Wallachia

'''Wallachia''' is a geographical region of modern-day [[Romania]], as well as one of the two historical [[Romanian principalities]] that laid the foundation for the [[Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia|establishment]] of the modern Romanian state. It is situated north of the [[Danube|Lower Danube]] and south of the [[Southern Carpathians]]. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, [[Muntenia]] (Greater Wallachia) and [[Oltenia]] (Lesser Wallachia). [[Dobruja]] could sometimes be considered a third section due to its proximity and [[Dobruja#Wallachian rule|brief rule]] over it. Wallachia as a whole is sometimes referred to as '''Muntenia''' through identification with the larger of the two traditional sections.

'''Wallachia''' is a geographical region of modern-day [[Romania]], as well as one of the two historical [[Romanian principalities]] that laid the foundation for the [[Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia|establishment]] of the modern Romanian state. It is situated north of the [[Danube|Lower Danube]] and south of the [[Southern Carpathians]]. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, [[Muntenia]] (Greater Wallachia) and [[Oltenia]] (Lesser Wallachia). [[Dobruja]] could sometimes be considered a third section due to its proximity and [[Dobruja#Wallachian rule|brief rule]] over it. Wallachia as a whole is sometimes referred to as '''Muntenia''' through identification with the larger of the two traditional sections.

Wallachia began to form as a [[principality]] around the 13th century, following the gradual unification of several smaller [[cneaz|Romanian political entities]].{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, by William Wilkinson |url=https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/6/8/6/1/68612/68612-h/68612-h.htm |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.mirrorservice.org}} By 1330, the state had consolidated following [[Basarab I]]'s victory in the [[Battle of Posada]] against the [[Kingdom of Hungary]], ushering in a period of relative independence. In 1417, Wallachia was forced to accept the [[suzerainty]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] for the first time; this suzerainty lasted until the mid-19th century. However in general Wallachia was able to preserve autonomy within the Empire as well as experience interruptions to Ottoman rule brought about by local rulers such as [[Vlad the Impaler]] and [[Michael the Brave]] and later external powers such as the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and the [[Russian Empire]].

Wallachia began to form as a [[principality]] around the 13th century, following the gradual unification of several smaller [[cneaz|Romanian political entities]].{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, by William Wilkinson |url=https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/6/8/6/1/68612/68612-h/68612-h.htm |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.mirrorservice.org}} By 1330, after the hungarian occupation, the state had consolidated following [[Basarab I]]'s victory in the [[Battle of Posada]] against the [[Kingdom of Hungary]], ushering in a period of relative independence again. In 1417, Wallachia was forced to accept the [[suzerainty]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] for the first time; this suzerainty lasted until the mid-19th century. However in general Wallachia was able to preserve autonomy within the Empire as well as experience interruptions to Ottoman rule brought about by local rulers such as [[Vlad the Impaler]] and [[Michael the Brave]] and later external powers such as the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and the [[Russian Empire]].

In 1859, Wallachia united with [[Moldavia]] to form the [[United Principalities]], which adopted the name ''Romania'' in 1866 and officially became the [[Kingdom of Romania]] in 1881. Later, following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the [[Union of Transylvania with Romania|resolution of the elected representatives]] of Romanians in 1918, [[Bukovina]], [[Transylvania]] and parts of [[Banat]], [[Crișana]], and [[Maramureș]] were [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|allocated]] to the Kingdom of Romania, thereby forming the modern Romanian state.

In 1859, Wallachia united with [[Moldavia]] to form the [[United Principalities]], which adopted the name ''Romania'' in 1866 and officially became the [[Kingdom of Romania]] in 1881. Later, following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the [[Union of Transylvania with Romania|resolution of the elected representatives]] of Romanians in 1918, [[Bukovina]], [[Transylvania]] and parts of [[Banat]], [[Crișana]], and [[Maramureș]] were [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|allocated]] to the Kingdom of Romania, thereby forming the modern Romanian state.