The 1683 Siege of Vienna

The Battle of Vienna, The Gates of Vienna, Blog #1

Vienna  was ill prepared to face the massive Ottoman army that surrounded it in July, 1683. The city commander had just made last minute completions of the city defenses and set the city's suburbs on fire as the Ottoman army arrived.

 Estimates vary, but the Muslims probably numbered between 130 to 150,000 soldiers. The Christian defenders mustered 11-12,000 men, with no relief force in sight. The eventual triumph of the Habsburg garrison over the Goliath-sized Ottoman army is the subject of this blog.

C. Wayne Dawson:  Author, Historian, Professor