Customer Reviews

Vienna 1683: Christian Europe Repels the Ottomans (Campaign)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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In less then 100 pages, Simon Millar managed to write an excellent summary account of the last major military offensive conducted by Islamic Ottoman Empire against Christian Europe in 1683 when the Turks tried but failed to capture the capital city of the Holy Roman Empire, Vienna.

The book follows the typical Osprey Campaign series format where the background information on the campaign, its leaders and the military forces involved were given in a brief summary. However, the author did a pretty good job making it informative but not too detail. The book comes with excellent maps and illustrations that convey the subject matter quite well. The narrative proves to be quite interesting and author writes with prose and insights that make the book easy to read as well as enjoyable. I thought it was pretty ironic that the Polish kingdom that saved Vienna in 1683 would be dismembered by the same political unit that they saved within the hundred years period. This also marked the long decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire that will end its existence after World War I and the last time an militant Islam wages a war against the Christian heartland until the current time. The Ottoman Empire's efforts against Vienna in 1683 is not a well known subject matter for many, including myself and I thought the book filled the void quite excellently along the basic level.

In Osprey's Campaign 191, Vienna 1683, author Simon Millar tells the story of the last great Ottoman campaign of conquest in Europe. This is a dramatic period in history, charged with emotion and ideology on both sides, although these aspects are played down in favor of a strait-up campaign narrative. In describing the campaign, the author is able to stay on track and stick to essentials, resulting in a cogent summary of the military operations, although somewhat devoid of analysis. Furthermore, the narrative is weakened by the inadequate number and indifferent quality of the maps used to support it - in stark contrast to most Osprey volumes. On the other hand, the volume is enhanced by the superb artwork of Peter Dennis. In sum, good text, poor maps, good battle scenes.

The author begins with an introduction that sketches out the security environment facing Austria in 1683, which seems to stress that Louis XIV posed more of a threat to the Hapsburgs than the Ottomans, which seems a bit strange. Certainly France was interested in making gains against Hapsburg dominions in the Low Countries, Germany and Italy, but unlike the Ottomans, the French armies were unlikely to march on Vienna, massacre the population and burn the city to the ground. Indeed, the author appears to be confusing two different styles of warfare (limited, focused on exchange of provinces versus total, focused on exchange of cultures). The section on opposing commanders is decent, but devotes far more space to Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I who played only a small role in the actual campaign, as compared to the thin blurb on Count Ernst Starhemberg who led the actual defense of Vienna. I think most of us would rather know more about the soldiers who actually won/lost the battle, than the figureheads who watched afar from a convent window. The author does paint a convincing portrait of Kara Mustafa Pasha, the Ottoman grand vizier who staked his reputation on taking Vienna.

The section on opposing armies is a bit skimpy at four pages, covering the Imperial forces, the Polish-Lithuanian Army and the Ottoman Army. Four uniform illustrations by Peter Dennis did highlight this section. However, the order of battle is a complete disappointment, with only generic totals listed. Does the author mean that he can find no greater detail on the Vienna garrison that it consisted of about 12,000 men in 72 infantry companies and a regiment of cavalry? Seems a bit lame. The volume has a total of seven 2-D Maps (Central and Eastern Europe in 1683; Vienna and the River Danube in 1683; the siege of Vienna; the Tatar Raids into Austria; the opposing sides concentrate their forces on Vienna; the march of the Christian forces through the Wienerwald; the reconquest of Hungary) but only one 3-D Map (the Battle of Kahlenberg, 12 September 1683). There are also three battle scenes (the Ottomans arrive before Vienna; an Ottoman attack on the city walls is repelled; the charge of the Polish winged hussars) by Peter Dennis

The most difficult section of the book to follow is the 14 pages on the beginning of the campaign, since the maps don't show the Ottoman advance on Vienna and their outmaneuvering of the Austrian blocking forces. In this section, the author notes that Austrian mobilization was hindered by economic weakness and the Ottoman violation of an existing peace treaty. Certainly the best section in this volume is the 21-page section on the actual defense of Vienna. Unfortunately, the lack of proper maps makes it very difficult to follow the author's description of the various Ottoman assaults and mining operations, since the maps fail to identify the bastions. Furthermore, the one 2-D map he provides does not show the position of Ottoman artillery batteries or much detail on the siege works. Nor is there any real mention of casualties, so it is difficult to gauge whether the besiegers were gaining on the defenders.

The Austro-Bavarian-Saxon-Polish relief of Vienna is covered in the 17-page section on the battle of Kahlenberg. This action is described in some detail, particularly the effects of terrain on the Allied advance, but it is far from clear why the Ottomans lost this battle. The final sections cover the aftermath of the campaign, including the final defeat of the retreating Ottoman invasion army at the Battle of Parkany and the resultant execution of Kara Mustafa for his failure. Although the author provides a brief section on the battlefield today, I was surprised that he made no mention of the Museum of Military History in Vienna, which has exhibits on this battle. Overall, not a bad volume and one that certainly summarizes a less-well-known campaign, but with a little effort it could have been much better.

Another fantastic Osprey Campaign title. This one is loaded with good information about the historic Siege of Vienna 1683, the events and conditions leading up to the battle. Major players are given their due, for example the Polish warrior-king Jan III Sobieski as well as the Habsburg general Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg (commander in chief during Vienna's defense).

The color plate illustrations are of superb quality, most of the best ones from Peter Dennis. I only wish that Osprey or Dennis would allow us to purchase art prints of some of these fantastic colorful illustrations, especially the battle scenes. The book is well worth the Amazon price, and this is a must-have for fans of Habsburg or Austro-Hungarian history.

Instead of repeating other reviewers, I mostly focus on other facts. This short, easy-reading book packs a lot of detail into relatively few pages. I appreciate the colored pictures of the battles, and the details about the armies, the leaders, etc. The battles are discussed in detail.

The later King John Sobieski is described as follows: "Sobieski was the model warrior hero for his time, spiritually sharp with a strong Catholic faith, and a decisive and vigorous man. Unlike Leopold, he tolerated Jews and Protestants within his realm. He attempted to provide Poland with a stronger institution of government and desired to establish permanent borders and security for Poland, notably in his attempt to establish an international coalition against Islam." (p. 17).

The Polish winged Hussars, a mobile cavalry, had a large number of Cossacks in its ranks. (p. 24). The Hussars played a decisive role in the victory against the Turks.

The author, Millar, describes the situation after the battle. King John Sobieski entered Vienna, where he got the following reception: "Next followed a mass at St. Stephens where the Viennese crowds thronged around the hero Sobieski." (p. 81). [Unfortunately, Austria's gratitude to Poland for having saved her from the Ottomans was short-lived. Less than a century after this event, Austria was one of the powers partitioning Poland.]

The city of Vienna is now several times larger than it was in 1683. The author describes all the changes that have occurred in the area since the battle. Very few traces of it remain.

And a show of heroism and determination for both sides of the conflict. It definitively made a good book in this concise "essay" from Simon Millar.

Competently he describes the background of the campaign, not only in the Imperial habsburg eastern front but also the western with Louis XIV France and how it influenced the reluctance of certain princes to be in the relief force. The author doesn't forget the Ottoman side of the border; the necessity of Mehmed IV to obtain a victory after a succession of deposed sultans (some murdered) and the near ending of the peace treaty with the Empire.

There is a short summary of the troop types (complemented with a few very well portrayed black and white drawings), a short CV of the main characters (John III Sobieski, Starhemberg, Leopold, Kara Mustafa pasha, Rackoksi) a a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of both combatants, including Montecocculis reforms, the weak artillery science of the Ottomans (although they had good pieces) compensated by the excellent Turkish miners, etc.

The campaign is well detailed with marching routes, skirmishes and supported by good maps. The Siege is divided by "main events" and well structured with the politic events outside Vienna. It culminates on the Kalehmberg confrontation outside the city, where the Imperial and Polish army fought and Routed the Ottoman army.

The author doesn't forget the aftermath battles of Parkany and future implications of the failed siege.

This work, although good, isn't perfect. The CV's should concentrate on the leaders of the siege and battle, not the political rulers. Although it has very good maps of the armies movements, it has only one birds-eye view map of the battle (it usually has 3)! The numbers involved aren't very well detailed.

The art is very good! Both the three coloured plates like the black and white line drawings. Congratulations to the artist Peter Dennis.

Recommended but can be improved.

Destroing, literally, turkich mitary surroudning Vienna, on urgent request of the Pope send to polish King Jan Sobieski , whilst the other european contries did almost nothing in that highly dramatic situation of Vienna, cannot be overestimated in respect of saving of european civilisation from barbarism. Yet, nor Austria, nor Pope, nobody, offered Poland some financial compensation of the costs of the organizing the expeditionary force, and Poland's economy soon had been ruined by that, and ... Sweeden used the moment to attack Poland from the North and occupy it. Nobody helped Poland.
Wiktor Nowicki, a polish-american.