The Siege of Vienna 1683: Poland's Winged Hussars Save Austria

In 1683, the Ottoman Empire launched its second great siege of Vienna, pushing deep into Habsburg territory. Emperor Leopold I fled the city, leaving Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg to defend it with a vastly outnumbered garrison. For two months, the defenders held out against Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha's army, while a relief force gathered under King John III Sobieski of Poland. On September 12, the Battle of Vienna saw the largest cavalry charge in history — 20,000 Polish winged hussars and German knights crashing into the Ottoman lines. The victory broke the Ottoman advance into Europe and marked the rise of the Habsburgs as a great power. This episode walks through the siege, the politics behind it, and the legendary charge that turned the tide. #SiegeOfVienna1683 #BattleOfVienna #JohnIII_Sobieski #KaraMustafa #WingedHussars #ErnstRüdigerVonStarhemberg #LeopoldI #OttomanEmpire #Habsburgs #HolyLeague #Kahlenberg #PolishCavalry #17thCenturyWarfare #CentralEurope #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory #AustrianHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo