, ambushed, attacked, and harassed from the moment they crossed the Danube into Wallachian territory, and the sight of some 20,000 of their comrades impaled on stakes was too much for even the Turks (who committed atrocities wherever they went) to bear.
However, after starting their retreat, the Ottomans were harried and hounded all the way back to the Danube by Vlad and the vengeful Wallachians. Night raids, ambushes, poisoned wells, burned bridges- the Ottomans had a hell of a time trying to escape, and their troubles were only worsened by the constant sacking of their supply trains which made starvation and imminent and constant danger.
Finally, just when they were about to cross back into (nominally) Turkish territory, the Ottomans were set upon by every fighting-age male left in Wallachia, led by Vlad himself. Sadly, Mehmed II escaped with his life and at least half of his army, but he lost the treasure wagons, several """holy""" Islamic relics, some of his concubines, most of his canons (a precious and costly resource in the late 15th century), and no small amount of dignity as he and his mighty horde fled with their tails between their legs.
Despite his tremendous victories over the Turks, however, his previous political policies had made Vlad too many domestic enemies, and combined with the anger of the farmers and peasants whose land was scorched and salted to prevent the Ottomans from using it, Vlad ended up being outsted by his Ottoman-sponsored younger brother. And so it was that Wallachia became an Ottoman vassal once again, and Vlad and his family were forced to seek refuge in Austria, where he remained for some twenty years.
When Vlad was in his mid-50s, however, his people finally grew sick of being ruled over by the Turks and his halfwit brother and decided to rebel, fomally inviting Vlad to return and resume his throne. Mere hours before they were set to depart with the von Hapsburgs' blessing, though, Vlad came down with a mysterious illness and died shortly afterwords. How convenient for the Hungarians and all of Vlad's enemies to trembled at the thought of him resuming his rightful throne.
However, after starting their retreat, the Ottomans were harried and hounded all the way back to the Danube by Vlad and the vengeful Wallachians. Night raids, ambushes, poisoned wells, burned bridges- the Ottomans had a hell of a time trying to escape, and their troubles were only worsened by the constant sacking of their supply trains which made starvation and imminent and constant danger.
Finally, just when they were about to cross back into (nominally) Turkish territory, the Ottomans were set upon by every fighting-age male left in Wallachia, led by Vlad himself. Sadly, Mehmed II escaped with his life and at least half of his army, but he lost the treasure wagons, several """holy""" Islamic relics, some of his concubines, most of his canons (a precious and costly resource in the late 15th century), and no small amount of dignity as he and his mighty horde fled with their tails between their legs.
Despite his tremendous victories over the Turks, however, his previous political policies had made Vlad too many domestic enemies, and combined with the anger of the farmers and peasants whose land was scorched and salted to prevent the Ottomans from using it, Vlad ended up being outsted by his Ottoman-sponsored younger brother. And so it was that Wallachia became an Ottoman vassal once again, and Vlad and his family were forced to seek refuge in Austria, where he remained for some twenty years.
When Vlad was in his mid-50s, however, his people finally grew sick of being ruled over by the Turks and his halfwit brother and decided to rebel, fomally inviting Vlad to return and resume his throne. Mere hours before they were set to depart with the von Hapsburgs' blessing, though, Vlad came down with a mysterious illness and died shortly afterwords. How convenient for the Hungarians and all of Vlad's enemies to trembled at the thought of him resuming his rightful throne.