![]() ![]() Julian travels to Vienna and with the help of local experts and guides, explores the city’s many sites dedicated to the battle and the key events that brought the city to the brink of collapse. What became known as the Battle of Vienna was a turning point in the long history of conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the powers of Europe and its legacy is far-reaching. Sulieman’s dream of capturing Vienna may have been unfulfilled but Sultan, Mehmed IV, would rekindle it in 1683 when he assembled the largest army of its day to conquer the city. Julian travels to the Hungarian town of Szigetvar to explore the legendary battle where Sulieman died and uncover the truth about a buried treasure associated with his death while visiting an archaeological dig taking place just outside the town. Sulieman would spend the rest of his life coveting Vienna but he would never succeed in taking the city. Julian travels to Vienna to chronicle the siege and delve more deeply into the relationship between Sulieman and the powers of Europe with the help of Vienna’s Imperial Armoury curator, Matthias Phaffenbichler. Its siege was a shocking strike at the heart of Europe and, though unsuccessful, established Vienna as the golden apple of Ottoman desire and somewhat of an obsession for Sulieman. In 1529 Sulieman’s armies reached the Hapsburg city of Vienna. With the help of historians and experts we look at the bitter rivalry between Sulieman and Charles V and explore how it fuelled conflict and religious division, and undermined European unity in the face of Ottoman expansion. The Hapsburg King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. But Sulieman had a rival in Europe that was determined to thwart his grandest ambitions. For the next two centuries Hungary would become the central arena in a mammoth power struggle between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Julian visits the eerie site of the battle of Mohacs and explores how the Ottoman victory would leave an indelible mark on the national consciousness of Hungarians. Within just a few years of becoming Sultan, Sulieman made significant gains in Hungary, most notably at the battle of Mohacs, where he demolished the Hungarian army and secured an Ottoman foothold in the region. To get an idea of what life was like for the average person during Sulieman’s time, Julian travels to the 16 th century village of Cumalikizik in Northern Anatolia where he enjoys an historical shadow puppet play involving characters representing the empire’s varied populations.īut Sulieman’s military ambitions were just as important and European expansion was a vital part of his strategy. A sophisticated ruler, Sulieman not only encouraged artistic and architectural achievement but helped to organise and unify the wide range of cultures and religions across his growing empire. The episode opens in Istanbul where Presenter Julian Davison explores the reign of the Empire’s most successful Sultan, Sulieman the Magnificent. Oil on canvas by unknown artist, late seventeenth century.In episode two we explore the Ottoman Empire’s Golden Age and chart the height of its expansion into Europe, climaxing with the 1683 siege of Vienna. Stephen’s Cathedral, can be seen in the background. The city of Vienna, including the famous St. His heroic posture sets him apart from the confusion of smoke, men, and weaponry depicted in the image. A robust Sobieski appears on horseback, slightly left of center and in the extreme foreground of the scene (in fact, one of his horse’s hooves is cut off by the lower edge of the canvas). This painting shows the relief army descending from a hillside overlooking Vienna (the Kahlenberg hillside is visible on the left). The people of Vienna embraced Sobieski as their liberator. ![]() Under Sobieski’s command, imperial forces scored a decisive victory over Ottoman troops at the Battle of Kahlenberg on September 12, 1683, and thereby lifted the siege. The combined relief army of approximately 80,000 troops consisted of roughly 27,000 Polish soldiers (among them 3,000 highly trained “Winged Hussars”) 19,000 Austrians 10,500 Bavarians 9,000 Saxons and 9,500 soldiers from the southwestern German principalities. Sobieski agreed and joined Charles of Lorraine, the electors of Saxony and Bavaria, and numerous German princes in an alliance against the Turks. Alarmed by this threat to Christian Europe, Pope Innocent XI asked Polish king Jan Sobieski (r. In July 1683, roughly 150,000 Ottoman troops laid siege to Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. The Battle of Kahlenberg: Imperial Troops Defeat the Turks on Septem(Late 17th Century) ![]()
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