From This Is Christian Europe
King John (Jan) III Sobieski blessing the Polish attack
on the Turks during the Battle of Vienna in 1683.
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11-12 September 1683 after Vienna was besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. It was a defensive battle of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Holy League) against the expanding and aggressive Ottoman Empire. The Viennese garrison was led by Ernst Rüdiger Graf von Starhemberg, subordinate of Leopold I Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor. The overall command was held by the commander of the Polish Crown's forces, the King of Poland, Jan III Sobieski. The siege itself began on 14 July 1683, by an Ottoman army of approximately 90,000-300,000 men. The battle started in the early morning of 11 September when the Ottoman's attacked Holy League troops. There was a moment during the battle where Kara Mustafa personally ordered the execution of 30,000 Christian hostages. After twelve hours of fighting, the Poles held the high ground on the right. Hours later, 20,000 horsemen led by Jan III Sobieski charged down the hills in the largest cavalry charge in history. In less than three hours after the cavalry attack, the Christian forces had won the battle and saved Vienna.
The Ottomans lost at least 20,000 men during the siege and up to 40,000 during the battle with Sobieski's forces. The battle marked the historic end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe. The feast of the Holy Name of Mary is celebrated on 12 September on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in commemoration of the victory in this battle of Christian Europe over the Muslim forces of the Ottoman Empire.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.