Forget Vienna: The Battle That ACTUALLY Broke the Ottomans - Párkány, 1683

The smoke barely cleared over the shattered walls of Vienna in September 1683. The seemingly invincible Ottoman war machine is in full retreat. They are fleeing the combined efforts of the great Holy League and the battering ram of the winged hussars following a seismic battle after a devastating two-month-long siege of the city. But though the Ottoman army is broken, it is far from destroyed. Seething with humiliation and terrified of the Sultan's wrath, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa retreats deep into Hungary where he rallies his fractured army transforming a routed host into a force starved for vengeance. Polish King Jan III Sobieski and the Holy League, intoxicated by their monumental triumph, make a fateful decision. Rather than hold their defense of line, they will hunt the Ottomans down and shatter their grip on Eastern Europe forever. Sobieski, flushed with the glory of his winged hussars, advances rapidly ahead of the slower Imperial infantry. But overconfidence is a deadly poison. Marching eagerly toward the fortress of Párkány, the Polish vanguard believes they are chasing a terrified fleeing enemy. They are wrong. Hidden within the sweeping Hungarian plains, the Ottomans prepare a massive unseen trap. The stakes cannot be higher. If Sobieski's isolated cavalry gets ambushed and annihilated, the miracle of Vienna will be instantly undone and the gateway to Europe will be ripped wide open once again. The hunter is about to become the hunted. Whether you're binging historical documentaries on YouTube, scrolling social media, or logging onto sketchy cafe Wi-Fi, your digital footprint is constantly exposed to ISPs, snoops, and cybercriminals. Without even knowing it, every day you run into dubious websites that claim to be safe, or you're hit with region locks when trying to read an article. We feel you should be able to navigate the internet safely and privately, which is why we recommend Private Internet Access. Private Internet Access is a VPN that boosts your defenses with best-in-class encryption. If you're not familiar with VPNs, it means virtual private network. It creates a secure encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet, helping keep your activity private and secure. It secures your traffic wherever you go. If you're traveling, you can change your IP to bypass government censorship, access local e-services, or unlock region-restricted content securely. I constantly use PIA to safely access research material for my videos in different languages that are usually locked in my region. Most importantly, you reclaim your absolute privacy. PIA operates with an ironclad no-logs policy backed by advanced RAM-only servers, meaning your online activity is permanently wiped and never tracked, and it's even proven multiple times in court. So, if you want a fantastic VPN, check out the link in the description below or scan the QR code on screen to get an exclusive and massive 83% discount and four extra months completely free. With Private Internet Access, you can secure your digital life today and browse with true peace of mind. It is late evening by the time that Kara Mustafa finally admits defeat and withdraws from the battlefield. Although the Polish king enters the Grand Vizier's quarters just moments later, it is too late and his men are too exhausted to complete a chase long into the night. The Poles and their German allies, under the command of Duke Charles of Lorraine, have been marching and fighting against the furious enemy defenses since early morning. The battle itself coming in the wake of epic journeys from hundreds of miles afield. After a night of mopping up operations, rest, and securing the city and its environs, Sobieski tours the Ottoman lines early the following morning before making his way into Vienna proper. Sobieski enters the battered city, greeted by the rapturous cheers of thousands of starving refugees, and the exhausted garrison commander, Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg. The sheer scale of the otherworldly defense by the Viennese garrison is evident in the rubble-strewn streets. But the euphoria of this great deliverance is short-lived.

The blood is barely dry before the Holy League begins to fracture. Duke Charles of Lorraine, commander of the Habsburg field army, urges an immediate pursuit to destroy the fleeing enemy. Sobieski retorts that his victorious winged hussars marched further and harder than Charles's men and need rest. It was the Poles, after all, who broke the back of the enemy, he reminds his allies. Further cracks in the alliance show as Emperor Leopold arrives. Royal protocol demands that Leopold should have entered the city before Sobieski, but the Polish king is unapologetic. To attempt to soothe the friction, the two men meet in the Polish army camp at Schwechat, southeast of Vienna. The meeting is notoriously tense. To avoid establishing a hierarchy of who should dismount first, Leopold and Sobieski meet outside on horseback. The emperor is awkward and uncomfortable for having to meet the person who saved his city after he fled it earlier. Believing he outranked Sobieski, Leopold is still arrogant and formally cold. He merely raises his hat to greet Sobieski and offers a brief, painfully inadequate expression of gratitude. Sobieski proudly presents his son Jakob and his victorious commanders. Deeply insulted by the emperor's haughty demeanor, Sobieski would later complain to his wife that they were treated like unwelcome strangers rather than saviors. Making matters worse, John George of Saxony leaves the meeting and takes his troops home in protest. Rumor is that he is unhappy about the lack of recognition for his valiant contribution to the battle and the meager spoils he received after Sobieski and Charles plundered the most. Prince George Frederick of Waldeck also gives notice that he will go no further. In his view, the Ottoman threat has been checked and it is time to refocus the empire's attention on the perfidious Louis the 14th of France whose army is ransacking the Rhineland, taking advantage of the Ottoman invasion. As if this were not enough, the glory-hungry Maximilian of Bavaria pushes to make a solo assault to liberate Neuhäusel from the Ottomans with his own army. Charles is dismayed and tells the emperor he will resign his post if this is allowed, but Leopold manages to calm him down. Morale plummets further when Starhemberg is made field marshal for his stalwart defense of the city through months of terror, bombardment, and famine. But this angers Julius Francis, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg. He believes this promotion of a lowly count belittles his own place in the pecking order. Other nobles voice their opposition as well, but Lauenburg goes so far as to storm out of the meeting and marches home with his men. And so, while time is wasted on petty arguments and royal protocol of who should be honored first, the Ottomans slip away. Thus, when the Imperial Army finally follows the Polish in departing the city on the 17th of September, the morale boost from the great victory at Vienna is much dissipated. In their reduced numbers, there are now perhaps 8 to 10,000 Poles, followed by between 16 to 17,000 German Imperial troops. As they advance, they encounter a land utterly devastated by pillage. So, Bieski writes to his wife to tell her the land resembles an Arabian desert. Deep in the Hungarian countryside, the Ottoman retreat was initially panicked and slipshod. But Kara Mustafa acts with the ruthlessness of a cornered beast. Though severely wounded after losing his right eye during the fighting, he violently reasserts control. To halt the panic in his ranks, he turns his wrath inward. He executes Ibrahim Pasha, the governor of Buda, who's also the Sultan's own brother-in-law. He was the foremost critic of the strategy to attack Vienna. Preventing him from recounting his version of the events to the Sultan was of utmost importance for the Grand Vizier. Next, Mustafa reforges an elite rearguard of 18,000 men and places them under the command of Kara Mehmed Pasha at Párkány. The Grand Vizier then turns his focus on self-preservation, political survival, and stabilizing the crumbling Ottoman

front in Hungary. He leads the bulk of the surviving field army towards the stronghold of Buda to regroup. Meanwhile, Sobieski and Charles decide to bypass Nové Zámky, Maximilian of Bavaria's preferred target. Nové Zámky is of immense strategic and administrative significance to the Ottoman Empire. It is heavily fortified and serves as the regional capital, a vital anchor for Ottoman authority and operations in Upper Hungary. But Sobieski and Charles set their sights on Párkány. Located on the north bank of the Danube, Párkány serves as the vital bulwark for the pontoon bridge crossing over to the stronghold of Esztergom on the southern bank. Taking this position would sever Ottoman supply lines between Buda and Nové Zámky and choke the remaining Ottoman garrisons in Upper Hungary. Sobieski and Charles realize that if they don't take Párkány, the Ottoman war machine will lick its wounds, rebuild, and return with a vengeance. Párkány is the proverbial head of the serpent. The cold autumn rain of October 1683 turns the sweeping plains into a treacherous mire. The Polish force rides ahead of the rest of the Allied column. Believing that he is chasing a broken, terrified mob of fleeing Ottomans, Sobieski doesn't wait for the German infantry to catch up. Instead, he takes about half his men, about 5,000 cavalry, and rides towards the Párkány crossing. But Mehmed is a cunning and brutal commander, and he has no intention of fleeing. Instead, he meticulously hides his cavalry force within the undulating terrain and thick woods surrounding Párkány, watching the Polish vanguard stretch itself thin. As Sobieski's vanguard carelessly approaches Párkány, the trap is sprung. A tidal wave of thousands of seasoned Ottoman sipahi cavalry pour from concealed positions, screaming war cries that shake the confidence of the Polish ranks. Ottoman reinforcements rush the bridge from Esztergom to aid their comrades. It quickly becomes clear that Mehmed anticipated the arrival of the Holy League and is well prepared. The Polish dragoons, caught out of position, are slaughtered before they can form a cohesive firing line. The vaunted winged hussars, the heroes of Vienna, are swarmed in the chaotic melee. Denied the space for their devastating charge, they are dragged from their saddles and cut down in the mud. Sobieski roars commands over the din of battle and begins to disengage. But suddenly, the king himself is utterly exposed. Two Ottoman cavalrymen burst through the collapsing line, their blades aimed at the monarch. The savior of Europe is inches away from having his head paraded on a Turkish pike. Then, an unknown Polish writer throws himself between the king and his attackers, taking the fatal blows, and buying Sobieski a fraction of a second. Sobieski vigorously spurs his horse and joins the frantic retreat. As they ride west for over half a mile, the Poles steady themselves, but cannot reform their lines while the Ottomans are breathing down their neck. Salvation arrives just as all seems lost. Over the western ridge, the rhythmic march of Duke Charles of Lorraine's imperial infantry and heavy dragoons appears. The imperial forces have already formed a partial firing line, having heard the commotion in front of them. A coordinated volley of musket fire tears into the Ottoman cavalry, halting their advance and forcing them back toward Párkány. Sobieski, covered in the blood of his own men, sits exhausted among the German troops, having lost a thousand men in minutes. As they make camp, the trauma of October 7th forges an iron resolve. Sobieski vows to wash away the humiliation in Ottoman blood. He and Charles agree, no more rushing, no more divided forces. Tomorrow, the Holy League will march as one. Across the battlefield, Kara Mehmed Pasha is equally intoxicated by his success.

success. Having routed the victors of Vienna, he believes Allah has delivered the infidels into his hands. Instead of pulling back across the river, he ferries more men onto the north bank, swelling his force to 18,000. He decides to fight a pitched battle with his back to the deep waters of the Danube. The Ottoman left wing is anchored to Parkany and its defenses, while the right is protected amidst trees on an easily defendable rise. Emeric Thököly with his Magyars, as well as the Tatars, are positioned in the back. The Holy League, meanwhile, deploys around 26,000 troops in three lines. 4 and 1/2 thousand Imperial horsemen under Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann Heinrich von Dünewald are mixed with a strong detachment of Poles on the left under Stanisław Jabłonowski. A similar number of Poles under Sobieski are placed alongside another 4 and 1/2 thousand Imperial riders on the right, commanded by the Margrave of Baden-Baden, Ludwig Wilhelm. Starhemberg commands the central infantry lines, 7 and 1/2 thousand men. The German infantry hastily dig trenches, plant chevaux de frise anti-personnel defenses. Perhaps most potently, they roll deadly artillery pieces towards their placements, but these won't be in position until sometime the next day. Charles of Lorraine holds an overall command role. The Imperials and Poles are confident that with the reorganization and full and placement of their forces, they will continue the task begun at Vienna. But, on the morning of October 9th, the earth trembles. The men of the Holy League are surprised when the Ottomans decline to play the part of passive defenders. Instead, Kara Mehmed Pasha launches a furious preemptive strike against the Imperial left wing hoping to shatter the German lines before they can deploy their artillery. As the Ottoman cavalry charges, fully 2,000 of their number make directly for Jabłonowski's position on the Holy League's left. The sight of the onrushing cavalry is daunting to the Poles, but the men on the lines are not untried novices. By now, some of the guns are in place, and when the Toprakli riders come into range, the cannon and then musket fire rakes their line. Scores fall before they make contact with the enemy. The barricade defenses hold the cavalry in place, and a vicious exchange of lance, pike, pistol, and bayonet begins. The initial charge is halted, but it is clear that there are more on the way, and Jabłonowski calls for reinforcement. More Ottoman horsemen crash into the enemy left. The imperials are under pressure, but their line of pikes and muskets holds. Reinforcements arrive in the form of Austrian dragoons and cuirassiers, who back up the Poles, and the Ottomans are repulsed from the sector. Artillery tears bloody, gaping lanes through their ranks, throwing men and horses into the air. But Mehmed's cavalry is not finished yet. Hoping for a breakthrough, the attack is renewed, now joined by the central units. They charge Jabłonowski's position, hoping that a determined push will punch through the Holy League's line, and cause the host to fold. Instead, the opposite occurs. When the Ottoman center moves to the right, it leaves its own left flank open to the Holy League's center. Lorraine is quick to pounce upon the mistake. While the Polish and Austrian cavalry on the left launch another counter-attack, units from across the league's center and right prepare to move. Jablonowski's counter-attack halts the enemy. The Ottoman attack falters. Seeing the enemy lose momentum, Charles of Lorraine orders a general advance. The Holy League's left wing pushes forward but cannot break the stubborn Ottomans. However, the allied center and right are closing in. Now, it is Sobieski's turn. The king unleashes his heavy cavalry. The hussars, burning with the shame of defeat suffered two days earlier, strike the Ottoman left flank.

The impact is apocalyptic. The Ottoman lines instantly buckle and snap under the unbridled fury of the Polish charge. Many try to escape towards the closer Hieron River, but will eventually be caught at the bank with the majority unable to swim. The Magyars and the Tatars simply melt away without fighting. The league's fire on the runaways is merciless and the first of the great massacres occurs on the Hieron. At the same time, the Janissaries amidst the Parkany Gardens try to hold their line, but the combination of their own fleeing mounted companies, along with the now surging Imperials and Poles, renders this an impossible task. They are overrun and from this point, the only battle is that of survival. Hundreds attempt to run back across the pontoon bridge, but Lorraine and Sobieski's artillery is brought forward and trained on it as the sole target. The exploding missiles and musket balls exacerbate the confusion. The bridge inevitably gives way to collapse and scores drown in the aftermath. Yet more die trying to hold the saddle pommels of their horses. The bloodshed grows even worse as the Imperials and Poles reach the Danube banks and open fire on the hapless stragglers and struggling swimmers. Desperate Ottomans use the now abundant corpses in the churning water as floats, moving from one to the other to get across to the far bank. The Poles give no mercy to those escapees caught in the aftermath. But the Austrians do take prisoners. A story circulates later that some German allies actually saved five or six hundred Ottomans from death at the hands of the Poles. Nevertheless, the losses to the already tottering Sultan's army are catastrophic. 9,000 killed or captured. Imperial and Polish casualties number around 1,000. In the brutal, silent aftermath of Párkány, the true cost of Kara Mustafa Pasha's catastrophic gamble is laid bare upon the muddy shores of the Danube. Vienna stands and the rearguard at Párkány failed to repel the Holy League. Kara Mustafa's fate is sealed, as is that of the Ottoman Empire in Hungary. But this is not merely a tactical defeat. It is the violent amputation of Ottoman power in Eastern Europe. The stronghold of Esztergom, held by the Sultans for 130 unbroken years, surrenders just weeks later. The psychological shock shatters the myth of Ottoman invincibility forever. Their isolated garrisons left trapped in the north realize with creeping dread that no rescue is coming. Only an outbreak of dysentery amongst the allied troops stops Sobieski from riding deeper into Ottoman territory. Meanwhile, Charles of Lorraine is already drawing up plans for the siege and capture of Buda. The miracle of Vienna saved Europe, but a decisive victory at Párkány doomed the Ottoman Empire to a bloody, irreversible collapse. If you want to fantastic VPN, check out the link in the description below or scan the QR code on screen to get an exclusive and massive 83% discount and four extra months completely free. I appreciate you being here for the video. Please give that subscribe button a gentle medieval slap and tickle the like button to appease the almighty algorithm. It will help out the channel greatly. Cheers.