How the Turks were Defeated Before Vienna
During the latter half of the seventeenth century eastern Europe was much agitated by the renewed activity of the Turks. In 1683 the grand vizier, Kara-Moustafa, determined to march straight…
From: 1683 C.E. To: 1683 C.E.
Location: Vienna, Austria
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Readings in European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources by James Harvey Robinson, 1906.
During the latter half of the seventeenth century eastern Europe was much agitated by the renewed activity of the Turks. In 1683 the grand vizier, Kara-Moustafa, determined to march straight upon Vienna, to which he laid siege with an immense army. Although the city had no more than ten thousand regular soldiers in its garrison, the governor, Stahrenberg, refused to surrender. The town was soon in desperate straits, and was upon the point of falling into the enemy's hands, when the king of Poland, John Sobieski, accompanied by some of the German princes, arrived. In the following letter, dated September 13, Sobieski describes to his wife the memorable defeat of the Turks, which was the beginning of their rapid expulsion from their western conquests.
How Praised be our Lord God forever for granting our nation such a victory and such glory as was never heard of in all times past! The whole camp of the enemy, with their artillery and untold treasure, has fallen into our hands.
They are now retreating in great confusion, and the approaches to the town, the camp, and the open fields are covered with their corpses.
The camels and other beasts of burden, the cattle, and the sheep belonging to the enemy were captured to-day by our troops and the captive Turkish shepherds driven off.
There are some deserters, well mounted and gorgeously appareled, who have voluntarily come over to us from the enemy. Their appearance was so extraordinary and well-nigh incredible that the townspeople were overcome with fright and our soldiers with astonishment, for they thought the enemy had recovered themselves and were coming back.
What they lost in powder and ammunition alone is worth a million. Some of our camp followers foolishly set off the powder in several places, and it made a fearful noise, but there was no further harm done. The grand vizier lost all his rich treasure and barely escaped, on horseback, with nothing but the coat on his back, and I have become his heir and successor.
It all came about in this way. Having forced my way into the enemy's camp, I was pressing forward in pursuit of the vizier when one of his chamberlains surrendered to me and afterwards showed me his leader's tent, which was so large it might have contained within its circumference the city of Warsaw or of Lemberg. The standard that the grand vizier always had carried before him with great ceremony fell into my hands, along with the Mohammedan banner presented to him by the sultan for this campaign, which I have sent by post to his Apostolic Holiness in Rome. There are quantities of the most beautiful gold-mounted sabers and other rare Turkish accouterments to be seen in our army.
The coming on of night prevented us from continuing the pursuit. It cannot be denied that they defended themselves bravely, especially the companies of janizaries who guarded the approaches to the camp and so bore the brunt of the battle. The daring and courage of these people were such that while part of them fought with us in the field the rest undertook to storm the fortifications, which with their great numbers they might well do.
I estimate the number of the besieging army at three hundred thousand, not counting the Tartars; others believe there were three hundred thousand tents and reckon three men to a tent, but that would make the number too great to be believed. However, there must have been at least one hundred thousand tents, and from these each of the conquerors takes away what he likes. The townspeople, too, are rushing out to get their share. I believe it will take them eight days to gather in all the booty.
A number of Austrian people—women folk especially—whom the Turkish army had taken captive, but could not carry away with them in their hasty flight, they cut down with their sabers; but many of them can be healed of their wounds.
This morning early I went into the town and found that it could not have held out five days longer. Never have the eyes of men beheld so great damage done in so brief a time; great masses of stone and rock have been broken up and tossed about in heaps by the enemy's mines, and the imperial castle is riddled with holes and ruined by their cannon balls.
I had a long fight against the vizier, because he threw his whole force against my right wing, so that the troops of the left wing had but little to do, and finally left their position and came to my aid. Then (when the victory was won) I was surrounded by the elector of Bavaria, Prince von Waldeck, and many more of the imperial princes, who embraced and kissed me; the generals grasped my hands and feet; the other commanders and officers, with their regiments on horse and on foot, shouted, "Our brave king!" Early this morning came the elector of Saxony and the dukes of Lorraine, who had no chance to speak to me yesterday because their position was on the outermost edge of the left wing. Finally, the governor of Vienna, Count von Stahrenberg, accompanied by a great crowd of people of both high and low degree, came out to greet me, all kissing and petting me and calling me their savior. Later I visited two churches, where again I found crowds of people who tried to kiss my hands, and even my feet and clothing; most of them had to content themselves with touching my coat. All around one heard them crying, "Let us through to kiss the valorous hand!" Together they lifted up a shout of joy. I begged the German officers to forbid this, but in spite of them a great crowd shouted aloud, "Long live the king!"
There is a huge pile of captured flags and tents; in short, the enemy has departed with nothing whatever but his life. Let Christendom rejoice and thank the Lord our God that he has not permitted the heathen to hold us up to scorn and derision and to ask, "Where, now, is your God?"
Robinson, James Harvey. Readings in European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources. Vol. 2. Ginn and Co. 1906.
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