Diaconescu, Marius (szerk.): Mediaevalia Transilvanica 1998 (2. évfolyam, 2. szám)
Relaţii internaţionale
The Relations of Vassalage 253 Hungarian king. Thus, in December 1389 the treaty was negotiated and concluded by two Romanian boyards sent to Poland through the agency of the voivode of Moldavia39. According to it, the allies were obliged to support each other against Sigismund or any of his subjects or vassals. Concerning other enemies, both parties were free to assist each other on friendly terms, without a firm engagement. Moldavia was to mediate the exchange of letters containing the treaty signed and sealed40. The document, sealed and signed by Mircea, was delivered on January 20,h, 139041. Nevertheless, at the end of the period spent by Sigismund in Timişoara or soon after, an amelioration of the relation between the two princes is noticeable. In March 1390, the Wallachian and Polish delegations met once again at Suceava, the capital of Moldavia, and negotiated an additional clause to the treaty. It stipulated that, in case of a conflict with Sigismund, the Wallachian voivode was to be consulted beforehand; similarly, in case of a peace treaty between Mircea and Sigismund, it was the Polish king who was to be consulted42. In other words, if at first the treaty was openly directed against Sigismund, the additional clause showed the improvement of the relations between Hungary and Wallachia. The Wallachian-Polish treaty of alliance would be reconfirmed in 1391 but without the additional clauses43. The negotiations, which are supposed to have existed between the Romanian voivode and Sigismund, were held in parallel with the Wallachian- Polish ones. Duplicity was one of Mircea the Old’s diplomatic skills. The main goal of the Wallachian-Polish treaty (treaties) was mutual assistance in case of aggression from Sigismund’s part. The treaty was equitable and there is no evidence that Mircea had become the Polish king's vassal44. The language used in the documents is eloquent in this respect: "unione et confederacione inuiolabilis amicicie". Wladislaw Jagelló granted Mircea the Old a sovereign status because he needed foreign support against Sigismund who, during the first years of his reign, had laid claim to the Polish crown considering it a rightful inheritance from Louis I. It was the second time during late XIVth century that a Romanian voivode entered into alliance with another power against Hungary. The first time it was Vladislav-Vlaicu who concluded an alliance with the Turks (1374-1377), leaving 39 P. P. Panaitescu, Mircea cel Bătrân (see note 15), p. 232, claims that, due to the status of vassalage held by the Moldavian voivode, different from Mircea's, the mention concerning a Moldavian envoy at the preliminary negotiations indicates the fact that Moldavia was included in an alliance against Sigismund. 40 E. Hurmuzaki, Documente privitoare la istoria Românilor (hereafter referred to as: Documente), 1/2, Bucureşti, 1890, pp. 315-316. 41 Documenta Romániáé Historica, seria D. Relaţiile dintre Ţările Române (hereafter referred to as: DRH, D), I, Bucureşti, 1977, p. 122. 42 Hurmuzaki, Documente (see note 40), 1/2, pp. 323-324. 43 DRH, D, I,pp. 125-127. 44 I. Minea, op. cit. (see note 10), p. 42-43; P. P. Panaitescu, Mircea cel Bătrân (see note 15), p. 232. But J. K. Hoensch, Kaiser Sigismund (see note 3), p. 76, claims that Mircea became the Polish king's * vassal.
