VENICE, THE RUMANIAN PRINCIPALITIES AND THE OTTOMAN OFFENSIVE AFTER THE FALL OF

CONSTANTINOPLE(1453-1479) Abstract Venice's relations with the Rumanian Principalities during

the quarter of century which followed the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks arebeing
examined. Two distinct ethaps are singled out: the one between 1454and 1463 while Venice was on
peaceful terms with the Ottoman Empire, and the one between 1463 and 1479 when the longest
and most important Turkish-Venetian war in the 16th century took place. During the first
periodVenice carefully refrained from any anti-Ottoman action, turned downall offers by John
Hunyady and watched unmoved the struggle and fall of Vlad the Impaler. Forced by the
circumstances during the second period, Venice's relations with Stephen the Great picked up but
limited themselvesto diplomatic contacts not to be seconded by any financial aid or militarysupport.
Another point to appreciate is Venice's disposition to rather focuson Hungary and on its king,
Matthias Corvin, and this despite the consistent victories won by the Rumanian voivodes over the
Turks. There are twopossible explanations for this: Hungary was rated a European -power witha
military potential superior to that of the Rumanian Principalities, althoughdevelopments to follow
refuted the assumption. The kingdom was a Catholicone too, a reality liable to focus the attention of
the Pope in the event of an anti-Ottoman war and a fact Venice had to reckon with. BesideHungary
being a hindrance to Rumanian-Venetian relations at that time, the Republic of San Marco barely
had the means to provide military support and economic aid to the Rumanians in their anti-
Ottomans struggle. Venicetried to make up for this shortcome by diplomatic steps at the courts
inRome and in Buda in favour of the Rumanian but with no results whatso--ever. No less true is that
Vlad the Impaler's struggle against the Turks andespecially Stephen the Great's alleviated the
position hold by Venice andeuhanced the efficiency of her diplomatic approaches with respect to
theOttoman Porte..

VENICE, THE RUMANIAN PRINCIPALITIES AND THE OTTOMAN OFFENSIVE AFTER THE FALL OF
CONSTANTINOPLE(1453-1479) Abstract Venice's relations with the Rumanian Principalities during
the quarter of century which followed the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks arebeing
examined. Two distinct ethaps are singled out: the one between 1454and 1463 while Venice was on
peaceful terms with the Ottoman Empire, and the one between 1463 and 1479 when the longest
and most important Turkish-Venetian war in the 16th century took place. During the first
periodVenice carefully refrained from any anti-Ottoman action, turned downall offers by John
Hunyady and watched unmoved the struggle and fall of Vlad the Impaler. Forced by the
circumstances during the second period, Venice's relations with Stephen the Great picked up but
limited themselvesto diplomatic contacts not to be seconded by any financial aid or militarysupport.
Another point to appreciate is Venice's disposition to rather focuson Hungary and on its king,
Matthias Corvin, and this despite the consistent victories won by the Rumanian voivodes over the
Turks. There are twopossible explanations for this: Hungary was rated a European -power witha
military potential superior to that of the Rumanian Principalities, althoughdevelopments to follow
refuted the assumption. The kingdom was a Catholicone too, a reality liable to focus the attention of
the Pope in the event of an anti-Ottoman war and a fact Venice had to reckon with. BesideHungary
being a hindrance to Rumanian-Venetian relations at that time, the Republic of San Marco barely
had the means to provide military support and economic aid to the Rumanians in their anti-
Ottomans struggle. Venicetried to make up for this shortcome by diplomatic steps at the courts
inRome and in Buda in favour of the Rumanian but with no results whatso--ever. No less true is that
Vlad the Impaler's struggle against the Turks andespecially Stephen the Great's alleviated the
position hold by Venice andeuhanced the efficiency of her diplomatic approaches with respect to
theOttoman Porte..