3: Battle of Vienna – 1683
The Ottoman Empire had wanted to take the city of Vienna for a very long time. It was a strategically vital location in their quest to conquer further territory in Western Europe and its first attempt in 1529 was a failure. In August 1682, the Ottomans declared war and were ready to attack Vienna. However, the Ottoman leader, Kara Mustafa Pasha, knew it was too late in the year to launch the assault. It would take three months to reach Vienna, and it would have been the middle of winter when they arrived. The battle didn’t occur for another 15 months and gave the weakened Austrians time to regroup.
The main Ottoman army finally arrived in Vienna in July 1683 and laid siege to the city. The Ottomans faced fierce resistance but successfully cut off all means of food supply into the city. Fatigue was such a problem within the city that any soldier found asleep at their post was to be executed! After two months, the leader of the Vienna garrison, Count Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg, knew his men were on the verge of defeat. There were fewer than 4,000 healthy troops remaining, and their supply of munitions had almost run out.
Finally, a relief army under the command of John III Sobieski arrived to save the day, and the tired Ottomans were now forced to meet new enemies in the Battle of Vienna. Armies from Baden, Bavaria, Saxony, Swabia and Franconia also arrived to aid the city. By the time of the battle, the Christian coalition forces numbered 90,000 against up to 140,000 Ottomans. The combined Christian armies ultimately ground down their enemies, and after a fight that lasted at least 14 hours, the Turks were forced to retreat. The Holy League alliance eventually forced the Ottomans to agree to peace at the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The Battle of Vienna is seen as a major turning point in world history as it ended Turkish expansion into Western Europe.