Acquisition of Moldavia & Wallachia during the Great Turkish War

How feasible or possible is it for Moldavia & Wallachia to defect to the Holy League during the war, or perhaps proclaim Leopold I their sovereign so long as they attain certain guarantees like the Serbs.

Apparently both leaders of Wallachia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Șerban_Cantacuzino) and Moldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Cantemir) did covertly assist Austria and Poland to balance out the Ottomans.

If they court Moldavia and Wallachia to defect, especially after their string of victories culminating in the capture of Belgrade in 1688, might the princes defect hampering the Ottoman war effort? There's some rather delicate timing here as well, within about a month the Nine Year's war begins with French assaults on the Empire.

How would the war progress if say they defect to the league before Leopold has to re-direct troops to the Rhine but after Belgrade falls alter the course of the war?
 

Philip

Donor
Can you ensure their independence or will they become either Austrian or Russian vassals? I'm not sure Austrian or Russian overlords are necessarily preferable.
 
Can you ensure their independence or will they become either Austrian or Russian vassals? I'm not sure Austrian or Russian overlords are necessarily preferable.

That I can't ensure nor is it what I envision. My premise is Habsburg acquisition of the both Moldavia and Wallachia. This had been entertained prior during the Long Turkish War between Michael the Brave & Rudolf II, though that didn't turn out well due to divergence of interests and personal ambitions of leaders & commanders on either side.

Quite frankly if they were to achieve independence they'll need a foreign benefactor, they don't have the resources to resist a determined Ottoman onslaught post conclusion of the war. For example Venice which lost a good amount of the territories it acquired when most european powers were distracted by the Spanish succession and the Ottomans were resurgent.

Reason's why I'm pulling for this:
  • stability on the Habsburg-Ottoman border, just have the Danube up to it's mouth/delta on the black sea be the border.
  • Enhance the status of Romanians in the Habsburg realms, I envision them acquiring a lot of influence with increased numbers amongst the nobility and just demographics. Might also help improve things in Transylvania.
  • curtail Russian expansion to behind the Dniester & Dnieper. Poland-Lithuania re-acquired Podolia in the aftermath of the war. If things go better for the league with M & W defection, I envision them acquiring more territory possibly on the west side of the Dnieper down to the black sea (basically Yedisan). This could also re-create the need for a Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian commonwealth, something that was ratified by the sejm in 1659 so not too long before this era.
Rosy but thought I'd put the idea out there.
 

Philip

Donor
Prince Serban of Wallachia fought for the Turks at Vienna, but was willing to betray the Turks. His price was Constantinople. It will take considerable negotiations to get him to move from there to accepting vassalship.
 
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Prince Serban of Wallachia fought for the Turks at Vienna, but was willing to betray the Turks. His price was Constantinople. It will take considerable negotiations to get him to move from there to accepting vassalship.

Hmm... that is indeed quite difficult if not nearly impossible. It's quite unrealistic, I can't see the league pushing up to Constantinople even without the French intervention. I think if Sofia or at worst Edirne were to fall, the Ottomans would sue for peace; but the move on Constantinople would be too far deep into Ottoman territory.
 
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