The Epic Charge that stopped Ottoman expansion in Europe: 1683 Historical Battle of Vienna

The Battle of Vienna[a] took place at Kahlenberg Mountain near Vienna on 12 September 1683 after the city had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. The battle was fought by the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, both under the command of King John III Sobieski, against the Ottomans and their vassal and tributary states. The battle marked the first time the Commonwealth and the Holy Roman Empire had cooperated militarily against the Ottomans. The defeat is often seen as a turning point for Ottoman expansion into Europe, after which they would gain no further ground
00:00 Introduction
00:59 Defence preparations
01:40 The Ottomans advance
02:32 The alliance march to Vienna
02:56 The Siege begins
03:36 The Relief force
04:26 The Ottoman issues
05:12 The Ottomans attack the relief force
06:06 Combat begins
08:01 Ottoman betrayals
08:22 The Siege continues
09:34 The Final push
10:16 The largest cavalry charge in history
12:25 The Ottoman line breaks
13:23 Aftermath

[@mr.s2005]

"Then the winged Hussars arrived!!!!! Coming down they turned the tide"

[@zach7193]

Those Winged horsemen were the most colorful units of the battle. They were awesome.

[@paulofelipebbraga9634]

There were as colorful as they were fierce in battle, never losing any. WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVE!

[@pissedoff-is1mt]

That cavalry charge must have been something to see. I would hate to have to face cavalry, it must have been terrifying even for seasoned troops. Great work as usual dude!!

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks man, I still think the cavalry charge was hard to portray just because of the massive scale of it, I think it would look way more epic in real life

[@elricofarmer1561]

Imagine how the ground thundered with the sound of all those horsemen! The crazy alliances and mixed armies from all of Europe and across the Ottoman Empire was sure something, too.

[@paulofelipebbraga9634]

As soon as I saw the winged Hussars in the thumbnail i knew it would be great.

[@BellumCinematicsTotalWar]

Very nice! Then the Winged Hussars arrived! Really cool man, I'm all in for this :)

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks man I appreciate the support

[@stevenkoehler6018]

Thank god for strong, brave men

[@leebiggs1685]

You left out the artillary bombardment from the Kahlenberg, the two year long preparation for the siege by the Ottomans, and Pasha's interest in taking the city by surrender rather than by direct conquest. Also, Pasha was not hanged, but garotted. This defeat was the reason Osama bin Laden chose Sept. 11 his attack day.

[@paltomori4625]

This battle had a huge impact on the history of Hungary as well. 3 years later Buda was freed from Turkish rule, and within 15 years almost the entire Kingdom of Hungary was liberated after 150 years of Turkish oppression. This Christian victory made all of that possible.

[@yunusayma4413]

What was the preference of the Hungarian people? If independence is not possible, should we become an Ottoman vassal or an Austrian vassal?

[@paltomori4625]

@@yunusayma4413 Austrian was the preference for the Hungarian Catholics for sure. Hungarians offered the Hungarian crown to the Austrian Habsburgs just to save them from the savage Turkish infidels.

[@sarantissporidis391]

​.... Duh... I wonder if that had a little something to do that they were both Christian and European and they just didn't want to be enslaved by an alien nation?! Ever crossed your mind, genius?!

[@manuelacosta9463]

The Winged Hussars are among the most legendary cavalry of all time and this charge sealed their status. The Poles have a well earned reputation for bravery against the odds and emerging victorious.

[@user-yn8ht7gf9f]

But excellent intelligent military strategy NOT SUICIDAL LUNACY

[@krzysztofrazniewski1961]

Try to find out how big was ottoman army and how many ussars attack, then we talked. P.s Ottomans were aware of Polish army arriving. There was no surprise whatsoever.

[@krzysztofrazniewski1961]

@@RandomUser_360 what you are saying is that 40000 troops has march for weeks towards Vienna and then camp nearby for a week while preparing for the battle and ottomans never had a clue about them? Why do you think Sapieha with Lithuanian forces stay behind in Poland to counter ottoman vassal Imre Thököly and his Hungarian troops and only joined the Polish army after the battle?

[@kalemegdan6566]

Serbs, fathers of Slavs.

[@krzysztofrazniewski1961]

@@kalemegdan6566Winged hussars were Polish and Lithuanian forces. ... I think the name could be derived from Serbia but that's all .

[@user-pc9kk9ip4s]

This was a very important victory. I remember it very well from my history lessons.

[@annarudzka8634]

To chyba był szczyt polskiej potęgi, potem nie było już tak kolorowo minęło trochę ponad 100 lat i Polska zniknęła z mapy na 123 lata, niektórzy twierdzą że właśnie przez te odsiecz.

[@elricofarmer1561]

No wonder Europe has so many issues to this day! All of the various alliances, rulers, states, obligations, suspicions, broken treaties... Through thousands of years these events unfolded and left bitter tastes and resentment along with obligations of debt. These vast battlefields likely still have treasure troves of artifacts buried below the soil. The history of mankind is both enlightening and sad at the same time.

[@ToastSoon4808]

Indeed.....and yet it still continues. Maybe the true tragedy of the world and the peoples who lived over time. It's actually hart breaking.....beautiful people, traditions, cultures, youth, innocence.... all gone.

[@erichguenter8974]

I saw some of this Muslim weapon in a museum in Dresden Germany the Muslim left enough flower and coffee behind to start the first coffee house in Europe

[@flankspeed]

This must have totally been an influence on Tolkien's Ride of the Rohirrim.

[@marcellovella664]

THE ottoman empire first heavy defeat came in 1565 in the Great siege of Malta, where they got humiliated starting with 40000 troops against 1600 Maltese farmers and villangers and 400 troops of the Knights Order of St. John, that was blow it will remain in history.

[@yunusayma4413]

as a Turk, I thought that we compensated for the defeat in Malta by taking Cyprus in 1571.

[@user-qt4ee4nb1h]

Those feathers in the frame created an errie humming sound when in full gallop. It would disturb the foes horses as well as the troops.

[@cathywilliams365]

The winged feathers were part of the battle armour. Other sources I've seen said that at a full gallop, those feathers created a high pitched keening sounds that really frightened men and horses on the Ottoman side. They had never heard that sound before. For the Winged Hussars, this was a huge advantage. Their horses were already trained for it

[@ToastSoon4808]

What overwhelms my thinking - the logistics in support of these massive forces and those responsible for it. The cavalry charge - imagine the sounds, thunder and dare I say beauty - what could stop it? I cannot imagine the bravery of those who had to face it - the front line....but I guess, different times, different approach and view of the fatality of live..? Excellent production thanks.

[@bravao3233]

3:00 Medieval knights? Nice video though :)

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks man

[@lonnieclemens8028]

My first time to hear about the Winged Hussars. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

Orders to Pasha were to "Take Vienna and then turn St Peter's in Rome into a Mosque"

[@allenatkins2263]

Everybody is gangsta until the Winged Hussars show up.

[@MarcusBrutusPL]

@4:16 Where did you take the numbers from? I expect it is Kahraman Şakul's Siege of Vienna? I found similar numbers there. Too bad the numbers of Ottoman troops are not taken from this books because Turkish authors claim that the most troop Kara Mustafa could muster 120 000 (and that counting his allies), so usually they present active force Ottomans used at 65 000 - 60 000 men. But you give number of 150 000 men. Sobieski brought at least 25000 (possibly arround 27000) men to the battle, and out of the imperial forces about 2000 men were in fact Polish cavalry recruited by Austrians in April, led by Hieronim Lubomirski. The allied army at Tulln numbered about 75 000 - 90 000 men (depending on the source), but several thousand were left to guard the bridge and baggage train. The number I've given for Poles is based on the count of “infantry portions and horses” - a number used to count actual pay of the troops, written down on the day of “popis” - presentation of the unit to the commander of the army. Therefore it is the most accurate source of information. The number in this case was 29 136 (as per Leszek Podhorecki), so minus so called “blind portions” (additional enumeration for unit commanders, officers and people holding important functions for instance in logistics) which amounted to 8-10% of total number of “portions and horses”, the real number of troops paid by Polish Sejm was around 26 200. Add to this private troops and Cossacks that joined the army on the march and number given by Jan Wimmer, that is 27 400 soldiers, does sound about right. Even if one does take into account some losses during march from Kraków to Vienna (which according to Polish and Czech sources were very light) any estimate below 25000 Poles present during the battle is clearly intentionally lowered. The estimates of 20000, 18000, 15000, or even 13000 usually given by western historians as total number of Polish troops have NEVER been based on anything as well documented. Those estimates are supposedly based on a note of Charles of Lorraine from his visit to Polish main camp or some other "eye-witness account". Problem is that leaving Cracow Sobieski split Polish army in two columns and Charles of Lorraine visited only Sobieski's main force, with 9 000 cavalry screening force still being two days march to the east. Not a single Austrian or German (or Ottoman) general has made a full inspection of Polish relief force, and yet for some reason historians and people yourselves, believe their numbers over Poles testimonies.

[@ElTheJono]

WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED

[@billredding2000]

Look for the song about this charge on KZbin: "Sabaton - Winged Hussars (Subtitles)" -- BR

[@IamCanadian49]

when Poland saved the west....and how were they repaid..... Nazi and soviet repression and western indifference....no....Briton did try to intervene....but too late...

[@syedzameer8022]

then after saving Austria from ottoman Austria invaded Poland and divided it's territory but ottoman empire was the one which gave refuge to these hussars that were responsible for their downfall

[@bloger12prokofief15]

Une bonne correction aux Turcs, c’est très bien.

[@KarlKloie]

Winged Hussar skin was the first dlc I bought for EU4. Still the coolest.

[@infoscholar5221]

You know, when I was in grad school, I dated a girl from Transylvania (in modern day Romania) and she never mentioned any of this stuff. Great vid.

[@bogdanski6928]

Let's face the music. If not Poland we'd all speak Arab today.

[@MarcusBrutusPL]

@10:15 Sorry but your narrative is an oversimplification. It just lacks information on what was happening on the battlefield and what that battlefield actually looked like. What really happened was: Polish king was up at 4:00 AM (some say at 3:00AM) and when sun rose he saw that the information he was given by the Austrians was incorrect: although from hills of Leopoldsberg and Kahlenberg one could go down to the plains, the hills to the west and south-west on which the army camped were not right on the plain, and part of the allied forces in center (the Germans) and all of the right wing (the Poles) would have to traverse another set of hills (Latisberg, Dreimarkstein, Heuberg, Gallitzinberg, Schafberg etc.), separated by ravines, partially covered in woods (on western side), partially in vineyards. Thus the attack of the allied right wing would be significantly delayed. Only infantry was able to fight in those conditions and Polish infantry units entered action after 10:00 due to having longest way to go. Sobieski even considered making it a two-day battle and Charles agreed that it might be necessary. Fortunately it was not. Mind you I’m not blaming the Austrians for not having accurate information about the rough terrain west of Vienna, as the military surveys and maps were created almost a century later, I’m just stating the facts. So Austrians and Saxons were the first to engage (first skirmishest started in the night before 5:00 or after 4:00 - no hand watches, mind ;) ) on the left wing close to Danube. They pushed the Turkish infantry backward and capurted Nussdorf, but by doing this they opened a gap between themselves and the allied center, so Sobieski ordered the further assault to stop, until the Germans also advanced further. Austrians prepared for attack on Heiligenstadt and Grinzing/Grinzberg, which was captured after noon. At about the same time that time Germans with Polish support by 28 cannon carried by Polish infantry through Vienna forrest, took Gersthof (thus the gap between Austrians and Germans was closed) and Polish infantry took Dornbach while dragoons captured Hutteldorf on the southern end of the battlefield. Austrians and Germans attacked positions near Turkenshantze at Dobling at about 13:00, but the initial assault was stopped, so they held the advance to rest before the final attack (and set up more artillery batteries, as finally they brought their cannon from the rear along one road near the Danube). The left wing was in combat for about 8 hours (since first skirmishers initiated by Ibrahim Pasha troops before 5:00) so they needed reorganization. The route across the Danube open by fleeing Wallachians made it easier to attack main Ottoman force. Polish main body of cavalry became visible to the enemy and western allies around 13:00-14:00 (depending from where one looked at their approach route). Polish infantry cleared a way though the vineyards just before 15:00. The reconnaisance of the terrain ahead has been made - two hussaria banners (units of up to 200 men) under Zbierzchowski and Zbrożek were sent before 16:00 to harras the enemy and prove that there were no further obstacles hidden from the view. They suffered heavy casualties but did the job: a charge was possible. Polish and allied cavalry could start to prepare the final attack on the hills of Gallitzinberg, Heuberg and Schafberg. However this delay between appearance of Polish hussaria and clearing the way for final charge gave time for Kara Mustafa to order most of the troops from the trenches in the north of Turkenschance, to reinforce his left wing, additionally he ordered the transfer of any available forces from his center and right wing to face the Poles. Thus he weakened forces facing the Austrians and Germans, but wanted to prepare three quarters or his remaining force (as per testimony of Silahdar Mehmed Aga) for what was clearly to be the main assault. Austrians and Germans may have thought that they had “almost broken” the enemy, because Turkish counter-attacks suddenly stopped and musket and artillery fire was less intense. To buy himself more time Kara Mustafa ordered a counter attack by Tatars just after 14:00 on most southern piece of the battlelines near Vienn river. It broke after one salvo of dragoons and threat of charge by Polish light cavalry. After repulsing Zbierzchowski/Zbrożek’s raid, another attack was ordered by his entire left-wing cavalry units under Abaza Sari Huseyin. This counter attack was defeated by Polish artillery and infantry by about 17:00. Just as Polish cavalry would have had problems fighting in such terrain, so the Turkish cavalry had difficult time fighting there and Abaza Sari Huseyin did not yet have infantry reinforcements ready. The final artillery barrage and infantry assault was made in organized way about 16:30 - 17:00 first on the left wing and in the center and finally on the right, on order form Sobieski (although Charles V had the same idea and was about to order, or did order, according to other sources, the attack of the allied left wing). The idea was to pin down the Turkish forces moving towards their left wing in place. Seeing that the Turks were not yet fully re-deployed Sobieski ordered the “all out” cavalry charge at about 18:00 (battle lasted for over 12 hours at that time). Charge started about 18:30 and lasted for about 30 minutes. Polish hussars broke the Turkish cavalry and reached the camp. Most of the Ottoman infantry, seeing their cavalry fleeing, broke just as the sun started to set. The core troops of Grand Vizier offered some resistance to Poles (and German reiters under Waldeck), who charged into the center of the camp (in general vicinity of modern Turkenschantze district), but seeing their line of retreat threatened by Polish light cavalry, who were about to block the bridges on Vien river, also hastily retreated. The second cavalry line consisting of Austrian and German cavalry did not have a chance to enter the fray. Odpowiedz

[@ricardomews3597]

the Polish hussars won the battle with the Turks... and then... were humiliated by the very man who asked them for help to save Vienna... and Europe!

[@herbertgearing1702]

Cultural differences or not, the entire idea of the Janesaris is really messed up psychological warfare. They demand their conquered Christian Vassals to surrender their young boys as hostages and tribute, then you abuse and brainwash them into becoming a conspicuous unit of soldiers who will likely at some point march back to their homeland to fight against their families and countrymen. It was a cruel way to subjugate people and they probably assumed it would dissuade rebellion. I don't know if they understood how much hatred, disgust, and anger could unite very different people against a common abuser and bully. When you rule like that, you can never show any signs of weakness because you don't have any friends or allies who like or admire you, just people who fear you and can't wait to stab you in the back or kick you when you are on the way down.

[@user-xs9cm3ch3s]

Чому у нової інфантерії не примкнуті багнети? Якось дивно виглядає. Відео чудове.🙂🙂🙂

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks man, it’s just the units on the mod

[@user-qt1oy3we7e]

The victory at Vienna did not stop the islamic conquest of Europe. It just slowed it down for a few hundred years.

[@andersholmstrom3571]

I have been in Krakow and seen tents etc. taken by the poles in the battle of Vienna.

[@josiahmarseille382]

What’s the name of the mod, nice video btw

[@cinematicbattles559]

Thanks! It’s the pike and shot 2 mod for empire total war

[@krisztm7221]

Jan 3 Sobieski, not John.

[@krzysztofrazniewski1961]

To samo, Jan tłumaczy się na Johna, święty Jan to samo co Saint John.

[@krisztm7221]

Czy w Polsce na Johna Lennona mówimy Jan Lennon ?@@krzysztofrazniewski1961

[@piotr5338]

​@@krzysztofrazniewski1961imion i nazwisk nie tłumaczymy

[@krzysztofrazniewski1961]

@@piotr5338 to nie jest tłumaczenie, to jest to samo imię. Raczej będzie trudno przetłumaczyć nazwisko Sobieskiego na angielski....

[@papir4745]

Which game did you use?

[@cinematicbattles559]

Empire Total War

[@Djdjdhdn]

How can we control both our own unit and the army of its enemy in total war atilla ?

[@MarcusBrutusPL]

@13:50 Actually Kara Mustafa was executed only ofter second defeat: at Parkany 7 to 9 October. Sobiesky wanted to destroy that large part of Ottoman army that escaped from Vienna, so he pressed for continued campaign, despite Austrians wanting only to take two border fortresses of Gran/Esztergom and Neuhausel/Ujvar. Austrins wanted to block Polish advance into Hungary for fear of plans to gather Hungarian nobility support and replace the Turkish influence with Polish (king Jan wanted to make his son Jakub king of Hungary) and knowing that Imre Thököly was sympathetic to those plans (allying with victorious Poles would pull him out of unpopular alliance with the Muslims and make independent of Leopold at the same time), Austrian emperor did everything he could to hinder Poles. Starting on 15th September food rations and animal fodder were withheld from Poles. Polish wounded were refused transport across the Danube. Polish dead were refused burial in Viennese cemeteries - instead they were supposed to be buried alongside the Turks in unconsecrated ground. Austrian troops even shot in direction of small groups of Polish soldiers trying to buy some food near Vienna (as per several Polish letters from the camp). Mind you not only the Poles were misstreated by the Austrians. Saxon contingent slandered by Austrians, because of being Protestant, withdrew from Vienna alltoghether. So Sobieski made a grave strategic error - he moved towards Buda and in two day battle with austrian support destroyed Ottoman army (which could check the Austrians, but did not threaten Poland anymore). Afterward, due to lack of supplies there was an epidemy among the troops and Sobieski had to withdraw. But Parkany meant the Ottomans had no experienced soldiers to rebuild an army on and this made it easier for Austrian to conquer Hungary in later years.

[@BSNickel]

Could we get the Battle on the Ice 1242?

[@eugeneilarionov1249]

This battle is one of the most mythologized events of Russian history. NO archeological finds; no rests of livonic knights and their armour were found in the lake. Lickely only some small rencontre took place which later was mythologized like a great battle.

[@BSNickel]

@@eugeneilarionov1249 Although there is some truth behind your claim, such as how the battle was emphasized as a great battle between the Russians and the Teutonic Order when really it wasn’t, it still did happen. And of course there wouldn’t be any archaeological evidence, it took place on a frozen lake. The whole myth that the Russians broke the ice and drowned the Teutonic Knights never happened so there wouldn’t be any armor to uncover.

[@J-tron-ke2fn]

Wow, medieval knights fought in the.siege of Vienna, who had thought it?

[@MarcusBrutusPL]

@7:14 The Center of Allied position was occupied by Germans under Prince Georg von Waldeck. That is combined Bavarian, Swabian and Franconian troops, Saxons being on the left with Imperial Austrian troops. @9:17 Actually Gersthof was captured by joined German-Polish assault, with support provided by Polish artillery. @9:38 I'm confused: I thought that the Austrians were on the left flank of the allied army, not the Germans ... you said so few minutes ago.

[@Michalu96]

No to zdobwajcie

[@binalcensored2104]

The Otomans were really defeated and impoverish by the Portuguese in the Indic ocean wars!

[@kooo7000]

The author of this video seems to misunderstand that Austrians are Germans as much as Bavarians or Prussians or Hessians. Germany consists of different regions and tribes. The German emperor resided in Vienna and spoke , guess what, German. Germany as a political entity in the modern sense didn't even exist in 1683.

[@RiverMaddocks]

Empire Total War?

[@cinematicbattles559]

Yes

[@krukpolny8505]

Sabaton - Winged Hussars Poland. You Tube.

[@troidva]

The narrative overlooks the fact that one of the reasons for the terrifying effectiveness of the winged hussars is that the wind flowing through the thousands of feathers on the backs of the horsemen moving at a gallop would give off an unearthly high-pitched whistle that would have terrified their opponents and their horses.

[@erea3355]

Thank God Islam was stopped

[@kevanbodsworth9868]

That muslims threatened Europe at so late a date should tell some people something about the situation,

[@edthibeault3389]

Funny did the Poles borrow uniforms from the Brits? lol

[@johnadams-wp2yb]

Now they use dinghys.

[@ChrisTopher-vs9zz]

I stopped watching after 49 seconds. And then I gave you a thumbs down. Because the sound was terrible. Your soundtrack was so loud it overcame your narrated voice making it impossible to watch and listen to.

[@yunusayma4413]

As Türkiye, we cannot underestimate anyone's success. It would be dangerous for us to underestimate the success of others. In our opinion, the biggest reason for the Vienna defeat was our own internal struggle. This internal struggle of ours has continued until today, and we have always become smaller until today.

[@lesnik2656]

Well, of all Ottoman senior commanders in this siege and resulting battle, Murad Gerey - the Khan on Tatars, (possibly) was the wisest. He knew very well how an attack on an organised, well prepared Commonwealth army would end - in a slaughter. It's obvious that Gerey still could not forget the bloodbath at Podhajce, 6th of October 1667, and other "meetings" with the Poles... especially, with Sobieski. Autumn 1672 - the Sobieski raid deep into the enemy's territory, And then, on 11.11.1673 - the battle of Chocim - victory, that sealed Sobieski's election as King, one year later. Simple self-preservation on Gerey's part...

[@steventhorson4487]

Roman Catholic forces are victorious!!

[@rickdearing3204]

No it was the center the Christian’s power it was a religious war and had been for centuries and I spite of what is said the land the Muslim took was Christian lands for 600 years

[@user-qt4ee4nb1h]

Harry Schwartz led the charge at Constantinople in 1066, defeating Mikey the Mean and changing.history.

[@futuremaps]

mods

[@hpfreemen]

rhe barbarians on there times

[@DrewM91105]

These dimwitted AI voices which haven't got a clue how to emphasize words makes this sound embarassingly silly. Because you're talking about Ottomans attacking, the phrase "And in return, the Polish army would come to the relief of Vienna if it were ATTACKED" sounds idiotic. You're supposed to say the Poles would get help if Poland were attacked, but they would come "to the relief of Vienna if IT were attacked." Talk about sounding like you have no idea what you're saying. This mistake is repeated many times. How about this idea? Get an actual narrator who has some idea what he's saying.

[@thenapoleanhistorybuff]

I wish this didn't happen so Islam would spread in Europe faster

[@heinwein421]

I would not recommend to be an Ottoman General☠️

[@jamestaylor5341]

But I thought Muslim immigration was a good thing???

[@kalemegdan6566]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussar#:~:text=Origins-,Early%20Hungarian%20hussars,units%20inspired%20by%20the%20Ottomans.