Commemorating Jan III Sobieski, The Polish Warrior-King Who Saved Europe From Islam
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One of the western world's most important events took place in 1683, as a powerful Ottoman army advanced into Europe. Already having conquered Hungary and Transylvania, 150,000 Ottomans laid siege to the city of Vienna, the gateway to continental Europe. 11,000 troops and 5,000 volunteers declared that they would defend the city to the last man. For almost two months, they held out against the Turkish onslaught, suffering severe casualties as the Turks breached the outer walls of Vienna, digging tunnels and filling them with gunpowder.
Enter Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland, and the husaria, or winged hussars. As the battered Austrians prepared to fight in the streets of
Vienna, Sobieski led a relief force of 30,000 Poles, 18,500 Austrians, 19,000 Franconian, Bavarian, and Swabian troops, and 9,000 Saxons. The Turks attacked the relief force, resulting in 12 hours of intense infantry combat before Sobieski saw that the time was right to break the back of the Turkish force. Sobieski led a charge of 20,000 Polish and German cavalry, the largest cavalry charge in recorded history, with Sobieski and 3000 winged hussars at the head of the charge. The Turkish lines crumbled, and the hussars pressed into the Turkish camps as the elated remaining defenders of Vienna poured out of the city, finally on the offensive.
The Turks retreated and abandoned their attempts to conquer Europe. Sobieski, ever the statesman, declared the following:
"Veni, vidi, Deus vicit."
I came, I saw, God conquered.
A speech delivered by the King of Poland to his army before the Battle of Vienna, September 12th 1683.
"Brave and valiant gentlemen of Poland, it is not here only requisite to make good the glory which your ancestors valor have aquir’d, in making us consider’d as the bulwark of Christianity against the arms of the Ottomans: It is not only sufficient at this present to defend your country, which the loss of Vienna would expose by a necessary consequence to the invasion of those infidels, with whom we are to fight. Here it is necessary to defend the cause of God, and to preserve the Western Empire, which hath done us the honor to have recourse to our alliance; an honor which our ancestors dust never aspire unto, and was reserved for your valor. Entertain therefore no other thoughts at present, but either to conquer, or nobly to end your lives in this just cause, to which the glory of our common master is annexed: Think now that you are to Fight in the fight of so many brave commanders who are engaged in the same cause and peril; reflect also that your King Fights at the head of you, whereby to have a share both in your glory and danger; and withal be confident that the Lord of Hosts whose cause we defend will undoubtedly fight for us."
IT'S BEEN WAY TOO LONG SINCE GERMANS AND POLES HAVE FOUGHT TOGETHER.
NO MORE BROTHER WARS!
