![]() ![]() Outwardly handsome, dignified, and a devout Muslim, inwardly the Grand Vizier was an arrogant power monger with an unveiled hatred of Christians. But such modest aims did not satisfy Mustafa. By laying siege to Vienna, Mustafa disobeyed Sultan Mehmed IV (1648-1687), who intended that Mustafa do little more than capture Imperial frontier fortresses. Mustafa had another reason to press on he feared the Sultan’s punishment in the event of failure. Nonetheless, Mustafa’s confidence in victory remained undiminished. Worse still, there were rumors of an immense Christian army approaching from the Vienna Woods. Among the Turks disease was out of control owing to inadequate sanitary facilities, casualties were horrendous, and morale was sagging. Mustafa’s Fierce Ambition for the Ottoman EmpireĪt least Starhemberg could take heart in knowing that conditions were little better among the enemy. The 1683 Battle of Vienna was about to begin. ![]() Without that army, the Turks would pour into the city and wantonly enslave and butcher its inhabitants. The city’s only hope was the timely arrival of the anxiously awaited Christian relief army. Starhemberg knew that Vienna’s defenses were at their end. After fending off 18 major Turkish assaults, only a third of the originally 11,500-strong garrison remained fit for combat and their munitions were nearly exhausted. Sewage, rubble, and corpses littered the streets and disease ran rampant. Turkish mines and bombardment opened huge gaps in the city walls. The Turkish Serasker (Supreme Commander), Grand Vizier Kara “Black” Mustafa, demanded surrender, but Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, commander of Vienna’s garrison, spat back, “Let him come I’ll fight to the last drop of blood.” That last drop of blood had almost been reached. For nearly two long months, from July 14 to early September 1683, Vienna endured the siege from the Ottoman Empire.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |