Page 85 - All About History - Issue 52-17

Great warrior
Polish King Jan Sobieski, wearing a grey
robe and purple mantle, led from the
front during the battle. He and his staff
monitored the progress of their forces and
made adjustments as necessary to ensure
the success of their attack. The king
also arranged for German musketeers to
furnish supporting fire for his cavalry.

BATTLE OF VIENNA

VIENNA, AUSTRIA, 12 SEPTEMBER 1683

Written by William E Welsh

esus and Mary deliver us!” shouted Polish troops converged on Austria in an attempt to rescue
King Jan Sobieski as he waved forward his the city.
elite cavalry against the Ottoman army Kara Mustafa had grandiose dreams. He not only
that encircled Vienna. The Polish winged wanted to conquer Vienna, but also Rome. He hoped
“J hussars were an intimidating sight clad in to set himself up as the semi-autonomous ruler
their iron breastplates, draped in animal skins, with of the newly conquered territories. On 14 July the
a wooden board lined with feathers strapped to their Ottoman army arrived before the walls of Vienna.
backs, signifying their speed and predatory nature. In the following weeks, Turkish artillery battered
Halfway to their foe they lowered their lances and the city’s high walls, and Turkish sappers mined the
quickened their pace to a gallop. They crashed into walls, but still they could not capture the city.
the first rank of the lightly armoured Ottoman The various components of the Imperial-Polish
sipahis at full force. Many of the hussars were able relief army rendezvoused at Krems 50 miles
to bury the steel tips of their lances in the chest or upstream of Vienna on 1 September. The Polish king
stomach of an enemy soldier. was given overall command of the army because he
Although Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the outranked the duke, but Charles of Lorraine served
Magnificent had failed to take Vienna by siege in as the chief of staff, developing the tactical plan to
1529, political events in the late 17th century set relieve the city.
the stage for a fresh attempt by the still-powerful The battle began with a spirited attack by Imperial
Ottoman Empire. With rival France pressing the forces on the Ottoman right flank. A lull occurred
Holy Roman Empire from the west and stretching at midday as the Poles moved into position on high
its military resources, Sultan Mehmet IV agreed to ground overlooking the sprawling Ottoman camp.
let his top commander, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa When the Poles began a series of charges against the
Pasha, lead a great army against the Imperial citadel Ottoman left wing in the late afternoon, the Imperial
on the Danube River. News of the Ottoman army’s forces renewed their assault against the Ottoman
approach threw the city into complete panic, and right. Advancing Imperial forces carried the redoubts
Trampled janissaries Emperor Leopold I and his court fled for the safety at the Turkenschanz, a key Ottoman strong point,
The Polish cavalry cut down or trampled of Bavaria. which caused the Ottoman right flank to give way.
the Turkish infantry caught in the open Leopold entrusted the defence of Lower Austria Meanwhile, the Polish cavalry assailed their foe with
plain of Vienna. Although there was
plenty of construction material in the to Duke Charles of Lorraine. After sending a sizeable lances, curved sabers and war hammers. Unable
Ottoman camp that could have been force to garrison the city, Charles retreated west to hold up against the combined pressure of the
used to build makeshift barricades, the with the Austrian army. Calls for assistance went Imperial and Polish armies, the Ottoman troops fled
Turks did not build field fortifications, to Poland and all four corners of the Holy Roman the field. Kara Mustafa was strangled with a silk cord
and it cost them the battle.
Empire, but it would take many weeks before allied in Belgrade as punishment for the debacle.

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