A few remarks about Bogdan the One-Eyed’s matrimonial policies in the context of the conflict between Poland and Moldova in 1509

Abstract

The war between Poland and Moldova in 1509 was the continuation of a long-standing conflict between these two states. The origins of this problem lies in the time of reign of the Polish King Vladislaus Jagiellon, who needed money for his struggle with the Teutonic Order. He borrowed a sum of rubles (probably 4,000) from the ruler of Moldova, Peter I, and as a deposit, gave him, among other things, Pokutia. However, the Polish king did not return the money to the ruler of Moldova, and he did not give him Pokutia either. This is why, from that time on, Moldova tried to win this lost territory back. Despite many attempts to solve this problem, either by war or negotiations, it remained unresolved at the beginning of the sixteenth century. According to some historians, the reason for Bogdan’s expedition in 1509 was the hope to marry Alexander’s sister, Elisabeth Jagiellon. In this paper, I analyze reasons for this expedition, which affected the south-eastern borderlands of Poland. Consequently, I hope to be able to decide if there were any other reasons apart from the marriage arrangement that lay behind Bogdan’s expedition.