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BATTLE // January 1, 1620

Battle of Cecora

Overview

The Battle of Cecora took place during the Polish–Ottoman War (1620–21) between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Ottoman forces, fought from 17 September to 7 October 1620 in Moldavia, near the Prut River.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Cecora pitted a Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth force of 9,000 against an Ottoman and allied army of 20,000 during the Polish–Ottoman War of 1620–1621. Commonwealth casualties of 2,000 against Ottoman losses of 1,500 indicate a costly engagement for the smaller force. The battle involved senior Commonwealth commanders including Stanisław Żółkiewski and Stanisław Koniecpolski alongside allied figures Gaspar Graziani and Vasile Septilici, while the Ottoman side was led by Iskender Pasha, Khan Temir, and the Transylvanian prince Gabor Bethlen — a coalition that reflects the broad alignment of Ottoman-sphere powers against the Commonwealth in this conflict. The significant disparity in force sizes underscores the difficult operational position the Commonwealth faced at this stage of the war.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth9,000
    medium
  • Ottoman Empire20,000
    medium

Ottoman Empire fielded a 2.2 : 1 numerical advantage

Casualties

  • Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth2,000
    medium22% loss rate
  • Ottoman Empire1,500
    medium8% loss rate

Commanders (7)

Last verified July 2026
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