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

Date	3 August 1601
Location	Guruslău (Goroszló), Principality of Transylvania (today Guruslău, Hereclean, Romania) 47°15′N 23°01′E / 47.250°N 23.017°E / 47.250; 23.017Coordinates: 47°15′N 23°01′E / 47.250°N 23.017°E / 47.250; 23.017
Result	Austrian-Wallachian victory, Transylvania is taken out from the Ottoman suzerainty

Belligerents

Wallachia
Moldavia
Habsburg Empire

Cossacks

Principality of Transylvania

Commanders and leaders

Michael the Brave
Giorgio Basta

Sigismund Báthory

Long Turkish War

Sisak Veszprém Tata (1) Székesfehérvár (1) Romhány Banat Győr (1) Călugăreni Giurgiu Esztergom Brest Eger Keresztes Herzegovina Tata (2) Győr (2) Buda (1) Şelimbăr Kanizsa Mirăslău Guruslău Székesfehérvár (2) Braşov Buda (2)

The Battle of Guruslău (in Hungarian: Goroszló; Battle of Goroszló) was fought on 3 August 1601, between the troops of the Habsburg Empire 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 developed between the Ottoman Empire and opposing European states during 1591–1606 (see also The Long War).

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 the Ottoman Empire protection. Meanwhile, forces loyal to Michael in Wallachia 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 Guruslău River plain.^[2]

Gallery

Michael and Basta defeating the Hungarian nobility of Transylvania
Battle of Braşov (1603): Different flags captured in 1601 by Michael and Basta

External links

The representation of Guruslau battle: 3 August 1601

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of Guruslău.

↑ Dinu C. Giurescu, Stephen Fischer-Galaţi. Romania, p.141. East European Monographs, 1998. pp. 201-205
↑ Constantin C. Giurescu, Istoria Românilor, 1943