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The cuirass of a Polish winged Hussar, victorious at the Siege of Vienna
on 12 September 1683. The events that transpired that day inspired
J.R.R. Tolkien's events at the Siege of Minas Tirith in his novel The
Lord of the Rings.

After having been besieged for two months by the Ottoman Empire's
120,000 strong army, the Viennese garisson was growing weak and only a
handful of infantry was left. Several Ottoman explosive charges had been located within the city walls and defused, but time was running out. A messenger managed to slip past the Ottoman lines to call for help from
the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Holy Roman Empire.
It is recorded that, just as all hope seemed lost for the last remaining infantry, being pinned down amidst the fighting and facing a seemingly
certain death - a number of Polish cavalry emerged slowly out of the
forest, to the cheers of the onlooking infantry. Polish King Jan
Sobieski III came charging down the hill. From behind the hill, 18,000
cavalry would emerge from the forest and follow him into battle. Of
these, 3,000 were heavy Polish winged Hussars. This was the largest
single cavalry charge in recorded history.
The effect of this charge was so dramatic - so destructive - that it
sealed the end of the Ottoman Empire's 300-year expansion into Europe.
After the battle was won, King Jan Sobieski III paraphrased Julius
Caesar's famous line, saying "Venimus, vidimus, Deus vicit"- "We came,
we saw, God conquered".

Krzysztof Karczewski
all for nothing. Western Europe is lost. have rejected their Christian
roots, they will have Allah and museins screaming from minarets at dawn.
Good night

Jeevan Daniels
Krzysztof Karczewski please stay asleep

Michael Archibald
Krzysztof Karczewski Poor baby. Its sad that we've rejected our
mythology before they reject theirs. Dont worry, traditional islam, like hinduism and others, tends to die out within a SINGLE generation when
virtually any immigrants move into 'the west'.
The BIGGEST accomplishment of 'the west' has been getting rid of
puritanical and fundamentalist religion. Thats the STRENGTH of the west.
Which says you can practice it in your home but thats it.
I loved listening to the bells announcing prayers in Morocco, but if you
think thats happening here, your a loony. Its only be a single
generation that we got rid of churches ringing bells on sunday, oh wait, there's probably lots of places in europe where they still do that.
Its pretty pathetic that you associate 'the west' with the former
religion that made its population miserable for so long. That was long
gone even by the 18th century, and here you are bemoaning not having a christian theocracy. Well, your in luck, looks like the US is heading
that way.

Manu De Canck
Michael Archibald, you are mistaken, my friend. Dying out? On the contrary.
4h
Reply
Stefano Forcolin
Michael Archibald the "miserable population" was capable of expressing
geniuses like Michelangelo, Leonardo, Newton, Descartes, Einstein, and constructing majestic monuments such as Notre Dame, and many other
cathedrals, scientific achievements such as human flight, nuclear
energy, interplanetary travels, and which allowed the developments of
some of the best minds of history you say it was long gone by rhe 18th
century, it seems it was still kicking and alive until the 60es of the
20th Century. It seems to me that you create your own history books on
the basis of your opinion but without a minimal correspondence with reality. 43m
Reply


Stefano Forcolin
Krzysztof Karczewski this was exactly the spirit of the viennese 10
minutes before seeing Jan Sobiecki charging. They thought the war was
lost. Can we react as well?
4h
Reply
Thom Simmons
Krzysztof Karczewski europe's christian roots? The Eastern Church is the
Basis of Christianity and still upholds Apostolic succession, the west
lost it long before.

René Von Gessert
I heard a little different story and that is the Polish were there
earlier but they rushed only when they were sure to win. Beauty of
history you can pick which ever story you want and deem it as true 🙂
3d
Reply

Arkadiusz Migdalczyk
René Von Gessert On September 12, 1683, at four in the morning, King
John III Sobieski attended mass celebrated by papal legate Mark of
Aviano on the ruins of St. Joseph's Church and the monastery. The battle
began on the morning of September 12, but the decisive cavalry attack
took place late in the afternoon. Kara Mustafa, confident in the value
of his troops, made no major preparations for defense. The Turkish camp
was not sufficiently fortified. Only the section between the villages of Nussdorf and Schafberg was secured. Several fortifications called
Türkenschanz by the Viennese were built north of Wienhaus. The Germans
and Austrians attacked on the left wing on the gentle slopes of the
hills between Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg, in the immediate vicinity of
the Danube. The Poles continued their advance through the trackless
Vienna Woods. The Turks did not concentrate their forces there, because
they did not expect an attack from that side[13]
Sobieski's troops did not reach the edge of the Vienna Woods until the afternoon. There was a vast area of the Wiedenka River valley, gently
sloping towards besieged Vienna. Closer there was a large camp and
quickly forming Turkish troops[13]. Janissary troops were hiding in the vineyards growing on the slopes. The king therefore ordered General
Marcin Kazimierz Kątski to move the infantry and artillery forward to
clear the area. After several hours of fighting, Zbrożek's infantrymen
drove the Turkish troops away and opened the way for the cavalry[16].
The Polish soldiers, due to the use of weapons and clothing similar to
the Turkish, fought in straw armbands placed on their left arms. This
was to prevent erroneous battles with allied forces[17].
Sobieski's next decision was to send Lieutenant Zbierzchowski's hussar
banner to reconnoiter the area, to see if it concealed any ditches, wolf
pits, scavenging, etc. The banner galloped between the Turkish
positions, leading to their disorganization, but also suffering heavy
losses. The reconnaissance confirmed the intelligence data that a
cavalry charge from this side was possible[18].
At 6 p.m. Sobieski gave the signal to begin a general assault. 😉
3d
Reply
Luca Tomsich
René Von Gessert you are right, i would Not say they attacked once they
were sure to win. Of this, i have no knowledge, what is documented is,
they Had a sermon which took long before ( there is a chapel right on
top of the hill where they were supposed to have been gathering)
1d
Reply
Allen Dapo Aramide
René Von Gessert what your point then? Let's assume you're right, who
rushes to fight when they're not sure of winning?
3d
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Ken Holmes
René Von Gessert Just more German/Austrian propaganda.

Mihail Dimitrov
René Von Gessert By all means Europe was very lucky to have them and to
be victorious! Not all the ppl had that luck... 😢
2d
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Кмета Цолов
René Von Gessert just winners write history so if u write it u have won.
3d
Reply
Doug McCall
René Von Gessert why would you rush in if you didn't think you would win?

Nick Hill
René Von Gessert It's a good job they were there, whenever they charged.
1d
Reply
Edward Kroll
René Von Gessert and of course you know the true story.
23h
Reply
Rick Garrison
René Von Gessert when else would you rush?
1d

John Marcogliese
Ultimately, Tolkien's inspirations were complex and multifaceted, rooted
in linguistic creativity and mythological frameworks rather than direct historical events.
3d
Reply
Martin Christian Power
The battle of Vienna has been so mythologised and lost to the
degradation of retelling that for the most part the facts are all but
lost in popular history. Other then historians and those who care to dig
for the truth everyone has the wrong impression of what happened.

Robert Guilbert
The Sultan was not amused & his Commander was executed by strangulation.

Ric Uy
Thank god jan sobeiski is not like like trump, ah we will have a deal
with the ottomans it will be great! The sultan is a personal friend of mine.Vieanna have to accept it😁
1d
Reply
Julian Emmanuelle Ferrer Soriano
Great plan, Great men resulted into Great victory amazing work of art
3d
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Waqar Paul Francis
Thank you Lord Jesus for the charge of the mighty cavalry. Saviours of Christendom!

George M. Sorin
And, as a "thank you", the Austrian Empire partitioned Poland, together
with Russia and Prussia some centuries later 😅 Austrian leaders aren't trustworthy.
2d
Reply
Jeff Gray
One of the greatest moments of military glory in all of history
21h
Reply
Steve Volosen
The amazing flying hussars saved Viena and Christianity they have a long history that starred in the Austrian Hungarian empire
3d
Reply
Mike Dujanowicz
I’ve read about this, several times over, from various sources- seems
like there is some hostility toward the poles, still…

Willy Krusell
This version ignores that Jon placed his artillery atop a high peak
commanding the battlefield and had the Ottomans on their backfoot when
the cavalry smashed them. Many say the Hussars were Serbian. The Tatars
had warned Kara Mustapha to secure the heights but he was arrogant and
in a blood rage to decorate the walls with Christian heads. Interesting
that Slavs not Germanics or Hungarians saved Christian Europe.
3d
Reply
Luca Tomsich
The austrian army was already in Hand to Hand combat with the besiegers
Out of the City walls for the half day, when the polish cavalry finally
decided to Take part and Help. Yes, they crushed the turkish lines. But
noones ever mentions, the siege was over the moment the austrian troops
engaged in the morning.
Also, Not just one messenger got through, it was more like a come and go
for the messengers, of which many got caught during the siege. The army
knew exactly when and how to Strike.
3d
Reply
Jorge Fernandes
Great polish heroes….
This was a turning point in European history.
Like the reconquista in Portugal and Spain
3d
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Edited


Phillip Davenport
The Ottoman Empire was trying to conquer Europe they had already taken
much including Greece and many other Nations too. They were besieging
Vienna with a big Army and many Cannons . As far as I have read , and I
read much History. The account above is true .
3d
Reply
Samuel Padilla
Best book about this event?

Lee Penn
The Polish and Hungarians haven't forgotten their history.
4d
Reply
Paul Campagnolo
The Ottoman Empire was still in existence during the first WW when they
sided with Germany and Austria-Hungry. They lost and the post war
treaties officially dissolved the Ottoman Empire in 1922.

And that is how the British / UK ended up with the
Mandate for Palestine.

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