From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Baia, which took place on the 15 December 1467, was an important battle in the history of medieval Moldavia. The battle was a confrontation between the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great and Mathias Corvinus, Hungarian king.
Baia Battle as illustrated in Johannes de Thurocz 1488 edition
The (immediate) cause of the battle was the taking of the Hungarian controlled fortress of Chilia by Moldavian forces. Mathias Corvinus reacted by launching a military expedition against Moldavia. The main Hungarian army, unaware of the trap set out for them, entered Moldavia and headed for the city of Baia. The Moldavians set fire to the city on the night of 15 December, and then charged the main Hungarian army.
The Hungarian side suffered extensive casualties. Mathias Corvinus himself was wounded by three arrows. At the beginning of the battle the Hungarian army was estimated to have numbered about 40,000, the Moldavians about 12,000.
