King Jan III Sobieski and the Battle of Vienna that saved Christian Europe

12/09/2022
History

The Battle of Vienna, known as the Vienna Relief, or less often the Victory of Vienna, was a battle fought on 12 September 1683 near Vienna opposing the Polish-Imperial troops under the command of King Jan III Sobieski and the army of the Ottoman Empire led by the vizier Kara Mustafa. The battle was a turning point in the war – it ended with the defeat of the Ottomans, who went on the defensive and ceased to threaten the Christian part of Europe.

The Ottoman Empire was based on conquest from its inception. Over the centuries, the Turkish Sultanate invaded and conquered more countries. In the mid-fourteenth century, the Turks undertook the planned conquest of the Balkans, capturing Byzantium, Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia. In 1541, they intervened in Hungary during the war between the Habsburgs and the Zapolyas, first supporting the latter and then taking away their capital and the central part of the country. At the same time, the Turks forced the Danubian principalities of Wallachia and Moldova to recognise their rule. In the long war of 1645-1669, they took Crete away from Venice. In 1672, they attacked Poland, which was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, and the Cossacks. They then captured Kamieniec Podolski and took Podolia. The supremacy of Turkey was recognised by Cossack Hetman Petro Doroshenko, who subordinated part of the Right-Bank Ukraine to it, against which the Turkish-Russian war broke out (1677-1681). In 1678, the Turks captured Chyhyryn, and in 1681 the Treaty of Bakhchysarai was signed.

The Turks, however, failed to defeat the Habsburgs and conquer the rest of Hungary. In 1682, an anti-Habsburg uprising broke out in the Austrian part of Hungary (Upper Hungary – today’s Slovakia). It was led by Emeric Thököly. The Turks, occupying the rest of Hungary, tried to take advantage of them, and after Thököly had committed himself to a fiefdom, the Ottomans prepared for a new excellent war expedition. Threatened by the invasion, Emperor Leopold I turned to Poland with a proposal to conclude a strategic alliance against Turkey.

Kara Mustafa was going to surprise his opponent. It was unclear whether the strike would be directed against Poland or Austria until the last moment. In Székesfehérvár, the Tatars, who had previously camped near Kamieniec Podolski, had joined the Turkish army, taking control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was only here that the Grand Vizier set the direction of the attack, which was to delay Poland’s reaction. He quickly marched deeper into Austria towards the Győr fortress. It was another manoeuvre to confuse the opponent, which was partially successful.

The siege of Vienna

Vienna was a heavily fortified city. The military commander was General Ernst Starhemberg. The defence had at its disposal 11,000 soldiers, almost 5,000 city guards, and strong artillery. The Turks immediately began earthworks and mining from the southwest. They considered the vicinity of the Löbl and the Castle bastions to be the most convenient place to break the defence.

On 16 July, an emperor’s messenger came to Poland to request relief. On 18 July, Sobieski set off with the entire court to Kraków. On the way, he visited the Jasna Góra Monastery. Urged by the Austrians and the Pope to implement the terms of the treaty, he set out with the assembled army to help the Austrian capital. On 20 August 1683, King Jan III Sobieski, on his way to Vienna, wanted to pray in the church in Piekary Śląskie, where he attended a mass and asked for victory in front of the image of Our Lady.

Sobieski took about 27,000 soldiers of the Crown from Kraków, including 24 hussar banners, not waiting for the Lithuanian troops who were running late. The king’s eldest son, Jakub, accompanied him.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that the Austrians repelled the continuous attacks for two months, the Turks captured the ravelin on 3 September. Then they captured footholds in both bastions. They were getting ready to take the walls between them and seize the city. The crew of Vienna, led by Count Starhemberg, had been defending the city throughout July and August. After two months of the siege, the number of defenders dropped from the initial 18,000 to less than 5,000 soldiers.

Allied forces met in Tulln on the Danube on 3 September. There, Jan III Sobieski took over the command of the entire Austrian, German and Polish troops, composed of nearly 70,000 soldiers (including 31,000 of cavalry). His operational plan was also adopted. The concentration of all troops took place on the right bank of the Danube, in the plains near Tulln, 40 km northwest of Vienna, after the troops had crossed the river on 6–8 September. Austro-German troops were ordered to attack the Turks through the hilly terrain along the right bank of the Danube. Their main task was to engage the greatest enemy forces and push them directly towards Vienna in the siege. However, the entirety of the Polish Crown troops, including 14,000 horsemen, were secretly led the way through the wilderness of the Vienna Forest by Sobieski, with the help of local Hungarian guides. This crossing of the great mass of people and horses, laden with dismantled 26 cannons, through the forest thickets of the Viennese hills, took two days.

On 4-9 September, the Turks were within a gunfire’s distance from the imperial castle. The news of the arrival of reinforcements from Poland sustained the defenders’ morale.

The Viennese relief

The Special Collections Department of the Gdańsk Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences has three accounts describing this event immediately after the military intervention of Jan III Sobieski. Let’s use these sources.

First report

The first battlefield report describes in some detail the warfare near Vienna, which took place on 12 September 1683.

The fight started in the morning at eight o’clock. The entire army, led by the king of Poland and Lithuania, passed through the Vienna Forest to Wein-Gebirge, where a battle had to be formed because the enemy Turkish troops reached Kahlenberg. The entire infantry of 37,000 soldiers and artillery of 130 guns fought bravely. Under their pressure, the Turks withdrew to the town of Unsdorf. The Polish king and the hussars had the right wing under him.

The Polish troops were joined, among others, by Saxon, Bavarian, Swabian-Frankish, and Lower-Rhine troops. According to this account, Sobieski was everywhere where the fiercest battles occurred. Despite the fact that the enemy’s line was slightly longer than the united Christian states, these troops managed to push the enemy’s forces as far as his camp. These forces lost 30 departments.

In the course of further fighting, the enemy troops were forced to abandon their camp, leaving all their tents behind. However, no one was captured. The Polish army and its allies remained on the battleline while the enemy troops were driven out. The victorious troops led by Jan III Sobieski could enter Vienna. When this happened, the enemy tried to storm the city walls. However, Jan III prevented him from doing so. After a hard fight, the hussars, under the command of the king of Poland managed to completely repulse the enemy. The city was completely recaptured from the enemy’s hands, thus gaining a great victory that made the name of the Polish monarch famous throughout Christian Europe. The enemy forces numbered 150,000 soldiers. The commanders of individual military units also distinguished themselves on the battlefield, including Prince Charles of Lorraine, the Saxon prince John George, and the Bavarian Maximilian Emanuel. Although it took the Polish and allied troops three days to cross the Vienna Forest, and both people and animals had nothing to eat or drink on the way, one could not notice the slightest reluctance or dissatisfaction in their ranks. Everyone rejoiced and wanted to look the enemy in the eye.

The next day, the king of Poland and Lithuania toured the entire city to see what was left of the enemy troops. Then he went to General Starhemberg, with whom he had dinner, having the Bavarian prince as a companion on his right and the prince von Anhalt on his left. The king joyfully declared during the meal that if he had been given to command again such a great army as he had commanded yesterday, the whole world would tremble for him. During the meal, the king of Poland had the opportunity to see the captured prisoners. They were, among others, noble lords who belonged to the court of the grand vizier. It was Jan III Sobieski who spoke Turkish with them. According to their words, the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa, seeing the strength of the Christian army, wept, kissed his sons, and said to them: „Now I am lost.” His Majesty, the King of Poland received all the valuable possessions of the grand vizier, among others, his great gold shield set with diamonds, his horse with all his gear, and all his tents, and they were many of them.

After the meal, Jan III went to the Cathedral of St. Stephen to pray there and thank God for the victory.

On the third day, Emperor Leopold I was awaited, who wanted to find out what the Christian troops would do after the Lithuanian army had joined them. The entire army now numbered hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It was decided to continue fighting, not satisfied with the victory already won. The troops under the command of Jan III Sobieski headed towards Hungary, where the fight against the Turks continued.

Another report also describes the battle struggle. It tells about the passage of the troops of the Duke of Lorraine through the Vienna Forest. He travelled with his troops as far as Kahlenberg, where he encountered Turkish troops with 300 horses. […] The allied imperial forces on the left wing were firing at the Turkish positions. Jan III Sobieski, who was on the right wing, chased the enemy from his position with his troops and took over the enemy field artillery, which resulted in the withdrawal of the enemy forces. The Polish and allied armies, which were in battle formation, repelled the enemy from under the walls of Vienna and entered the city.

Turkish troops were forced to leave their camp in the heat of the battle. The latter was occupied by the allied forces. However, these troops were forbidden to dismount. They were also banned from plundering abandoned enemy tents. Jan III Sobieski, as the commander-in-chief, reached the grand vizier’s tent and ordered him to be seized. Thus, he managed to get the main Turkish flag and all his belongings.

The Turks, however, did not give up. They continued to fight fiercely, thus constantly harassing the allied Christian armies. The Turks withdrew for two miles and set off in pursuit of Polish troops. Selected units of the Christian army took over posts in the Turkish camp at night to guard their prey. The following day, the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth agreed to plunder the enemy camp.

Also, in the morning, Jan III Sobieski went for Tatar and other troops, and because they could not cross the Danube River, as all the bridges had been demolished earlier, they headed towards Gran and Stulweissenberg.

At the end of this report, there is a mention of the siege of Vienna by Turkish troops in 1529. It ended with the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the city.

Third report

The last report of the relief from Vienna describes the events that took place after the decisive battle, during which the Turks failed miserably.

In the beginning, there is a mention of the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the camp near Vienna and the abandonment of their tents and belongings, which happened thanks to God’s help. The Christian armies rejoiced while taking over these goods. This joy caused the army to bring wine and guns to the Turkish camp.

On the other hand, Turkish troops took up positions two miles from their abandoned camp. From this place, they wanted to surprise the Christian army. However, the army was informed in time of the Turkish intentions by its vanguard. The Turks were attacked by colonels of Polish and allied troops. They fought very bravely. Many Turks died. According to this account, the Grand Vizier’s horse was also killed. The battle is over. The Turkish forces suffered another defeat.

Soon after, Emperor Leopold I came to Vienna, Count von Starhemberg, the commander, welcomed him with full service and handed him the keys to the city. The King of Poland and Lithuania appreciated Starhemberg in the emperor’s presence, saying that he could praise himself not only for his loyalty to the emperor but also for his courage and vigilance, and the emperor will be favourable to him until the end of his days.

After which, Leopold I had lunch with the King of Poland and Lithuania, the dukes of Bavaria and Saxony, the Duke of Lorraine, and other noble lords. During the meal, he praised the courage of each of them, especially the courage of Jan III Sobieski and the Saxon prince, who, despite being wounded, did not give up and continued to participate in the battle bravely.

The Saxon prince asked the emperor, seizing the opportunity, about the cause of Hungary. He was curious when His Majesty the Emperor would grant Hungarians life and freedom and renew their privileges while allowing Evangelicals to profess their religion. The prince also expressed his desire that all churches, regardless of religion, would survive in Hungary. He also asked Leopold I about the fate of the Hungarian leader Thököly. During this conversation, the Duke of Saxony looks for further allies to be able to create a bulwark of Christianity against the Turks. He mentioned here, among others Transylvania, Wallachians, and Moldovans. In this way, he wants to enlarge the Christian league with God’s help. Evangelicals and Protestants should also be included in this league. It would also help countries like Spain and Portugal that cannot defend themselves against Muslims. Christian clergy would benefit from this by regaining their abandoned goods and monasteries. Thanks to these endeavours, the Holy See would become more prosperous and stronger. At the same time, the clergy is exhorted here not to participate in state matters.

The emperor replied that he would be willing to spare Thököly and other Hungarians as well as Evangelicals and Protestants residing in Hungary. He also believed that with the help of Christian troops, including Protestant and Evangelical troops, Hungary would regain the desired freedom. He also wants to entrust Hungarians with their churches and allow Evangelicals and Protestants to profess their religion and, at the same time, renew their privileges. No cleric will stop him from doing so, as long as he is the emperor. The Polish king also spoke about the matter and supported Thököly’s initiatives.

Then they wished each other’s health and advised on how, having such a great army, one could finally chase the Turks out of Europe and conquer their next fortresses.

This is where the last, third report of the relief from Vienna ends and the occasional print, which appeared in Gdańsk in 1683 under the title: Gewisse Nachricht / Wie es in dem neulich blutigen Treffen / bey Entsetzung der Stadt Wien / abgelauffen, ends. Dantzig / Gedruckt im Jahr 1683.

The balance of the relief

The losses of the Turks in the battle amounted to 20,000 killed and 5,000 wounded, while the Allies lost 1,500 killed and approximately 2,500 wounded. A significant part of the Turkish army managed to escape the pogrom, however, losing some of their weapons, all guns and war supplies. From the Viennese pogrom, the Ottoman Empire did not go on the offensive anymore, and the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa was strangled by the Sultan for having lost the Battle of Vienna and the entire unsuccessful military expedition.

The direct result of the battle was the signing of the anti-Turkish coalition of the Holy League in Linz. Great warfare began, fought with variable luck. After unsuccessful Polish expeditions to Moldova (Polish-Turkish war (1683-1699) and Russian attacks on Crimea, there was the conquest of Buda in 1686, the capture of Azov by the Russians in 1696, and the Battle of Zenta in 1697. The bombing of the port of Genoa did not change the face of the war from that moment on. The Ottomans were forced to sign the peace treaty in Karłowice in 1699.

King Jan III Sobieski avoided waging war on his own territory, and with the emperor’s and papal money, he financed an expedition that opened up several possibilities for the Republic of Poland, which, however, were not properly used.

Sobieski wrote two letters on the night after the battle in the captured vizier’s tent. One to Pope Innocent XI – with the words Venimus, vidimus et Deus vicit (We came, we saw and God conquered), the second to his wife, Marysieńka, starting with the words: God and our Lord blessed forever gave victory and glory to our nation which past ages the past have never heard of.

The attitude of Emperor Leopold I towards Polish troops remains a separate issue. He did not take off his hat during the army inspection and the presentation of Polish banners, which was considered an expression of disrespect, he forbade the provision of food to our units, and he also did not agree to the burial of fallen Poles in Vienna, indicating as their resting place distant cemeteries where Turkish soldiers were buried. There were cases of opening fire on hungry Polish soldiers trying to enter Vienna.

After these incidents, opinions appeared among Polish soldiers that the emperor unnecessarily received the relief expressed in the common opinion „May this pride perish completely”.