Page 85 - All About History - Issue 180-19
P. 85
WhAt If the OttOmANs CAPtured vIeNNA?
The Ottomans tried
and failed to take
suleiman’s man
Vienna again in 1683
in hungary
Ottoman interest in Europe began long before its attempts
to seize Vienna from the Holy Roman Empire. Prior to this
they had fought over Hungary and even successfully installed
their own king to the region, John Zápolya. Descended
from a noble Slavonian family, Zápolya was already rich and
powerful having inherited land in what is now Slovakia from
his father, yet he still had his eye firmly on the throne. When
King Louis II was killed at the Battle of Mohács, Zápolya
attempted to step into the void left by the heirless king,
but faced competition from Archduke Ferdinand of Austria
for the position. When Ferdinand’s brother the Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V invaded Hungary, Zápolya was forced
into exile. He turned to Suleiman I for support, promising
Hungary as a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire in return,
which lead directly to Suleiman laying siege to Vienna.
King John originally named
Ferdinand his heir to make
peace, but then had a son
and left the Kingdom of
Hungary to him
had a much stronger presence in central had all the resources, given their past
Europe. That I think is very possible. history, I think there’s a lot of reason to
expect they would have. That was kind of
Would the ottomans have tried to part of what they did.
conquer the whole of europe?
I’m sceptical about that. I think they Would europe have been better or
would have run out of steam. I think worse off if they had won?
they would have been hard-pressed to I think it certainly would have been
really keep going on, given how greatly bad for a lot of the rulers in Europe.
the Ottoman Empire had expanded all They would have lost a lot of power,
over the place. I don’t know if they would they would have lost direct control.
have had the wherewithal to keep going, The Ottomans ruled over multicultural,
because I think the resistance would multi-religious empires, so many people
have been enormous. Even if some continued to practise their faith. They
people did cooperate with the Ottomans, kept their own sense of local culture and Spring ShoWerS
there would have been just tremendous practices. They had a lot of autonomy
push-back. I mean, Charles V [the King of under the Ottomans in many areas. They portend chaoS
Spain] would not have settled for letting could run a lot of their own businesses
Vienna go. He’d have worked very hard and [set] agendas on their own. I don’t After an
to get it back, so I think that that would know if you were to ask somebody, a uncharacteristic
have been one immediate response. Christian living in the Ottoman Empire amount of rainfall
in Eastern Europe, if they felt like it was a this May that
Would there have been a lot of great hardship, if you would have gotten nearly saw the
additional conflict? the answer of yes. They probably looked great Ottoman
I think the Ottomans were an aggressive at it more in terms of this was an empire army bogged
state. They were expansive. They wanted that, once they established their goals, down on its way
to continue to expand their empire. I was pretty well-run, was well-maintained. to Vienna, clerics
don’t think it makes a lot of sense to say The roads were protected. They brought are warning that
such whether is a
they were completely peaceful rulers. So a lot of peace after war, so the argument’s warning of God’s
I think they had very clear goals in mind. been made by a lot of historians that in displeasure at
It’s a different question as to whether some cases people thought they lived as recent events.
they could have kept going, but if they well, if not better, under the Ottomans.
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