Radu II of Wallachia

Radu II Praznaglava (Radu II Empty Head/in Old Bulgarian/), (? – 1428?) was a ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, ruling for 4 terms, each time preceded by Dan II, his rival for the throne, and each time succeeded by him. Of those 4 periods on the throne of Wallachia, all were within a period of only 7 years, and 3 terms lasted less than a year. He ruled:

• August 1420 – 1422
• summer of 1423
• autumn of 1424
• January – spring of 1427

Radu II
Prince of Wallachia (1st reign)
Reign	May – November 1421
Predecessor	Dan II of Wallachia
Successor	Dan II of Wallachia
Prince of Wallachia (2nd reign)
Reign	Summer 1423
Predecessor	Dan II of Wallachia
Successor	Dan II of Wallachia
Prince of Wallachia (3rd reign)
Reign	10 December 1424 – May 1426
Predecessor	Dan II of Wallachia
Successor	Dan II of Wallachia
Prince of Wallachia (4th reign)
Reign	January – Spring 1427
Predecessor	Dan II of Wallachia
Successor	Dan II of Wallachia
Born	unknown
Died	1431
Dynasty	House of Basarab
Father	Mircea I of Wallachia
Religion	Orthodox

Son of Mircea cel Batran,^[1] he was probably the last voievod of Wallachia to assert control of Banat and southern Basarabia. Dobrogea was lost in 1417. His short intervals of rulership were marked by frequent and violent clashes with his rival and cousin, Dan II, for the throne of the principality. He found shelter and military support from the Ottoman Empire, and it was this submission to the Ottomans which ultimately caused Wallachia to lose Dobrogea and other territories. Radu II is last mentioned in the spring of 1427, when Dan II attacked him from Transylvania, retook the throne, and most probably killed him.

His nickname, as appears in Slavonic writings (Praznaglava), could also be translated as "simple-minded", but the more likely meaning is ”void of hair (bald)”.^[2] He is considered an obscure ruler, which placed Wallachia under Ottoman suzerainty.

References

1. Ágoston, Gábor (2021-06-22). The Last Muslim Conquest: The Ottoman Empire and Its Wars in Europe. Princeton University Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-691-20538-0.
2. Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1969). A History of the Crusades. Univ of Wisconsin Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-299-10744-4.

Radu II of Wallachia House of Basarab  Died: after 1427
Regnal titles
Preceded by Dan II	Voivode of Wallachia 1421	Succeeded by Dan II
Preceded by Dan II	Voivode of Wallachia 1423	Succeeded by Dan II
Preceded by Dan II	Voivode of Wallachia 1424–1426	Succeeded by Dan II
Preceded by Dan II	Voivode of Wallachia 1427	Succeeded by Dan II