Cecora 1620

The steppe wind devours the hetman's army

In September 1620, the Polish army under Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Turkish-Tatar forces near Cecora in Moldavia. The famous commander, conqueror of Moscow, was killed during the retreat while covering his soldiers' withdrawal. The defeat at Cecora opened Podolia to the Turks and foreshadowed difficult years for the Commonwealth.