Dan II of Wallachia
| Dan II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Voivode of Wallachia | |
| Reign | 1420-1421 1421-1423 1423-1424 1426-1427 1427-1431 |
| Predecessor |
Michael I Radu II |
| Successor |
Radu II Alexander I |
| Died | 1 June 1432 |
| Issue |
Vladislav II of Wallachia Dan III of Wallachia Basarab II of Wallachia |
| Father | Dan I |
| Mother | Maria of Serbia |
Dan II (? – June 1, 1432) was a voivode (prince) of the principality of Wallachia in the 15th Century, ruling an extraordinary five times, and succeeded four times by Radu II Chelul, his rival for the throne. Of those five periods on the throne of Wallachia (1420–1421, 1421–1423, 1423–1424, 1426–1427, and 1427–1431), four were within a period of only seven years.
Dan was the son of Dan I of Wallachia. His father was the eldest son and successor of Radu I of Wallachia. After Dan I was murdered in 1387, his brother, Mircea, mounted the throne. Dan was loyal to his uncle during Mircea's reign. Mircea was the first ruler of Wallachia to be forced to pay an annual tribute to the Ottoman Empire. He made his only legitimate son, Michael I, his co-ruler.
After Michael succeeded Mircea (who died on 4 February 1418), Dan laid claim to Wallachia. The Ottomans defeated Michael in 1419, forcing him to pay tribute and to cede Giurgiu and other fortresses along the Danue to them. The Wallachian boyars started to defect to Dan. After Michael did not respect his treaty with the Ottomans, Dan broke into Wallachia in early 1420. Initially, Michael could resist. However, Ottoman troops joined Dan, enabling him to defeat Michael and his Hungarian allies in the summer of 1420.
Dan II first took the throne in 1420, losing it in 1421, but regaining it that same year. He was primarily able to regain the throne many times because he was an able military commander in the field. In 1423, Dan II led an army against the invading Ottoman Turks, defeating them in battle. The Ottomans were invading in an effort to place Radu II back on the throne. In 1425, he again defeated the Ottomans, winning an important victory in a battle that was the first recorded mention of Wallachia using mercenaries in their army. In that battle Dan II had employed a large number of Bulgarian soldiers. In the spring of 1427, Dan II removes Radu II from the throne for the last time, again defeating the Ottomans in battle, taking back the fortress at Giurgiu. In all likelihood, Dan II killed Radu II either during or after that battle, as the latter disappears from historical records afterward. However, written accounts of the time are sparse at best, and it is not known for certain. On June 3, 1428, Dan II led an army against the Ottomans at Golubac Fortress, which ended with a treaty that would allow Dan II a semi-peaceful rule until 1432.
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