The Battle of Vienna
September 12, 1683
The threat of Turkish conquests in Europe was great during and after the Ottomans’ first siege of Vienna in 1529, which failed. From then until the decisive Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Turkish menace towered over Europe’s southeast like a dark thunderhead, even in times of peace.
After declaring war on the Austrian Hapsburgs on August 6, 1682, the Ottomans mobilized a force of 170,000 to besiege Vienna the following summer. Meanwhile, the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Papal States, and Venice, among others, formed an alliance.
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William J. Tighe was Professor of History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, until his retirement in 2024. He is a member of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.He is a senior editor for Touchstone.
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