Changes

Some 150,000 Turkish troops entered Austrian territory and they were allied with the Hungarians. Some 40,000 Crimean Tartars also joined the army of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Viziers had long planned for this invasion and they had laid meticulous plans. However, the winter meant that the actual invasion was delayed and this gave the Austrians some time to prepare. The main Ottoman army arrived outside the gates of Vienna on 14 July. On the same day, the commander Kara Mustafa demanded the surrender of the city. The Viennese and the garrison vowed to fight on as earlier the Turks had massacred the inhabitants of a town that had surrendered on terms. The Ottomans cut off the city from the rest of the Hapsburg lands. The city's defenders had cleared the area around the surrounding city walls. This created a free-fire zone for the Imperial troops .<ref> Palmer, p. 221</ref>.

In response, the Ottomans established a network of trenches. The Turks had excellent artillery and they employed almost 150 pieces of cannon and they also dug tunnels under the Hapsburg walls to place mines under the fortifications. The walls of the city were in a state of disrepair but the garrison and the citizens improvised and strengthen the fortifications. By September 1683 a small relief force of the Imperial army had arrived. The Hapsburg Emperor had previously fled the city. Despite this, the Viennese garrison was under great stress and the commander became so concerned that Graf Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg ordered any soldier malingering or asleep on duty to be ‘summarily shot’ shot.’<ref> Palmer, p. 223</ref>. It seemed that the Austrian garrison was on the verge of defeat and the Ottomans on the threshold of a great victory. However, the Austrians had been very active on the diplomatic front and they had received the backing of the Pope, who also supplied much-needed funds. Louis XIV of France refused to help the Austrians, who he viewed as his arch enemy. The Poles under their King John III Sobieski conditionally agreed to participate in the relief of Vienna and joined the Holy League, the name given to the anti-Ottoman alliance.<ref>Nicolle, David. Armies of the Ottoman Turks 1300–1774 (Osprey Publishing, 1983), p. 214</ref>.

That August in 1683, a small Hapsburg army, with their allies the Bavarians and Saxons under the Duke of Lorraine defeated the Hungarian allies of the Ottoman's northwest of Vienna. This encouraged the Poles to enter a formal alliance with Leopold I. The Polish monarchy had a powerful army and Poland's Hussars, or cavalry was famed throughout Europe. By September 1683, the Ottoman forces had seized a portion of the walls of the city and it seemed that Vienna was about to fall. The Pope provided generous subsidies to the Poles and the Polish king advanced with a great army leaving his own realm virtually defenseless.<ref> Nicole, p. 113</ref>. They approached the city by the 11th of September 1683 and sought to link up with the Imperial army. Mustafa ordered the Ottomans to attack the Duke of Lorraine’s army but they were beaten back and the Imperial army launched a counterattack. On the right flank, the Polish hussars advanced rapidly and they easily swept the Crimean Tartars from the field. The Ottoman Vizier ordered a direct attack on the city by his elite troops the Saphis and the Janissaries, but their attack was stalled by the stubborn defenders.

The Ottomans had hoped to take the city before John Sobieski arrived but the Poles had arrived quicker than expected. Suddenly the Turks found themselves outflanked and bogged down in fighting in Vienna. The Polish cavalry and the Imperial cavalry launched a massive cavalry charge against the Ottoman's flanks near Kahlenberg Mountain outside Vienna.<ref>Faroqhi, Suraiya. The Ottoman Empire: A Short History (London, Osprey, 2009), p 196</ref>. The Holy League horsemen shattered the Ottoman army and the Vizier ordered the retreat of the Turkish army. The Polish king in the aftermath said, ‘I came and God conquered’ conquered.’<ref> Palmer, p. 205</ref>. The Turks lost some 30,000 men and the Hapsburgs and their allies lost only several thousand. Divisions soon emerged among the allies and this prevent the Christian armies from invading Ottoman Territory. The defeat of the Sultan’s army caused a political crisis and severely weakened the Ottoman Empire, so much so that it was no longer a threat to Europe.<ref>Palmer, p. 312</ref>.