Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664)
Encyclopedia
The Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) or fourth Austro-Turkish War was a short war between the Habsburg Monarchy
and the Ottoman Empire
.
The Habsburg army under Raimondo Montecuccoli
succeeded to halt the Ottoman army on its way to Vienna in the Battle of Saint Gotthard.
Despite this Ottoman defeat, the war ended with the favourable Peace of Vasvár
.
of Transylvania
without the permission of the Porte. Transylvania
had after the Battle of Mohács
in 1526 recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the Porte and were given political and religious autonomy in return. On hearing about Rákóczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before Grand Vizier
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
(Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rákóczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, János Kemény
, fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support.
Emperor Leopold I
, not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with a small army. Montecuccoli was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans.
Meanwhile, the Ban
of Croatia, Miklós Zrínyi
, was since 1661 doing his best to start a new Austro-Ottoman conflict by organizing raids into Ottoman territory from his stronghold Zrínyiújvár
. These raids and the presence of Montecuccoli's army made the Ottomans end the status-quo with Vienna, which existed between them since 1606.
In the summer of 1663, an Ottoman army of more than 100.000 strong under Grand Vizier
Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed
entered Habsburg Hungary
and in September conquered the town of Érsekújvár.
The Habsburg commander Raimondo Montecuccoli had only his 12.000 men and the 15.000 Hungarian-Croatian troops of Miklós Zrínyi to oppose the Turks.
Emperor Leopold I
summoned the Imperial Diet
in January 1663, to ask the German and European Kings for help, with success. An army of 30.000 Bavarian, Brandenburg and Saxon troops was raised. Even arch-enemy Louis XIV of France sent an Army Corps of 6.000 under Jean de Coligny-Saligny
in support.
. In the center the main army of Montecuccoli which was 28.500 men strong and in the north some 8.500 men under general Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches
. There were some 12.500 men in reserve to defend the fortresses.
This army of 66.500 men was not a unity, as the differences of opinion between the commanders were very strong, especially with Zrinski.
As a preparation for campaigns planned for 1664, Zrínyi set out to destroy the strongly fortified Ottoman bridge (the Eszék bridge) which, since 1566, had linked Dárda
to Eszék across the Drava
and the marshes of Baranya
. Destruction of the bridge would cut off the retreat of the Ottoman Army and make any Turkish reinforcement impossible for several months. Re-capturing strong fortresses (Berzence, Babócsa, the town of Pécs, etc.) on his way, Zrínyi advanced 240 kilometers on enemy territory and destroyed the bridge on February 1, 1664. He didn't succeed in conquering Nagykanizsa, the main objective. The siege had to be lifted when in June the main army of Köprülü approached.
The Turks even conquered Zrínyi's stronghold Zrínyiújvár, which had to be abandoned when Montecuccoli refused to come to its rescue. Zrínyi would never forgive this, which would eventually lead to the Wesselényi conspiracy.
between Mogersdorf
and the Szentgotthárd Abbey
by Montecuccolis army. The Ottomans lost 16.000 to 22.000 of their best troops.
In the north of Hungary the army of Souches had won some smaller victories against Kutschuk Mehmed Pascha. The most important of this victories was the Siege of Léva.
Despite the Austrian victory as Saint Gotthard, Ottoman control of Transylvania
and Érsekújvár was recognized, as well as the Austrian Empire becoming obliged to pay war reparations to the Ottoman Empire. Zrínyiújvár was to be dismantled. The major factor in the Habsburgs' decision, was the French threat to the much more valuable estates in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.
This led to the Wesselényi conspiracy.
The peace in fact held for 20 years until the Ottomans attacked Vienna for the second time
in 1683 and were pushed back from Hungary in the following Great Turkish War (1683 - 1699)
.
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
The Habsburg army under Raimondo Montecuccoli
Raimondo Montecuccoli
Raimondo, Count of Montecúccoli or Montecucculi was an Italian military general who also served as general for the Austrians, and was also a prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Neapolitan Duke of Melfi....
succeeded to halt the Ottoman army on its way to Vienna in the Battle of Saint Gotthard.
Despite this Ottoman defeat, the war ended with the favourable Peace of Vasvár
Peace of Vasvár
The Peace of Vasvár was a treaty between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire which followed the Battle of Saint Gotthard of August 1, 1664, and concluded the Austro-Turkish War...
.
Prelude
The cause of this war was the invasion of Poland in 1658, by Prince George Rákóczy IIGeorge II Rákóczi
György Rákóczi II , a Transylvanian Hungarian ruler, was the eldest son of George I and Susanna Lorantffy....
of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
without the permission of the Porte. Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
had after the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
in 1526 recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the Porte and were given political and religious autonomy in return. On hearing about Rákóczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha , was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1656 until his death. He was the first leader and founder of the Albanian Köprülü noble dynasty/family.- Life :He was recruited as a part of the devshirmeh system and was trained in the palace school...
(Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rákóczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, János Kemény
John Kemény (Prince)
János Kemény was a Hungarian aristocrat, writer and prince of Transylvania....
, fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support.
Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with a small army. Montecuccoli was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans.
Meanwhile, the Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
of Croatia, Miklós Zrínyi
Miklós Zrínyi
Miklós Zrínyi or Nikola Zrinski was a Croatian and Hungarian soldier, statesman and poet, member of the Zrinski noble family....
, was since 1661 doing his best to start a new Austro-Ottoman conflict by organizing raids into Ottoman territory from his stronghold Zrínyiújvár
Novi Zrin
Novi Zrin was a fortress of family Zrinski built in the northernmost part of Croatia on the mouth of river Mura into Drava between 1661-1664....
. These raids and the presence of Montecuccoli's army made the Ottomans end the status-quo with Vienna, which existed between them since 1606.
1663 campaign
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed
Köprülü Fazil Ahmed
Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha Was a member of the renowned Köprülü family originated from Albania, that had given three grand viziers to the Ottoman Empire. He served as a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from...
entered Habsburg Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
and in September conquered the town of Érsekújvár.
The Habsburg commander Raimondo Montecuccoli had only his 12.000 men and the 15.000 Hungarian-Croatian troops of Miklós Zrínyi to oppose the Turks.
Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
summoned the Imperial Diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
in January 1663, to ask the German and European Kings for help, with success. An army of 30.000 Bavarian, Brandenburg and Saxon troops was raised. Even arch-enemy Louis XIV of France sent an Army Corps of 6.000 under Jean de Coligny-Saligny
Jean de Coligny-Saligny
Jean de Coligny-Saligny, was a French noble and army commander, best known for his part in the victory in the Battle of Saint Gotthard ....
in support.
1664 campaign
At the beginning of 1664, the Imperial Army was divided into 3 Corps: In the south 17.000 Hungarian-Croatian troops under command of Miklós ZrínyiMiklós Zrínyi
Miklós Zrínyi or Nikola Zrinski was a Croatian and Hungarian soldier, statesman and poet, member of the Zrinski noble family....
. In the center the main army of Montecuccoli which was 28.500 men strong and in the north some 8.500 men under general Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches
Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches
Count Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches was an German Imperial Field marshal of French descent...
. There were some 12.500 men in reserve to defend the fortresses.
This army of 66.500 men was not a unity, as the differences of opinion between the commanders were very strong, especially with Zrinski.
As a preparation for campaigns planned for 1664, Zrínyi set out to destroy the strongly fortified Ottoman bridge (the Eszék bridge) which, since 1566, had linked Dárda
Darda
Darda can refer to:* Darda, Croatia, a village and a municipality in eastern Croatia*Rajendra Darda, Indian politician*Vijay J. Darda, Indian politician*Darda , a car racing set made in Germany*Darda, a card game closely related to Klabberjass...
to Eszék across the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
and the marshes of Baranya
Kopacki Rit
Kopački Rit , is a nature park in eastern Croatia. It is located northwest of the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, situated at the border with Serbia. It comprises many backwaters and ponds along the Danube...
. Destruction of the bridge would cut off the retreat of the Ottoman Army and make any Turkish reinforcement impossible for several months. Re-capturing strong fortresses (Berzence, Babócsa, the town of Pécs, etc.) on his way, Zrínyi advanced 240 kilometers on enemy territory and destroyed the bridge on February 1, 1664. He didn't succeed in conquering Nagykanizsa, the main objective. The siege had to be lifted when in June the main army of Köprülü approached.
The Turks even conquered Zrínyi's stronghold Zrínyiújvár, which had to be abandoned when Montecuccoli refused to come to its rescue. Zrínyi would never forgive this, which would eventually lead to the Wesselényi conspiracy.
Battle of Saint Gotthard
After the conquest of Zrínyiújvár, the Ottoman main army marched towards Vienna, but was stopped at the Rába riverRába
The Rába is a river in southeastern Austria and western Hungary and a right tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Austria, some kilometres east of Bruck an der Mur below Heubodenhöhe Hill. It flows through the Austrian states of Styria and Burgenland, and the Hungarian counties of Vas and...
between Mogersdorf
Mogersdorf
Mogersdorf is a town in the district of Jennersdorf in Burgenland in Austria.Mogersdorf has a famous place in Austrian history because it was here that Raimondo Montecuccoli annihilated a 60,000/90,000-strong army of the Ottoman Empire in 1664 upon its attempt to cross the Raab river westwards...
and the Szentgotthárd Abbey
Szentgotthárd Abbey
Szentgotthárd Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Szentgotthárd in Vas County in the south-west of Hungary, about 3 km from the present border with Austria and 18 km from that with Slovenia.- History :...
by Montecuccolis army. The Ottomans lost 16.000 to 22.000 of their best troops.
In the north of Hungary the army of Souches had won some smaller victories against Kutschuk Mehmed Pascha. The most important of this victories was the Siege of Léva.
Peace of Vasvár
Only 9 days later, on August 10, 1664 the Peace of Vasvár was signed, to last 20 years.Despite the Austrian victory as Saint Gotthard, Ottoman control of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and Érsekújvár was recognized, as well as the Austrian Empire becoming obliged to pay war reparations to the Ottoman Empire. Zrínyiújvár was to be dismantled. The major factor in the Habsburgs' decision, was the French threat to the much more valuable estates in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.
Consequences
The Croats and Hungarians were outraged at the loss of their territories and felt the initiative and momentum after the victory of Saint Gotthard should have been maintained.This led to the Wesselényi conspiracy.
The peace in fact held for 20 years until the Ottomans attacked Vienna for the second time
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
in 1683 and were pushed back from Hungary in the following Great Turkish War (1683 - 1699)
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
.