Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,994
An Early Onset Of Winter Saves Vienna!
We are in the year 1529 - the city of Vienna is been sieged a huge army of the Ottoman ruler Suleyman I, "the Magnificent", since September 27th ...
The army of the Ottoman ruler is around 150,000 men strong. The Turks have set up a huge encampment around the city - in the foreground on the left you can see the indeed magnificent tent of the Sultan ...:
They face around 17,000 defenders in Vienna.
The Ottomans are waging the siege war - in which they are the leading military power! - on her own way:
The city is continuously bombarded from the surrounding hills from heavy bronze guns ...:
While the Viennese are looking for cover ...
... well-trained Ottoman miners build trenches and tunnels under the city walls.
Shortly before the start of the siege in Vienna, miners from Tyrol who were summoned to dig counter tunnels - there are tough battles underground, in which the Ottomans usually prevail.
These mine tunnels are filled by the Ottomans with powder until they burst.
On October 14, 1529, under the Kärtner Tor (on the map in the ring of fortifications round Vienna to ber seen below!) ...
... such a mine explods and blasts a large breach in the city wall - the so-called "Süleyman breach" ....:
The Ottomans start their general attack. (Diorama by Hans Brunner) ...:
But most of the debris of the blown wall has fallen to the outside and are now forming barriers, which makes the storm more difficult - and so the defenders can repel the attack with their last bit of strength - the losses are great on both sides:
1,200 soldiers of the elite formation of the Janissaries alone are killed - along with more than 20,000 other Ottoman warriors.
The defenders of Vienna know, however, that if the Ottomans attack again, they will no longer be able to be stopped; Vienna would be lost!
But what the defenders don't know:
The Sultan regards the rejected assault as a defeat. Late in the evening of the same day, Suleyman I convened a council of war in his camp ...:
There he pointed out the precarious supply situation for the Ottoman army, as supplies were held up by the completely sodden streets.
In addition, an unusually early onset of winter is emerging. And so the ruler decides to break off the siege and to retreat with the army.
Süleyman does not blame the Grand Vizier or the commanding officers, on the contrary. In the diary of the campaign it is noted: "All Beys received a pompous robe and were allowed to kiss the hand."
The only ones who protest against this decision of their sultan are the Janissaries!
But the ruler can reassure them by promising a great reward.
When the defenders of Vienna fearfully peered over the walls towards the Ottoman camp the next morning, the sultan has already left and the besiegers break up the camp and begin the march back ...:
Vienna is saved ...!
We are in the year 1529 - the city of Vienna is been sieged a huge army of the Ottoman ruler Suleyman I, "the Magnificent", since September 27th ...
The army of the Ottoman ruler is around 150,000 men strong. The Turks have set up a huge encampment around the city - in the foreground on the left you can see the indeed magnificent tent of the Sultan ...:
They face around 17,000 defenders in Vienna.
The Ottomans are waging the siege war - in which they are the leading military power! - on her own way:
The city is continuously bombarded from the surrounding hills from heavy bronze guns ...:
While the Viennese are looking for cover ...
... well-trained Ottoman miners build trenches and tunnels under the city walls.
Shortly before the start of the siege in Vienna, miners from Tyrol who were summoned to dig counter tunnels - there are tough battles underground, in which the Ottomans usually prevail.
These mine tunnels are filled by the Ottomans with powder until they burst.
On October 14, 1529, under the Kärtner Tor (on the map in the ring of fortifications round Vienna to ber seen below!) ...
... such a mine explods and blasts a large breach in the city wall - the so-called "Süleyman breach" ....:
The Ottomans start their general attack. (Diorama by Hans Brunner) ...:
But most of the debris of the blown wall has fallen to the outside and are now forming barriers, which makes the storm more difficult - and so the defenders can repel the attack with their last bit of strength - the losses are great on both sides:
1,200 soldiers of the elite formation of the Janissaries alone are killed - along with more than 20,000 other Ottoman warriors.
The defenders of Vienna know, however, that if the Ottomans attack again, they will no longer be able to be stopped; Vienna would be lost!
But what the defenders don't know:
The Sultan regards the rejected assault as a defeat. Late in the evening of the same day, Suleyman I convened a council of war in his camp ...:
There he pointed out the precarious supply situation for the Ottoman army, as supplies were held up by the completely sodden streets.
In addition, an unusually early onset of winter is emerging. And so the ruler decides to break off the siege and to retreat with the army.
Süleyman does not blame the Grand Vizier or the commanding officers, on the contrary. In the diary of the campaign it is noted: "All Beys received a pompous robe and were allowed to kiss the hand."
The only ones who protest against this decision of their sultan are the Janissaries!
But the ruler can reassure them by promising a great reward.
When the defenders of Vienna fearfully peered over the walls towards the Ottoman camp the next morning, the sultan has already left and the besiegers break up the camp and begin the march back ...:
Vienna is saved ...!
