The Orthodox Metropolitan See of Moldavia was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch during the reign of Alexander I the Good (1400–1432). He reinforced Moldavia's traditional pro-Polish orientation and declared himself a vassal of Władysław II of Poland in 1406. Thenceforth, the Moldavian armies fought together with the Poles against the Teutonic Knights. The first Ottoman attack on Moldavia in 1420 was also repulsed by him. Alexander I's death was followed by a long period of political instability, characterized by frequent fights for the throne. For instance, the struggle of his sons, Iliaş I (1432–1442) and Stephen II (1433–1447) ended in 1435 by the division of the country.