<sod>The death of Alexander the Good in 1432 gave rise a succession crisis which lasted for more than two decades.{{sfn|Pop|2005|p=256}}{{sfn|Bolovan|Constantiniu|Michelson|Pop|1997|p=103}} Stephen's father mounted the throne in 1449,{{sfn|Pop|2005|p=256}} with the support of [[John Hunyadi]], Regent-Governor of Hungary.{{sfn|Ciobanu|1991|p=34}} Stephen was styled ''[[voivode]]'' in his father's charters, showing that Bogdan II appointed Stephen his heir and co-ruler.{{sfn|Eagles|2014|pp=31, 212}} A pretender to the Wallachian throne, [[Vlad Dracula]],  came to Moldavia around this time.{{sfn|Treptow|2000|p=58}} Vlad and Stephen fought side by side against the invading Poles in the Battle of Crasna in June 1450.{{sfn|Florescu|McNally|1989|p=66}}<eod>
<sod>The death of Alexander the Good in 1432 gave rise a succession crisis which lasted for more than two decades.{{sfn|Pop|2005|p=256}}{{sfn|Bolovan|Constantiniu|Michelson|Pop|1997|p=103}} Stephen's father mounted the throne in 1449,{{sfn|Pop|2005|p=256}} with the support of [[John Hunyadi]], Regent-Governor of Hungary.{{sfn|Ciobanu|1991|p=34}} Stephen was styled ''[[voivode]]'' in his father's charters, showing that Bogdan II appointed Stephen his heir and co-ruler.{{sfn|Eagles|2014|pp=31, 212}} A pretender to the Wallachian throne, [[Vlad Dracula]],  came to Moldavia around this time.{{sfn|Treptow|2000|p=58}}<eod>