Jan Sobieski: The King Who Saved Europe

Product Information

Salvandy, Histoire de Pologne avant et sous le roi Jean Sobieski (two volumes, new edition, Paris, 1855)

Stéphane Gaber, Et Charles V arrêta la marche des Turcs, Presses universitaires de Nancy, 1986, ISBN 2-86480-227-9 a b c Finkel, Caroline (2006). Osman's Dream: The Story of the Ottoman Empire, 1300–1923. Basic Books. pp.286–87. ISBN 978-0-465-02396-7. Wasserstein leads us through what we know of Polish history (and that of its Jews) in the 17th and 18th centuries, encountering on the way such figures as Jan Sobieski, the king who in 1683 defeated the Ottoman Turks as they besieged Vienna. F. L. Carsten (1961). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 5, The Ascendancy of France, 1648–88. CUP Archive. p.564. ISBN 978-0-521-04544-5.

Book review: A Small Town in Ukraine and My Disappearing Uncle - takes on family history

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. 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. Both books are richly illustrated and tell of an extended family history that their respective authors felt compelled to undertake.

The German forces resumed the offensive on the left front at 3:30pm. At first, they encountered fierce resistance and were unable to make progress. However, by 5:00pm they had begun to advance and taken the villages of Unterdöbling and Oberdöbling. Imperial forces were now closing in on the central Ottoman position (the "Türkenschanze"), [47] and as they made preparations for a final push, the Polish cavalry began to take action. [28] Battle of Vienna, painting by Gonzales Franciscus Casteels And there is a deep complementarity between them. Wasserstein focuses primarily on the “Ostjuden” of what are now Ukraine and Poland, and Henderson further westwards on what becomes the Austro-Hungarian empire. In both we read of the attempts of Jews over the course of time to move into, across and ultimately away from what was long their geographical centre of gravity.As I've written, the charge could be repeated during the battle, going on and through the enemy line, until the enemy forces were finally broken. The main weapon was a lance, which varied in length depending on the enemy. Hussars also had a stabbing sword (koncerz), a sabre (szabla), pistol (or two), and often a carbine or arquebus (bandolet), and even a bow. Although the second half of the reign was much less brilliant than the first, the personal wealth of the royal couple continued to grow because they knew how to obtain money in exchange for offices and favour. Thus, the king left a considerable fortune when he died.

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. Main article: Battle of Vienna Victorious John III Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, equestrian portrait by Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

On 31 March, another declaration–sent by Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha on behalf of Mehmet IV–arrived at the Imperial Court in Vienna. The next day the forward march of Ottoman army elements began from Edirne in Rumelia. Ottoman troops reached Belgrade by early May. They were joined by a Transylvanian army under Prince Mihaly Apafi and a Hungarian force under Imre Thököly; they laid siege to Győr and the remaining army of 150,000 moved toward the city of Vienna. [20] :660 About 40,000 Crimean Tatar troops arrived 40 kilometres (25mi) east of Vienna on 7 July, [20] :660 twice as many as the Imperial troops in the area. Emperor Leopold fled Vienna for Passau with his court and 60,000 Viennese, while Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, withdrew his force of 20,000 towards Linz. [26] [20] :660 The main Ottoman army arrived at Vienna on 14 July; the city's only defense force was now that of Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg's 15,000 men. [20] :660 Saxon engineer Georg Rimpler, who had been employed by the empire to prepare for war with the Turks, began to prepare Vienna for the upcoming siege – much of Austria's pre-war plans had calculated on fighting the Turks near the city of Győr, a plan made untenable by the Turkish advance. [27] [28] The lowest estimate is 90,000, [6] while according to older estimates even up to 300,000 [7] [8] [9] [10] a b Şakul, Kahraman (2021). II. Vİyana Kuşatması Yedi Ejderin Fendi (in Turkish). İstanbul: Timas Publishing. p.391. ISBN 978-6050835663. The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, Vol. VI (of 8). William Knight (ed.). Macmillan and Co. 1896. p. 110.

In the early afternoon, a large engagement started on the other side of the battlefield as the Polish infantry advanced on the Ottoman right flank. Despite the arrival of the relief army, several Ottoman forces persisted in their attempts to breach the city's defenses, allowing Polish troops to advance on the field. By 4:00pm the Poles had captured the village of Gersthof, which would serve as a base for their cavalry charge. [18] The Ottoman army was in a desperate position between Polish and Imperial forces. Charles of Lorraine and John III Sobieski both decided independently to press the offensive and decisively defeat the Ottoman forces. [47] Bagel loyalties can run deep and fierce. Balinska describes the horror with which some New Yorkers greeted the advent of frozen bagels: "How can that be a bagel? A doughnut dipped in cement and then frozen?" 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.John III Sobieski's character is played by Jerzy Skolimowski in the 2012 English-language Polish and Italian historical drama film The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683 Andrew Wheatcroft (2009). The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans and the Battle for Europe. Random House. p.120. ISBN 978-1-4090-8682-6.