Battle of Vienna
Part of the Great Turkish War and the Ottoman-Habsburg wars
Battle of Vienna on September 12, 1683
Date September 12, 1683 Location Vienna, Austria Result Decisive Holy League victory
Belligerents
Holy League: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Austria  Saxony  Bavaria Franconia Swabia Zaporizhian Sich	Ottoman Empire Khanate of Crimea Principality of Transylvania Principality of Wallachia Pricipality of Moldavia Hungarian anti-Habsburg rebeliants
Commanders
John III Sobieski Duke of Lorraine Marcin Kątski (commander of allied artillery)	Kara Mustafa Pasha Emeryk Tokoly (commander of anti-Habsburg rebeliants)
Strength
nearly 84,450 troops, 152 cannon	c. The Siege of Vienna in 1529, as distinct from the Battle of Vienna in 1683, was the first attempt of the Muslim Ottoman Empire, led by The Vienna Offensive was launched by the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front in order to capture Vienna, Austria. The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic Zaporizhian Sich (Запорізька Січ Zaporiz'ka Sich) original Slavonic name "Zaporizhska Sich'" was the center of the Dnieper Cossacks The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea (Qırım Hanlığı|قريم خانلغى Крымское ханство - Krymskoye khanstvo; This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte ( April 3 1643 – April 18 1690) son of Nicholas II Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Lorraine Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa (Born 1634/1635 &ndash December 25, 1683) was an Ottoman military leader and Grand vizier who was a central character 90. 000, including up to 12,000 Jannissaries, around 300 cannons
Casualties and losses
2,000 dead, 2,500 wounded	at least 10,000 dead, at least 5,000 wounded, more than 5,000 prisoners taken all cannons lost

The Battle of Vienna (German: Schlacht am Kahlenberg, Polish: Bitwa pod Wiedniem or Odsiecz Wiedeńska, Turkish: İkinci Viyana Kuşatması), Ukrainian: Віденська відсіч (Viděns'ka Vidsič) took place on September 12, 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The battle broke the advance of the Ottoman Empire into Europe, and marked the political hegemony of the Habsburg dynasty in central Europe. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social

The large-scale battle was won by Polish-Austrian-German forces led by King of Poland John III Sobieski against the Ottoman Empire army commanded by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha. Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Grand Vizier, in Turkish Sadr-ı Azam ( Sadrazam) or Serdar-ı Ekrem (in Ottoman Turkish: صدر اعظم or وزیر اعظم Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa (Born 1634/1635 &ndash December 25, 1683) was an Ottoman military leader and Grand vizier who was a central character

The siege itself began on 14 July 1683, by the Ottoman Empire army of approximately 90. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish 000. The sieging force was composed by 60 ortas of Jannisaries (12. 000 men paper strength) with an observation army of c. 70. 000 watching the countryside. The decisive battle took place on 12 September, after the united relief army of 84,450 men had arrived, pitted against the Ottoman army. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the

Holy League Forces:

King John III Sobieski of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had been made Commander in Chief of

• his own 37,000-man Polish forces (Lithuanians - 10,500 troops - did not take part in the battle), Polish forces consisted of:

- 11,978 Western-style Polish infantry portions * (35 regiments and 2 companies)
- 3,700 Registered Cossacs infantry troops (13 regiments)
- 1,000 Wybraniecka infantry troops (7 units)
- 513 Hajduk-style Polish infantry portions (4 banners)
- 200 Jannissary-style infantry portions (1 banner)
- 4,398 Dragoons portions (11 regiments)
- 3,227 Winged Hussars portions (25 banners)
- 9,734 Pancerni cavalry portions (92 banners)
- 1,622 Polish Reiters portions (2 regiments)
- 3,001 light cavalry portions (37 banners)
- 590 Arkebuzeria cavalry portions (3 squadrons)
- 28 cannons and 150 artillery crew

^[1]

* Portions of a soldier's pay - real number of troops was around 9% lower because each officer received several portions. John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Registered Cossacks (Реєстрові козаки Reyestrovi kozaky, Polish: Kozacy rejestrowi) is the term used for Ukrainian Cossacks The Hajduk were Hungarian irregular or Mercenary Soldiers in the 16th and 17th centuries and a liveried bodyguard of the Polish-Lithuanian The Polish Hussars (Husaria were the main part of the Polish Army (and later the Polish-Lithuanian Army) between the 16th and 18th centuries Towarzysz pancerny ("armoured companion" plural towarzysze pancerni, or pancerni) was a medium-cavalryman in 17th- and 18th-century Reiters ( German: Reiter, or horserider shortened from the original “Schwarze Reiter”--literally "black riders" for the colour of their armour were

Total: 37,000 troops

---

Hussary banners had maximum of 200 portions
The strongest banner of Pancerni had 190 portions
The strongest banner of light cavalry had 147 portions
Arkebuzeria cavalry squadrons had 293, 197 and 100 portions
The three strongest regiments of Dragoons had 811, 600, and 600 portions
Hajduk-style Polish infantry banner had maximum of 200 portions
The strongest Western-style Polish infantry regiment had 597 portions
Each of Polish Reiters regiments had 811 portions

---

• 18,400 Austrian troops (including 8,100 infantry), with 70 cannons led by Charles V, Duke of Lorraine,
• 20,000 Bavarian, Franconian and Swabian troops (including 14,500 infantry) with 38 cannons led by Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck,
• 9,000 Saxon troops (including 7,000 infantry) with 16 cannons led by John George III, Elector of Saxony. Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte ( April 3 1643 – April 18 1690) son of Nicholas II Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Lorraine Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck ( January 31 1620 in Arolsen; † November 19 1692 in Arolsen was a German Field Marshal The Electorate of Saxony (Kurfürstentum Sachsen or Duchy of Upper Saxony was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806 Johann Georg III (b Dresden, 20 June 1647 – d Tübingen, 12 September 1691) was Elector of Saxony from

Grand total: 84,450 troops (of them 3,000 were left in Tulln to protect tabors, and didn't participate in the battle) and 152 cannons

The battle marked the turning point in the 300-year struggle between the forces of the Central European kingdoms and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Over the sixteen years following the battle, the Habsburgs of Austria gradually occupied and dominated southern Hungary and Transylvania, which had been largely cleared of the Turkish forces. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian

Contents 1 Prelude 2 Events during the siege 3 Staging the battle 4 The battle 5 Aftermath 6 Significance 6.1 Religious significance 7 Legends 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

Prelude

Strength of Holy League forces:

Troops	Infantry	Cavalry and Dragoons	Cannons	Total
Poland	16300	20550	28 + 150 men	37000
Austria	8100	10350	70	18400
Saxony	7000	2000	16	9000
Bavaria	7500	3000	26	10500
Swabia and Franconia	7000	2500	12	9500
Grand total:	45900	38350	152	84450

The capture of the city of Vienna had long been a strategic aspiration of the Ottoman Empire, due to its inter-locking control over Danubean (Black Sea-to-Western Europe) southern Europe, and the overland (Eastern Mediterranean-to-Germany) trade routes. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. During the years preceding the second siege (the first one was in 1529), under the auspices of grand viziers from the influential Köprülü family, the Ottoman Empire undertook extensive logistical preparations this time, including the repair and establishment of roads and bridges leading into Austria and logistical centers, as well as the forwarding of ammunition, cannon and other resources from all over the Empire to these logistical centers and into the Balkans. The Siege of Vienna in 1529, as distinct from the Battle of Vienna in 1683, was the first attempt of the Muslim Ottoman Empire, led by "Köprülü" is also the Turkish name of a town in the Republic of Macedonia known as Veles ( Velissa in Greek)

On the political front, the Ottoman Empire had been providing military assistance to the Hungarians and to non-Catholic minorities in Habsburg-occupied portions of Hungary. Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. Royal Hungary was the name of a territory of medieval Hungary (together with Kingdom of Croatia) where the Habsburgs were recognized as Kings of Hungary There, in the years preceding the siege, widespread unrest had become open rebellion upon Leopold I's pursuit of Counter-Reformation principles and his desire to crush Protestantism. Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In 1681, Protestants and other anti-Habsburg forces, led by Imre Thököly, were reinforced with a significant force from the Ottomans, who recognized Imre as King of "Upper Hungary" (eastern Slovakia and parts of northeastern present-day Hungary, which he had earlier taken by force of arms from the Habsburgs). Count Imrich Tököly de Kesmarkium ( Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian; or in Slovak Imrich Tököli according to his most frequent Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million This support went so far as explicitly promising the "Kingdom of Vienna" to the Hungarians if it fell into Ottoman hands.

Yet, before the siege, a state of peace had existed for twenty years between the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire, as a result of the Peace of Vasvár. Mehmed IV ( Ottoman Turkish: محمد رابع Meḥmed-i rābi‘; also known as Avcı, "hunter" ( January 2, 1642 &ndash The Peace of Vasvár was a treaty between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire which followed the Battle of Saint Gotthard of

In 1681 and 1682, clashes between the forces of Imre Thököly and the Habsburgs' military frontier (which was then northern Hungary) forces intensified, and the incursions of Habsburg forces into Central Hungary provided the crucial argument of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha in convincing the Sultan, Mehmet IV and his Divan, to allow the movement of the Ottoman Army. Mehmed IV ( Ottoman Turkish: محمد رابع Meḥmed-i rābi‘; also known as Avcı, "hunter" ( January 2, 1642 &ndash Dīvān or dīwān ( Persian دیوان was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states or its chief official (see Diwan (title Mehmet IV authorized Kara Mustafa Pasha to operate as far as Győr (Turkish: Yanıkkale, German: Raab) and Komarom (Turkish: Komaron, German: Komorn) castles, both in northwestern Hungary, and to besiege them. Győr (ˈɟøːr, known under alternative names) is the most important city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron county and lies Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Komárom ( Croatian: Komoran, German: Komorn, Serbian: Komoran or Коморан) is a city in Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Ottoman Army was mobilized on January 21, 1682, and war was declared on August 6, 1682. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.

The logistics of the time meant that it would have been risky or impossible to launch an invasion in August or September 1682 (a three month campaign would have got the Turks to Vienna just as winter set in). John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth However this 15 month gap between mobilization and the launch of a full-scale invasion allowed ample time for the Habsburg forces to prepare their defense and set up alliances with other Central European rulers, and undoubtedly contributed to the failure of the campaign. It proved most decisive that the Habsburgs and Poland concluded a treaty during this winter in which Leopold would support Sobieski if the Turks attacked Kraków; in return, the Polish Army would come to the relief of Vienna, if attacked. Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Polish Land Forces (Wojska Lądowe RP is a branch of Poland 's Armed Forces.

On March 31, 1683 another declaration, sent by Kara Mustafa on behalf of Mehmet IV, arrived at the Imperial Court in Vienna. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor On the next day the forward march of Ottoman army elements began from Edirne in Thracia. The military of the Ottoman Empire was divided in three organizational structures the Army Navy and Air Force Edirne (anc Hadrianopolis; Greek Adrianople; Slavic/Bulgarian Одрин, see also its other names) is a city in Thrace, the westernmost Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe The troops reached Belgrade by early May, then moved toward the city of Vienna. Belgrade (Београд Beograd is the Capital and largest city of Serbia. About 40,000 Tatar Forces arrived 40km east of Vienna on 7 July, twice as many as the Austrian forces in that area. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups After initial fights, Leopold retreated to Linz with 80,000 inhabitants of Vienna. Linz is the third largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich

The King of Poland prepared a relief expedition to Vienna during the summer of 1683, honoring his obligations to the treaty. Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca He went so far as to leave his own nation virtually undefended when departing from Kraków on 15 August. Sobieski covered this with a stern warning to Imre Thököly, the leader of Hungary, whom he threatened with destruction if he tried to take advantage of the situation — which Thököly did. Count Imrich Tököly de Kesmarkium ( Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian; or in Slovak Imrich Tököli according to his most frequent Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic

Events during the siege

The main Turkish army finally invested Vienna on July 14. Sipahi ( Ottoman Turkish: ota سپاهی also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh; traditionally rendered as Spahia The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. On the same day, Kara Mustafa sent the traditional demand for surrender to the city. ^[2]

Ernst Rüdiger Graf von Starhemberg, leader of the remaining 11,000 troops and 5,000 citizens and volunteers with 370 cannons, refused to capitulate. This article is about the 17th century Austrian Fieldmarshal For the 20th century conservative politican see Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg. Only days before, he had received news of the mass slaughter at Perchtoldsdorf, a town south of Vienna whose citizens had handed over the keys of the city after having been given a similar choice. Perchtoldsdorf is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, located about 16 km southwest of Vienna.

The Viennese had demolished many of the houses around the city walls and cleared the debris, leaving an empty plain that would expose the Turks to defensive fire if they tried to rush the city. Kara Mustafa Pasha solved that problem by ordering his forces to dig long lines of trenches directly toward the city, to help protect them from the defenders as they advanced steadily toward the city.

Although the Turks had 300 good cannons, the fortifications of Vienna were very strong and up to date, and the Turks had to invent a more effective use for their gunpowder: mining. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Mining, undermining, or sapping was a Siege method used since antiquity against a Walled city, Fortress or Castle Tunnels were dug under the massive city walls to blow them up with explosives.

The Ottomans had essentially two options to take the city: the first, an all-out assault, was virtually guaranteed success since they outnumbered the defenders almost 20-1. The second was to lay siege to the city, and this was the option they chose.

This seems against military logic, but assaulting properly defended fortifications has always resulted in very heavy casualties for the attackers. A siege was a reasonable course of action to minimize casualties and capture the city intact, and in fact it nearly succeeded. What the Ottomans did not take into account however was that time was not on their side. Their lack of urgency at this point, combined with the delay in advancing their army after declaring war, eventually allowed a relief force to arrive. Historians have speculated that Kara Mustafa wanted to take the city intact for its riches, and declined an all-out attack in order to prevent the right of plunder which would accompany such an assault. ^[3]

The Ottoman siege cut virtually every means of food supply into Vienna,^[4] and the garrison and civilian volunteers suffered extreme casualties. Fatigue became such a problem that Graf Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg ordered any soldier found asleep on watch to be shot. Increasingly desperate, the forces holding Vienna were on their last legs when in August, Imperial forces under Charles V, Duke of Lorraine beat Imre Thököly of Hungary at Bisamberg, 5km northeast of Vienna. Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte ( April 3 1643 – April 18 1690) son of Nicholas II Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Lorraine Count Imrich Tököly de Kesmarkium ( Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian; or in Slovak Imrich Tököli according to his most frequent Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic

On 6 September, the Poles crossed the Danube 30km north west of Vienna at Tulln, to unite with the Imperial forces and additional troops from Saxony, Bavaria, Baden, Franconia and Swabia who had answered the call for a Holy League that was supported by Pope Innocent XI. Tulln an der Donau ( Tulln on the Danube) is a town in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, and the seat of the Tulln district The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League Pope Innocent XI ( May 16 1611 &ndash August 12 1689) born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Only Louis XIV of France, Habsburg's rival, not only declined to help, but used the opportunity to attack cities in Alsace and other parts of southern Germany, as in the Thirty Years' War decades earlier. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War.

During early September, the experienced 5000 Turkish sappers repeatedly blew up large portions of the walls, the Burg bastion, the Löbel bastion and the Burg ravelin in between, creating gaps of about 12m in width. A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a Fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall (termed curtain with the shape A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a Fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall (termed curtain with the shape A ravelin is a triangular Fortification or detached Outwork in front of the Bastions of a fortress The Austrians tried to counter by digging their own tunnels, to intercept the depositing of large amounts of gunpowder in subterranean caverns. The Turks finally managed to occupy the Burg ravelin and the Nieder wall in that area on 8 September. A ravelin is a triangular Fortification or detached Outwork in front of the Bastions of a fortress Anticipating a breach in the city walls, the remaining Austrians prepared to fight in Vienna itself.

Staging the battle

The relief army had to act quickly to save the city from the Turks, and to prevent another long siege in which they might take it. Juliusz Fortunat Kossak ( December 15, 1824 - February 3, 1899) was a Polish painter Despite the international composition and the short time of only six days, an effective leadership structure was established, indisputedly centered on the King of Poland and his heavy cavalry. The motivation was high, as this war was not as usual for the interests of kings, but for Christian faith. And, unlike the Crusades, the battleground was in the heart of Europe.

Kara Mustafa Pasha, on the other hand, was less effective, despite having months of time to organize his forces, ensure their motivation and loyalty, and prepare for the expected relief army attack. Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa (Born 1634/1635 &ndash December 25, 1683) was an Ottoman military leader and Grand vizier who was a central character He had entrusted defense of the rear to the Khan of Crimea and his cavalry force, which numbered about 30 - 40,000.

There are serious questions as to how much the Tatar forces participated in the final battle at Vienna. Their Khan felt humiliated by repeated snubs by Kara Mustafa. He reportedly refused to attack the Polish relief force as it crossed the mountains, where the Tatar light horse would have that advantage over the Polish heavy cavalry. ^[3] Nor were they the only component of the Ottoman army to defy Mustafa openly or refuse assignments.

This left vital bridges undefended and allowed passage of the combined Habsburg-Polish army, which arrived to relieve the siege. Critics of this account say that it was Kara Mustafa Pasha, and not the Crimean Khan, who was held responsible for the failure of the siege.

Also, the Ottomans could not rely on their Wallachian and Moldavian allies. These peoples resented the Ottomans, who extracted heavy tributes from their countries. The Ottomans also intervened in the internal politics of these countries, seeking to replace their ruling princes with men who would be mere Turkish puppets. When the princes of Moldavia and Wallachia learned of the Turkish plans, they tried to warn the Habsburgs. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania They also tried to avoid participating in the campaign, but the Ottomans insisted that they send troops. There are a great number of popular legends about the Wallachian and Moldavian forces in the siege. Almost invariably, these legends describe them loading their cannons with straw balls, so as to make no impact upon the walls of the besieged city.

The Holy League forces arrived on the "Kahlen Berg" (bare hill) above Vienna, signaling their arrival with bonfires. The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League Kahlenberg is a Mountain (484 m 1588 ft located in the 19th District within Vienna, Austria ( Döbling) In the early morning hours of 12 September, before the battle, a Mass was held for the King of Poland and his nobles.

The battle

The battle started before all units were fully deployed. Józef Brandt (b Szczebrzeszyn, 1841 - Radom, 1915 was a Polish painter, best known for his paintings of battles Early in the morning, at 4 AM, the Turks attacked, seeking to interfere with the deployment of the Holy League troops. Charles of Lorraine moved forward with the Austrian army on the left and the German forces in the center.

Mustafa Pasha launched a counter-attack, with most of his force, but held back some of the elite Janissary and Sipahi units for a simultaneous assault on the city. The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish ينيچرى ( yeniçeri) meaning "new soldier" comprised Infantry units that formed Sipahi ( Ottoman Turkish: ota سپاهی also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh; traditionally rendered as Spahia The Turkish commanders had intended to take Vienna before Sobieski arrived, but time ran out. Their sappers had prepared another large and final detonation under the Löbelbastei,^[5] to breach the walls. While the Turks hastily finished their work and sealed the tunnel to make the explosion more effective, the Austrian "moles" detected the tunnel in the afternoon. One of them entered and defused the load just in time.

At that time, above the "subterranean battlefield", a large battle was going on, as the Polish infantry launched a massive assault upon the Turkish right flank. Instead of focusing on the battle with the relief army, the Turks tried to force their way into the city, carrying their crescent flag.

After twelve hours of fighting, the Poles held the high ground on the right. The Holy League cavalry waited on the hills, and watched the infantry battle for the whole day. Then at about 5 PM, the cavalry attacked in four groups. One group was Austrian-German, and the other three were Polish. Over 20,000 men, charged down the hills (one of the largest cavalry charges in history). The charge was led by Sobieski at the head of 3,000 Polish heavy lancers, the famed "Winged Hussars". The Polish Hussars (Husaria were the main part of the Polish Army (and later the Polish-Lithuanian Army) between the 16th and 18th centuries The charge broke the lines of the Ottomans, who were tired from the long fight on two sides. In the confusion, the cavalry headed straight for the Ottoman camps, while the remaining Vienna garrison sallied out of its defenses and joined in the assault.

The Ottoman troops were tired and dispirited following the failure of both the sapping attempt and the brute force assault on the city. The arrival of the cavalry turned the tide of battle against them, sending them into retreat to the south and east. In less than three hours after the cavalry attack, the Christian forces had won the battle and saved Vienna.

After the battle, Sobieski paraphrased Julius Caesar's famous quote by saying "Venimus, Vidimus, Deus vicit" - "We came, We saw, God conquered".

Aftermath

The Turks lost at least 15,000 men dead and wounded in the fighting + at least 5,000 men captured and all cannons; compared to approximately 4,500 dead and wounded for the Habsburg-Polish forces. Józef Brandt (b Szczebrzeszyn, 1841 - Radom, 1915 was a Polish painter, best known for his paintings of battles Though routed and in full retreat, the Turkish troops had found time to slaughter all their Austrian prisoners, with the exception of those few of nobility which they took with them for ransoming.

The loot that fell into the hands of the Holy League troops and the Viennese was as huge as their relief, as King Sobieski vividly described in a letter to his wife a few days after the battle:

"Ours are treasures unheard of . . . tents, sheep, cattle and no small number of camels . . . it is victory as nobody ever knew of, the enemy now completely ruined, everything lost for them. They must run for their sheer lives . . . Commander Starhemberg hugged and kissed me and called me his savior. "

This emotional expression of gratitude did not distract Starhemberg from ordering the immediate repair of Vienna's severely damaged fortifications, guarding against a possible Turkish counter-strike. However, this proved unnecessary. The victory at Vienna set the stage for Prince Eugene of Savoy's re-conquering of Hungary and (temporarily) some of the Balkan countries within the following years. This article refers to the Austrian Habsburg military leader for the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte see Eugène de Beauharnais. Austria signed a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire in 1697.

Long before that, the Turks had disposed of their defeated commander. On 25 December 1683, Kara Mustafa Pasha was executed in Belgrade (in the approved manner, by strangulation with a silk rope pulled by several men on each end) by order of the commander of the Janissaries. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa (Born 1634/1635 &ndash December 25, 1683) was an Ottoman military leader and Grand vizier who was a central character The Janissaries (derived from Ottoman Turkish ينيچرى ( yeniçeri) meaning "new soldier" comprised Infantry units that formed

Significance

Although no one realized it at the time, the battle shaped the outcome of the entire war as well. Jan Matejko ( (also known as Jan Mateyko; June 24 1838 Free City of Kraków; - November 1 1893 Kraków) was a Polish painter Artur Grottger (1837-1867 was a Polish painter and Graphic designer, one of the most prominent artists of the early 1800s despite his brief life The Ottomans fought on for another 16 years, losing control of Hungary and Transylvania in the process, before finally giving up. The end of the conflict was finalized by the Treaty of Karlowitz. The Treaty (Peace of Karlowitz (Karlovci was signed on January 26, 1699 in Sremski Karlovci ( Serbian Cyrillic: Сремски Карловци

The battle marked the historic end of the expansion into Europe of the declining Ottoman Empire.

The behavior of Louis XIV of France also set the stage for centuries to come: German-speaking countries had to fight wars simultaneously in the West and the East. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent While German troops were fighting for the Holy League, Louis ruthlessly used the occasion, before and after the battle of Vienna, to annex territories in western Europe, such as Luxembourg, Alsace with Strasbourg, etc. The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers then joined into a Holy League Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région Due to the ongoing war against the Turks, Austria could not support the interest of German allies in the West. The biography of Ezechiel du Mas, Comte de Melac illustrates the devastations of large parts of Southern Germany by France. Ezéchiel du Mas Comte de Mélac (about 1630 - May 10 1704 was a career soldier in the French army under King Louis XIV and war minister Louvois.

In honor of Sobieski, the Austrians erected a church atop a hill of Kahlenberg, north of Vienna. Kahlenberg is a Mountain (484 m 1588 ft located in the 19th District within Vienna, Austria ( Döbling) The train route from Vienna to Warsaw is also named in Sobieski's honour. Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. The constellation Scutum Sobieskii (Sobieski’s Shield) was named to memorialize the battle. In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture For the Roman Shield, see Scutum (shield; For the zootomical term see Scute. ^[6] Because Sobieski had entrusted his kingdom to the protection of the Blessed Virgin (Our Lady of Czestochowa) before the battle, Pope Innocent XI commemorated his victory by extending the feast of the Holy Name of Mary, which until then had been celebrated solely in Spain and the Kingdom of Naples, to the universal Church; it is celebrated on September 12. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary The Black Madonna of Częstochowa ( Czarna Madonna or Matka Boska Częstochowska in Polish, Imago thaumaturga Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae Pope Innocent XI ( May 16 1611 &ndash August 12 1689) born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Most Holy Name of Mary, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, or simply Holy Name of Mary is a feast in the Roman Catholic Church which is celebrated Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian

The period of Polish-Austrian friendship did not last long, as Charles V of Lorraine began downplaying the role of John III Sobieski and his troops in the battle. Neither Sobieski nor the Commonwealth profited significantly from saving Austria; on the contrary, the battle of Vienna cleared the path towards the forming of the future Austrian Empire (1804 to 1867) and the destruction of the Commonwealth. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. In 1772 and 1795 the Habsburg Monarchy took part in the first and third partitions of Poland, which wiped the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth off the maps of Europe. Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the In contrast, the Ottoman Empire never recognized the partitions and provided a safe haven for many Poles.

Religious significance

The feast of the Holy Name of Mary is celebrated on September 12 on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in commemoration of the victory in this battle of Christian Europe over the Muslim forces of the Ottoman Empire. Most Holy Name of Mary, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, or simply Holy Name of Mary is a feast in the Roman Catholic Church which is celebrated Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Before the battle King John had placed his troops under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the battle Pope Innocent XI, wishing to honor Mary, extended the feast to the entire Church.

Legends

Several culinary legends are related to the Battle of Vienna:

• One legend is that the croissant was invented in Vienna, either in 1683 or in an earlier siege in 1529, to celebrate the defeat of the Turkish siege of the city, as a reference to the crescents on the Turkish flags. Culinary art is the Art of Cooking. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to or connected with cooking or Kitchens A culinarian A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to For other things named Crescent see Crescent (disambiguation. For things named Crescent see Crescent (disambiguation. In art and symbolism a crescent is generally the shape produced when a Although this version is supported by the fact that croissants in French Language are referred to as Viennoiserie and the French popular belief that Vienna born Marie Antoinette introduced the pastry to France in 1770, there is no further evidence that croissants existed before the 19th century. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Viennoiseries (French for 'Viennese specialties' are baked goods made in a manner similar to Bread, but with ingredients (eggs butter milk cream and sugar giving them a Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/
• Another legend from Vienna has the first bagel as being a gift to King John Sobieski to commemorate the King's victory over the Turks that year. A bagel is a bread product, traditionally made of Yeasted Wheat dough in the form of a roughly hand-sized ring which is first boiled in water and then baked The baked-good was fashioned in the form of a stirrup, to commemorate the victorious charge by the Polish cavalry. For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. The Polish cavalry (kawaleria can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted Knights. The truth of this legend is very uncertain, as there is a reference in 1610 to a similar-sounding bread, which may or may not have been the bagel.
• After the battle, the Austrians discovered many bags of coffee in the abandoned Turkish encampment. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Using this captured stock, Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki opened the third coffeehouse in Europe and the first in Vienna, where, according to legend, Kulczycki himself or Marco d'Aviano, the Capuchin friar and confidant of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, added milk and honey to sweeten the bitter coffee, thereby inventing cappuccino. Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki (1640– February 19, 1694) of the Sas coat of arms was a member of Polish Szlachta of Ukrainian A coffeehouse ( French / Portuguese: café; Spanish: cafetería; Italian: caffè Marco d'Aviano (1631-1699 was a Capuchin friar. Born Carlo Domenico Cristofori in Aviano, Republic of Venice (now Italy he was attracted to a life Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. Cappuccino is a Coffee -based drink prepared with Espresso, hot Milk, and steamed milk foam

It is also said that when the Turks were pushed away from Vienna, the military bands left their instruments on the field of battle and that is how the Holy Roman Empire (and therefore the rest of Western countries) acquired Cymbals, Bass Drums, and Triangles.

See also

• Ottoman wars in Europe
• Great Turkish war
• History of Vienna
• Battles of macro-historical importance involving invasions of Europe

Notes

References

• Stéphane Gaber, Et Charles V arrêta la marche des Turcs, Presses universitaires de Nancy, 1986, ISBN 2-86480-227-9.
• Bruce, George (1981). Harbottle's Dictionary of Battles. Van Nostrand Reinhold.  
• Cezary Harasimowicz "VICTORIA" Warsaw 2007, novel ISBN 978-83-925589-0-3

External links

• Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Army in XVIIth century
• Polish Order of battle, From J. Wimmer "Wieden 1683"
• (German) http://www.turkin.net/kunst/osmanen_belagerung2.htm
• (German) http://www.wien-vienna.at/tuerkenkriege.htm
• (German) German TV: Türken vor Wien
• (German) Arte TV: Türken vor Wien
• http://victoria-film.com/
• Türkenbelagerung - Die Heere

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