Tsardoms Total War - FACTION PREVIEW: Principality of Wallachia

[tavix]

The Trabant is an automobile that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell. With its mediocre performance, smoky two-stroke engine, and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total.

[Wallachian]

The Trabant is an automobile that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell. With its mediocre performance, smoky two-stroke engine, and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total.

Noo that's not the word trabant that was in discussion. The trabants was the name of professional troops and handgunners (either armed with muskets or more usual arquebus) which were used by the Romanian principalities (especially Transilvania) starting in the 16th and 17th centuries. They wore different colours depending on the province they came from, the most common colour being red. For example in Transilvania the Black Trabants came from Sibiu, Blue Trabants from Brasov and Green Trabants from Sighisoara.

Mircea, do you have volume II of Istoria Militara a Poporului Roman in pdf format? I only have vol III but its a treasure of information!

[Romano-Dacis]

Mircea, thank you for the source. I will consider what you've suggested, but it may be too late to implement any changes to the v1.0; we're trying to get something together which can be released.

I would also appreciate any books you have on the subject, Mircea. It's definitely cool stuff!

As for "trabant", the word means professional soldier, and it has similar names in Hungarian and Polish.

[tavix]

Didn t know that. Ty for info

[matija191]

Noo that's not the word trabant that was in discussion. The trabants was the name of professional troops and handgunners (either armed with muskets or more usual arquebus) which were used by the Romanian principalities (especially Transilvania) starting in the 16th and 17th centuries. They wore different colours depending on the province they came from, the most common colour being red. For example in Transilvania the Black Trabants came from Sibiu, Blue Trabants from Brasov and Green Trabants from Sighisoara.

Mircea, do you have volume II of Istoria Militara a Poporului Roman in pdf format? I only have vol III but its a treasure of information!

thank you very much...but are they existed in medieval times?I found some articles where the word "trabant" is mentioned, suposedly they were armed with partisans and halberds...the main armed force of Republic of Dubrovnik where called "brabants"..they were armed mainly with halberds, and some where mounted..also one part of this company was armed with arquebusiers...Brabants of Dubrovnik existed in 15th century...

[mircea]

Noo that's not the word trabant that was in discussion. The trabants was the name of professional troops and handgunners (either armed with muskets or more usual arquebus) which were used by the Romanian principalities (especially Transilvania) starting in the 16th and 17th centuries. They wore different colours depending on the province they came from, the most common colour being red. For example in Transilvania the Black Trabants came from Sibiu, Blue Trabants from Brasov and Green Trabants from Sighisoara.

Mircea, do you have volume II of Istoria Militara a Poporului Roman in pdf format? I only have vol III but its a treasure of information!

Very good explanation, although the explanation that Trabant was a car is also true, but not useful in this context. I may add that in Romanian, trabant transformed in daraban and later dorobant, and they represented a paid military category, the infantry counterpart to Calarasi cavalry.

I have all the first 4 volumes of the book(antiquity to 1944), but in original paper format. But if you are interested of a specific part of the book, I may scan a part of it when I have time

[2Shy]

What's the common thing between the trabant and the Wallacian faction????

PS-I gues that half of all trabants are in Bulgaria.Every old man has one

[Wallachian]

What's the common thing between the trabant and the Wallacian faction????

PS-I gues that half of all trabants are in Bulgaria.Every old man has one

The trabants were a type of professional soldier used by Wallachia

thank you very much...but are they existed in medieval times?I found some articles where the word "trabant" is mentioned, suposedly they were armed with partisans and halberds...the main armed force of Republic of Dubrovnik where called "brabants"..they were armed mainly with halberds, and some where mounted..also one part of this company was armed with arquebusiers...Brabants of Dubrovnik existed in 15th century...

I assume that the word "trabant" was derived from "brabant" because they sound very similar. probably would be the same with the word "gussar" which became "hussar" and then in romanian it became "hansar".
As to when they were used, i believe it would be starting with the late 15th century or early 16th century. So basically very late medieval time.

[Romano-Dacis]

mircea, I've read what you posted. It's interesting, and we will definitely try to make Wallachia's army centered around ranged weapons. However, the record on armors seems unbelievable. According to Radu Oltean (I keep in contact with him) the major influence in Romanian armies came from Hungary and Poland. In terms of swords: it is true that both curved and straight-edge swords are noticed, but straight-edge swords are in greater abundance.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Composite bows are also noticed:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Our infantry is in general stylized after these guys, noticed on Moldavian church frescoes:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

^Bottom-right part of image. Notice armor and shield designs.

As for more armors, I doubt plate-armor was all that rare. It seems to be an exaggeration from Romanian historians during the communist era, likely going hand in hand with the "armed peasants in folk costumes" image they tried to present in their movies. For instance, at the Cozia Monastery, with frescoes dating from Mircea the Old's reign, we find a display of plate armor on the left side of this image:


In the image below you can see a lamellar armor, maybe metal plates, placed on top of a chain hauberk (left guy):


HELP NEEDED: I need help when it comes to finding images of armaments and armor on church frescoes from Wallachia and Moldavia. I think we can find a few at www.orthodoxphotos.com/Icons_and_Frescoes but I just haven't had the time to look through it thoroughly.

[2Shy]

Romano are you sure that church paintings ( stenopisi ) can be use as historical evidence ( I don't say that what you say is wrong! ) ?

[2Shy]

I mean that the people that had made that paintings were artists and teoligists.I don't know if their work can be evidence of something ( in Bulgaria church painting are considered as masterpieces of the medieval time ( at least the best of them ) but we don't use then do prove something).

[phoenix[illusion]]

Romano are you sure that church paintings ( stenopisi ) can be use as historical evidence ( I don't say that what you say is wrong! ) ?

well, i can say that they are not wrong. i know that many foreign historians said that they were coping byzantine frescoes, but they were not, they were painting in byzantine style but... here's the example on serbian frescoes:

look at the helmet. it was one of the serbian helmets that were not used by byzantines, but serbians only

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

shield, which was used in serbia and bosnia, that "square" one

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

crossbow, well byzantines were not using them, while it was used by serbian

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

western style helmet

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Matthæus]

I mean that the people that had made that paintings were artists and teoligists.I don't know if their work can be evidence of something ( in Bulgaria church painting are considered as masterpieces of the medieval time ( at least the best of them ) but we don't use then do prove something).

yes but artists who made them mostly used equipment, arms, amour and clothes that saw during their lives on soldiers.

of course they are never 100% correct (artistic freedom) but still they are a good source.

[2Shy]

I gues you are right.What I say is that we can't relly only on them .

[Hrobatos]

but there is nothing else that is more reliable

[Romano-Dacis]

I gues you are right.What I say is that we can't relly only on them .

It's nice to have archaeological evidence as well. There are certain elements which look clearly inspired by Byzantium, but elements which can be identified as non-Byzantine are more reliable than others. For instance, the saint at Cozia wearing plate armor cannot possibly have been inspired by Byzantine art.

@Hrobatos: it would be sweet to have full suits of armor, but unfortunately we're not researching Ancient Greece, where people were buried in their armor. We have to use what we've got.

[2Shy]

but there is nothing else that is more reliable

May be historical documents, fresco and something not so influenced by byzantians and the church ...

[Hrobatos]

they dont ussualy have goos descriptions, and tend to forget manny details

[Wallachian]

I found these great articles about romanian medieval weaponry. Unfortunately they are all in romanian. I haven't finished reading them due to university exams but here are the links:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29788274/P...cu-Elena-Roman

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://www.revistamuzeelor.ro/arhpdf/2004_03_08.pdf

[Visarion]

at least they have pictures!