The Defenses of Vienna
Andrew Dudik
Background
In the world of hypotheticals, a Muslim Europe seems to be pretty far out there, right? Think again. If it were not for three battles on opposite sides of the continent, and nearly 700 years apart, a Muslim Europe may have been the Europe we know today.
During the Muslim conquest that we discuss in another section, Islam expanded at an astounding rate. This put the theocratic caliphates in direct competition with the equally fanatical European Christian kingdoms. At the Battle of Tours, Charles Martel constructed a brilliant defense of France that kept Europe from becoming another Muslim Caliphate. However, with the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Eastern Europe had lost it’s powerful buffer state against the rising tide of Islamic conquest. Again, the waves of change flowed into Europe, only this time through the Balkans.
Turning Point
When the Ottomans began to fight their way through the Balkans, the defenders had nothing for them. Starting out from Istanbul with a large army on May 10, 1529 Suleiman was outside of Vienna by September 23rd of the same year (Fregosi, 285). However, because of rough conditions, Suleiman arrived at the walls of the city with less heavy artillery and supplies than he had planned. Meanwhile, Charles V had travelled to Italy to see his interests there leaving the defense of the city to a German Mercenary named Nicolas von Salm (Fregosi, 285). This act removed Suleiman’s big named prize for sacking the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. After three weeks of repulsion by the defenders, winter began to set in early in Austria. Realizing he would either have to spend the winter in a long protracted siege or return home. Suleiman left the Balkans, hi army laying waste to the countryside along the way. This failed siege by the Turks meant that their ambitions in Europe would stall out. By time the Turks returned only three years later to take their prize, the Charles V had deployed nearly 80,000 troops to the defense of the battered city (Gabrieli, 352). Avoiding a large scale battle, the Turks would be forced to come back yet again, and this time it would be decisive.
In 1683, the Turks returned again with an army a quarter million strong. This time they intended to starve the city into submission (Fregosi, 343). However, this time a large coalition force of Germans, Austrians and Poles showed up to challenge the besiegers. The relief force arrived and managed to catch the Turks from two sides. After hours of battle, the largest cavalry charge in history descended upon the fatigued Turks (Gabrieli, 438). The losses were heavy and the Turks were repelled yet again. The Ottomans would never again enter Central Europe.
Effect
Needless to say, the importance of these two failed sieges is momentous. Instead of setting up a Muslim caliphate in a large city so close to the Christian Kingdoms of Europe, the continent would remain largely Christian into until the present. After the second failed siege, the Ottomans could no longer sustain large campaigns against the strong European armies that only took time off from fighting each other to fight the Ottomans. Throughout the next 300 years, Europeans would stretch it’s influence across the globe, carrying their very Christian ideals with with them wherever they went.
Bibliography
Fregosi, Paul. Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 1998. Print.
Gabrieli, Francesco. Muhammad and the Conquests of Islam. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. Print.
Andrew Dudik
Background
In the world of hypotheticals, a Muslim Europe seems to be pretty far out there, right? Think again. If it were not for three battles on opposite sides of the continent, and nearly 700 years apart, a Muslim Europe may have been the Europe we know today.
During the Muslim conquest that we discuss in another section, Islam expanded at an astounding rate. This put the theocratic caliphates in direct competition with the equally fanatical European Christian kingdoms. At the Battle of Tours, Charles Martel constructed a brilliant defense of France that kept Europe from becoming another Muslim Caliphate. However, with the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Eastern Europe had lost it’s powerful buffer state against the rising tide of Islamic conquest. Again, the waves of change flowed into Europe, only this time through the Balkans.
Turning Point
When the Ottomans began to fight their way through the Balkans, the defenders had nothing for them. Starting out from Istanbul with a large army on May 10, 1529 Suleiman was outside of Vienna by September 23rd of the same year (Fregosi, 285). However, because of rough conditions, Suleiman arrived at the walls of the city with less heavy artillery and supplies than he had planned. Meanwhile, Charles V had travelled to Italy to see his interests there leaving the defense of the city to a German Mercenary named Nicolas von Salm (Fregosi, 285). This act removed Suleiman’s big named prize for sacking the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. After three weeks of repulsion by the defenders, winter began to set in early in Austria. Realizing he would either have to spend the winter in a long protracted siege or return home. Suleiman left the Balkans, hi army laying waste to the countryside along the way. This failed siege by the Turks meant that their ambitions in Europe would stall out. By time the Turks returned only three years later to take their prize, the Charles V had deployed nearly 80,000 troops to the defense of the battered city (Gabrieli, 352). Avoiding a large scale battle, the Turks would be forced to come back yet again, and this time it would be decisive.
In 1683, the Turks returned again with an army a quarter million strong. This time they intended to starve the city into submission (Fregosi, 343). However, this time a large coalition force of Germans, Austrians and Poles showed up to challenge the besiegers. The relief force arrived and managed to catch the Turks from two sides. After hours of battle, the largest cavalry charge in history descended upon the fatigued Turks (Gabrieli, 438). The losses were heavy and the Turks were repelled yet again. The Ottomans would never again enter Central Europe.
Effect
Needless to say, the importance of these two failed sieges is momentous. Instead of setting up a Muslim caliphate in a large city so close to the Christian Kingdoms of Europe, the continent would remain largely Christian into until the present. After the second failed siege, the Ottomans could no longer sustain large campaigns against the strong European armies that only took time off from fighting each other to fight the Ottomans. Throughout the next 300 years, Europeans would stretch it’s influence across the globe, carrying their very Christian ideals with with them wherever they went.
Bibliography
Fregosi, Paul. Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 1998. Print.
Gabrieli, Francesco. Muhammad and the Conquests of Islam. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. Print.