War in Eighteenth-Century Wallachia and Moldavia. Perceptions and Consequences
War in Eighteenth-Century Wallachia and Moldavia. Perceptions and Consequences

Summary/Abstract: During the 18th Century, the territories of Wallachia and Moldavia were subject to devastation and plunder, with their peoples enslaved or conscripted by various armed forces. Primary sources are replete with accounts of the horrors of war, often described in highly dramatic terms. Human suffering and the deeply felt insecurity were compounded by the economic difficulties wars caused, either through looting or through the heavy contributions exacted from taxpayers by occupying armies. However, wars also had a positive impact on the society of Wallachia and Moldavia. The various wars and demographic crises that followed contributed greatly to the reforms implemented by the Phanariot princes, affecting taxation, administration, justice, and agrarian relations. Moreover, occupying armies functioned as temporary yet significant consumers of local agricultural production, and by extension, drove local economies. Finally, the wars between the Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman empires facilitated the introduction of western styles, consumption, and manners. Between these two extremes, namely, brutality and entertainment, war generated an array of perceptions and long-lasting consequences in the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia during the 18th Century, several of which are explored in this paper.

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