View source for Moldavian Magnate Wars

===1599–1601===
[[File:MViteazul at Alba Iulia.jpg|thumb|left|Mihai Viteazul, Voivode of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia]]
In 1599, Mihai Viteazul, wishing to secure his back after Sigismund Báthory's departure from the Transylvanian throne, [[Battle of Șelimbăr|defeated]] the new ruler of Transylvania, [[Andrew Cardinal Báthory]] (Andrzej Batory), who lost his life fleeing after battle, and took over Transylvania as governor on behalf of the Habsburg emperor Rudolf II. Later on, Mihai defeated Ieremia Movilă and took control over almost all of Moldavia, with the exception of [[Khotyn]] (Chocim or Hotin, a castle and a city on the right bank of the [[Dniester]]), which remained in Polish hands. Mihai used titles of voivode of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia for the first time in May 1600. He tried to get recognition from Emperor Rudolf II, offered his vassalage to the Commonwealth, and organized an anti-Turkish league. After King [[Sigismund III Vasa]] (Zygmunt III Waza) refused, Mihai sent his troops to take over Pokucie (an area Moldavians were claiming to be theirs) but Commonwealth hetman [[Stanisław Żółkiewski]] met them with resistance.
[[File:Moldavia, Transylvania and Wallachia under Michael the Brave's authority (1600).png|thumb|300px|The three Principalities and the territories united under Mihai's authority for four months.]]
In 1600 Zamoyski and hetman [[Jan Karol Chodkiewicz]] gathered Commonwealth forces, returning to Moldavia, where they fought Mihai. Zamoyski defeated Mihai Viteazul near [[Bucov]] (Bukova) in Wallachia, on the [[Battle of Bucov|Teleajen river]], near present-day [[Ploiești]], restored Ieremia Movilă to the throne, and helped his brother [[Simion Movilă]] to gain the throne in [[Bucharest]], thus temporarily extending the sphere of Commonwealth influence south all the way to the [[Danube]]. In the meantime, Mihai Viteazul traveled to [[Vienna]] to ask for the Emperor's help, in exchange for assisting the Habsburgs against the Ottomans and Imperial influence over Moldavia, previously aligned with the Commonwealth. The Emperor promised help and in 1601 sent an army led by [[Giorgio Basta]] that was to accompany Mihai on the way back. Upon their arrival in Transylvania, after the [[Battle of Guruslău|joint victory at Gurăslău]] against the prince of Transylvania, [[Sigismund Báthory]], general Basta assassinated Mihai Viteazul during the night, on the field of [[Câmpia Turzii]] (south of [[Cluj-Napoca|Cluj]]), effectively taking Transylvania under the Emperor's lead.

[[Captain John Smith]], the famous leader of the colony at [[Jamestown, Virginia]] and the [[Pocahontas]] story, was serving [[Sigismund Báthory]] as a mercenary. Smith was captured, and sold to [[Crimean Tatars|Crimean Tatar]] slave traders. He later escaped to [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]] before continuing on to [[Kingdom of England|England]], from where he sailed to [[Americas|America]] in 1607.

The Commonwealth was unable to capitalize on its gains, as the [[Polish–Swedish wars|Polish–Swedish war]] had just started and the majority of Commonwealth forces were desperately needed to protect [[Livonia]] (Inflanty). A year later, Simion Movilă was ousted from the Wallachian throne by local boyars who replaced him with [[Radu Șerban]], with the consent of the Ottomans (relieved to see the Polish influence at the Danube diminish). The Commonwealth managed to retain control over Moldavia, and the only side not to gain anything was the Habsburgs: in fact, they lost control over all of their former possessions in the region. However, the [[Peace of Žitava]] ended the Habsburg-Ottoman conflict known as the [[Long Turkish War|Long War]], and forced the Ottomans to recognize the Habsburgs as equals, due to the former's inability to penetrate [[royal Hungary]]. This ended direct war between the Ottomans and the Habsburgs for decades, but the two powers still struggled for influence in the region that constitutes modern-day [[Romania]].