Mircea II of Wallachia
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Mircea II (1427-1447) was a one time ruler of the principality of Wallachia, in the year 1442. He was the oldest son of Vlad II Dracul and brother of Vlad Tepes and Radu the Handsome. He was grandson of his namesake Mircea cel Bătrân.
[edit] Struggles for the throne of Wallachia
In 1436, Mircea II's father Vlad Dracul succeeded in regaining the throne of Wallachia following the death of his half brother Alexandru I Aldea. Mircea II ruled in his fathers absence beginning in 1442, when his father was away at the Ottoman court. His fathers allied stance with the Ottoman Empire made him an enemy to Hungarian hero John Hunyadi. In 1443 Hunyadi launched an attack on Wallachia, defeating both the Ottoman forces and those loyal to Vlad Dracul, forcing the latter to negotiate with the Ottoman court for support, with Mircea II fleeing and going into hiding. However, Mircea II had a strong following, and retained a strong army during this period. Hunyadi placed Basarab II on the throne, but with the support of the Ottomans Vlad Dracul would regain the throne shortly thereafter. Mircea II supported his father, but did not support his stance of siding with the Ottomans. Vlad Dracul signed a treaty with the Ottomans which stated he would pay the usual annual tribute, as well as allowing two of his sons, Vlad Tepes and Radu the Handsome, to be held as captives.
In October 1444 Vlad Dracul arrived near Nicopolis and tried to dissuade Vladislav III, king of Poland and Hungary, from continuing the crusade of Varna. Polish historian Callimachus tells that the leaders of the crusade would not listen, so Vlad II went back to Wallachia, but not before he had left Mircea II in command of an auxiliary unit of 4 000 Wallachian cavalrymen. The unit participated in the Battle of Varna on 10 November 1444 and after the defeat Mircea led the remainder of his unit and the Christian forces across the Danube. An able military commander, he successfully recaptured the fortress of Giurgiu in 1445. However, in yet another treaty with the Ottomans, his father allowed the Ottomans to again have control of the fortress in an effort to retain their support of his having the throne, and in an effort to keep his two captive sons safe. In 1447, Hunyadi launched yet another attack against Wallachia, again defeating the armies supporting Vlad Dracul and Mircea II, forcing Vlad Dracul to flee. Mircea II, however, was captured by boyars from Tirgoviste, and was blinded with a red-hot poker, then buried alive. His father was captured and killed shortly thereafter.
Following their deaths, his brother Vlad Tepes was placed on the throne by the Ottomans, but was soon forced out. Vlad Tepes would regain the throne in 1456, and would fight successfully against the Ottomans for a number of years afterward, during which time he would begin his reign of terror for which he would become best known, and which would lead to his being the inspiration for the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Vlad Tepes would also carry out vengeance against the boyars who he held responsible for his father and brothers deaths.
[edit] Popular Culture
- Mircia features in the game Legendary Warriors as a playable character. He is depicted as a very strong man who obeys orders without question. He weilds a massive woodaxe.
| Preceded by Vlad II Dracul |
Prince of Wallachia 1442 |
Succeeded by Basarab II |
