Stephen the Great's Rule of Moldavia in the 1490s

Timeline

1. 1490–1496Pokuttya · PokuttyaAfter losing the Black Sea ports in 1484, Stephen expanded eastward, taking control of Pokuttya in 1490; meanwhile he used marriages, alliances, and bribes to delay Poland's attempt to place his brother Sigismond on the Moldavian throne, and secured the neutrality of Moscow and Lithuania.
2. 1497Cosmin Forest · BukovinaAfter the Polish army failed to take Suceata by siege and withdrew, Stephen, joined by Transylvanian, Wallachian, and some Ottoman and Crimean forces, ambushed them in the passes of Bukovina, inflicting heavy losses; he then raided Lviv and other areas, forcing Poland to recognize his rule.
3. 1498–1499Botoșani–Prut River · MoldaviaStephen refused to continue paying tribute to the Ottomans, routing Bayezid II's returning army at Botoșani in November 1498, and on 5 January 1499 ambushing another Ottoman force returning north after raiding Poland along the Prut River, temporarily restoring Moldavia's military initiative.