Transylvanian defensive system and territorial changes on the Ottoman frontier in the first half of 17th century
Author(s)
Livia Magina
Date Issued
2025
Type
article
Volume
8
Start Page
41
End Page
52
Journal
Abstract
The Long Turkish war (1593-1606) was a devastating one for the western frontier of the Principality of Transylvania, especially for the small fortresses. The aftermath of this long conflict at the western border of Principality was really disruptive: the fortresses were in bad shape; their villages were emptied of inhabitants and a lot of fugitives take shelter near the fortifications. When the battles ended, a period of calm followed for about a decade after the peace of Zsitvatorok (1606). The Principality of Transylvania retained some territories won in the conflict, located in the Mures valley around Lipova. In the face of pressure from the Crescent, the prince Gabriel Bethlen ceded Lipova and the surrounding area to the Ottomans. Transylvania's involvement in the Thirty Years’ War changed the foreign policy of the principality, as the frontier with the Ottomans was relatively calm, marked only by minor clashes. In spite of a relatively well-structured defensive system, in the face of Ottoman pressure, and in order to be appointed prince, Akos Barcsay ceded Caransebeș, Lugoj and Ineu to the Turks in 1658, a major change that drastically altered the frontier in favour of the Ottomans. The occupation of Oradea in 1660 marked the collapse of the entire Transylvanian defensive system on the frontier with the Ottomans.
Subjects
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