Siege of Pécs
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Pécs was fought from October 14 to October 22 of 1686, in the city of Pécs
in southwestern Hungary
, between the armies of the Ottoman Empire
and of the Holy Roman Empire
.
After the castle of Buda
was wrested from Ottoman rule in 1686, the Austrian army advanced to capture Pécs
. The Austrian advance guard broke into the city and pillaged it, the Ottomans saw that they could not hold the city, so they burnt it and withdrew into the castle. The army led by Louis of Baden occupied the city on October 14, and destroyed the aqueduct
leading to the castle. The Ottomans had no other choice but to surrender, which they did on October 22. The siege devastated the previously prosperous region and the area was depopulated by the peasants who fled from the Austrian soldiers.
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
in southwestern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, between the armies of 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...
and of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
After the castle of Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
was wrested from Ottoman rule in 1686, the Austrian army advanced to capture Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
. The Austrian advance guard broke into the city and pillaged it, the Ottomans saw that they could not hold the city, so they burnt it and withdrew into the castle. The army led by Louis of Baden occupied the city on October 14, and destroyed the aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
leading to the castle. The Ottomans had no other choice but to surrender, which they did on October 22. The siege devastated the previously prosperous region and the area was depopulated by the peasants who fled from the Austrian soldiers.