Lexi Webster
The Ottoman Empire's attempts to capture Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Austrian Empire, date back to 1529. This first siege of the city, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, lasted just over two weeks, from 27 September to 15 October 1529, and marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire made a second attempt to seize Vienna in 1683, which was also unsuccessful. This siege lasted from 17 July to 12 September 1683 and resulted in their defeat by a combined force led by John III Sobieski of Poland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 July 1683 – 12 September 1683 |
| Outcome | The Austrian Habsburgs, led by King of Poland John III Sobieski, defeated the Ottoman Empire, led by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha |
| Ottoman Army Size | 90,000–300,000 men |
| Habsburg Army Size | 80,000 men |
| Resulting Habsburg Action | Assembled a large coalition of European powers known as the Holy League to fight the Ottomans and regain control over Hungary |
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What You'll Learn
- The siege of Vienna in 1529 was the first attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city
- The Ottoman army was led by Suleiman the Magnificent, who attacked with over 100,000 men
- The defenders of Vienna numbered no more than 21,000 but managed to repel the Turkish besiegers
- The siege of Vienna in 1683 was the second attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city
- The Ottoman army was led by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha and numbered between 90,000 and 150,000 men
The siege of Vienna in 1529 was the first attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city
The Ottoman Empire's first attempt to capture Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Austrian Empire, took place in 1529. This siege was part of the empire's intervention in the Hungarian conflict, which had escalated following the death of Louis II, King of Hungary, in the Battle of Mohács in 1526. After the battle, rival factions in Hungary selected two successors: Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria, supported by the House of Habsburg, and John Zápolya, who became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
In the spring of 1529, Suleiman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottomans, launched a campaign against Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand I, mustering an army of more than 100,000 men in Ottoman Bulgaria. As Suleiman's army advanced towards Vienna, the city's population, which was no more than 21,000, organised an ad-hoc resistance force made up of local farmers, peasants, civilians, and
The siege of Vienna began on 27 September 1529 and lasted just over two weeks, ending on 15 October. The Ottoman forces attempted to tunnel into the city walls and mine them from underneath, but their efforts were hampered by counterattacks and heavy rain. On 12 October, an Ottoman mine exploded under a section of the wall, but it collapsed in such a way that it created an obstacle for the attackers. The defenders successfully repelled attack after attack, killing some 1,200 janissaries in a single engagement.
Facing critical shortages of food, water, and other supplies, as well as heavy casualties, sickness, and desertions, Suleiman ordered one last all-out assault on 15 October. This final attempt was also repulsed, and the Ottoman army was forced to retreat. The defeat at Vienna marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans, culminating in a second siege of Vienna in 1683.
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The Ottoman army was led by Suleiman the Magnificent, who attacked with over 100,000 men
The Ottoman Empire's first attempt to capture Vienna, the capital of Austria, took place in 1529. The siege was led by Suleiman the Magnificent, who was the sultan of the Ottomans. Suleiman was born in 1494 and became sultan in 1520, succeeding his father, Selim I. He began his rule by launching military campaigns against Christian powers in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Belgrade fell to him in 1521, Rhodes in 1522-1523, and at Mohács in 1526, he broke the strength of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Suleiman's attack on Vienna came in the aftermath of the Battle of Mohács, which had resulted in the death of Louis II, King of Hungary, and the descent of the kingdom into civil war. Following Louis' death, rival factions within Hungary selected two successors: Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria, supported by the House of Habsburg, and John Zápolya, who eventually became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
Suleiman arrived in Osijek on August 6, 1529, and on the 18th, he reached the Mohács plain, where he was greeted by a substantial cavalry force led by John Zápolya, who would accompany him to Vienna. As the Ottomans advanced, the city's population, including local farmers, peasants, and civilians, organised an ad-hoc resistance, determined to repel the attack. The defenders were supported by German and Spanish mercenaries sent by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain.
Suleiman's army that laid siege to Vienna is estimated to have been over 100,000 men, while the defenders, led by Niklas Graf Salm, numbered no more than 21,000. The siege lasted just over two weeks, from September 27 to October 15, 1529. Despite having a much larger force, Suleiman was unable to capture Vienna, and he withdrew before the onset of winter. The failure to take the city marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans.
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The defenders of Vienna numbered no more than 21,000 but managed to repel the Turkish besiegers
The Ottoman Empire laid siege to Vienna in 1529, attacking the city with over 100,000 men. The defenders, led by Niklas Graf Salm, numbered no more than 21,000 but managed to repel the Turkish besiegers. The siege lasted just over two weeks, from 27 September to 15 October 1529. The successful repulsion of the Turkish besiegers earned the city great international prestige.
The siege was the first attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture Vienna, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. The Ottoman attack on Vienna was part of the empire's intervention in the Hungarian conflict, seeking to secure John Zápolya's position. Following the death of Louis II, King of Hungary, rival factions within Hungary selected two successors: Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria, supported by the House of Habsburg, and John Zápolya, who became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
The failure of the 1529 siege marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans, culminating in a second siege of Vienna in 1683. This second siege, which lasted from July 17 to September 12, 1683, resulted in the defeat of the Ottomans by a combined force led by John III Sobieski of Poland. The Ottoman army, led by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, is estimated to have numbered between 90,000 and 150,000 troops. The defenders of Vienna were supported by a relief army of 80,000 troops from Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, which attacked the Ottomans on September 12. The battle raged for 15 hours before the Ottoman invaders were driven from their trenches.
The defeat of the Ottomans in the 1683 siege marked the beginning of the end of Ottoman domination in eastern Europe. In the years following the battle, the Austrian Habsburgs gradually conquered southern Hungary and Transylvania, expelling Ottoman forces.
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The siege of Vienna in 1683 was the second attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city
The Ottoman Empire's first attempt to capture Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, was in 1529. Led by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans attacked the city with over 100,000 men, while the defenders, led by Niklas Graf Salm, numbered no more than 21,000. Despite the odds, Vienna survived the siege, which lasted just over two weeks, from 27 September to 15 October 1529.
In the aftermath of the 1526 Battle of Mohács, which resulted in the death of Louis II of Hungary and the descent of the kingdom into civil war, rival factions within Hungary selected two successors: Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria, supported by the House of Habsburg, and John Zápolya, who became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. The failure of the 1529 siege marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans, culminating in a second siege of Vienna in 1683.
The 1683 siege of Vienna was the second attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city. The siege began on 14 July 1683 and lasted until 12 September. The Ottoman army, led by Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha, numbered between 90,000 and 300,000 men, while the defenders, led by Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, numbered only 11,500. The Ottoman forces succeeded in capturing the outer fortifications and began tunnelling towards the inner walls. However, the arrival of a relief army of 80,000 men from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, various states within the Holy Roman Empire, and Habsburg territories turned the tide of the battle. On 12 September, the combined forces attacked the Ottomans and drove them from their trenches after a 15-hour battle.
The defeat of the Ottomans in the 1683 siege of Vienna marked the beginning of the end of Ottoman domination in eastern Europe. The Ottoman Grand Vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, was executed later that year for his failure to capture the city. The siege was a pivotal event in European and Viennese history, demonstrating that the Ottoman Empire could be defeated and setting the stage for the gradual conquest of southern Hungary and Transylvania by the Austrian Habsburgs.
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The Ottoman army was led by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha and numbered between 90,000 and 150,000 men
The Ottoman army that laid siege to Vienna in 1683 was led by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha. A capable and experienced military leader, he had risen through the ranks of the Ottoman military and bureaucratic system, holding various positions, including governor of Ottoman Egypt, before being appointed Grand Vizier in 1676. As the Grand Vizier, he was the effective commander-in-chief of the Ottoman forces and the principal advisor to the Sultan, Mehmed IV.
The size of the Ottoman army under his command was impressive and numbered between 90,000 and 150,000 men, according to various estimates. This force included troops from across the diverse Ottoman Empire, encompassing various ethnic and regional groups, including Turks, Arabs, Kurds, and Janissaries, the elite infantry corps composed of Christian boys who had been educated and trained in the Islamic faith and Turkish culture.
The army was well-equipped and included cavalry, infantry, and artillery units. The siege of Vienna was part of a larger campaign to expand Ottoman influence in Central Europe, and the size of the army reflected the importance attached to this goal by the Ottoman leadership. The siege was also intended as a demonstration of Ottoman military might, and the large number of troops was meant to ensure a quick and decisive victory.
However, despite the size and prowess of the Ottoman army, the siege of Vienna ultimately failed due to a combination of factors, including the determined resistance of the Austrian Habsburg defenders, the arrival of a relief force led by King John III Sobieski of Poland, and the able leadership of the Austrian commander, Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg. The defeat at Vienna marked a turning point in the Ottoman-Habsburg wars, with the balance of power shifting in favor of the Habsburgs and their allies.
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Frequently asked questions
The Austrian Habsburgs broke the Turkish siege of Vienna on 12 September 1683.
The King of Poland, John III Sobieski, led the combined relief forces that defeated the Ottoman army. The Viennese garrison was led by Feldzeugmeister of the Holy Roman Imperial Army Ernst Rüdiger Graf von Starhemberg, an Austrian subject of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I.
The defeat of the Turkish siege marked the beginning of the end of Ottoman domination in Eastern Europe. The Habsburgs assembled a large coalition of European powers, known as the Holy League, to fight the Ottomans and regain control over Hungary. The Austrian Habsburgs gradually conquered southern Hungary and Transylvania, clearing Ottoman forces from these regions.
