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Osprey Campaign #191
Vienna 1683: Christian Europe Repels the Ottomans
Osprey's study of a battle that was part of a triple conflict: the Polish-Ottoman War (1683-1699), the Great Turkish War (1667-1698), and the Ottoman Hapsburg Wars (1526-1791). The capture of the Hapsburg city of Vienna was a major strategic aspiration for the Islamic Ottoman Empire, desperate for the control that the city exercised over the Danube and the overland trade routes between southern and northern Europe. In July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a jihad and the Turkish grand vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to the city with an army of 150,000 men.
In September a relieving force arrived under Polish command and joined up with the defenders to drive the Turks away. The main focus of this book is the final 15-hour battle for Vienna, which climaxed with a massive charge by three divisions of Polish winged hussars. This hard-won victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which was never to threaten central Europe again.
In September a relieving force arrived under Polish command and joined up with the defenders to drive the Turks away. The main focus of this book is the final 15-hour battle for Vienna, which climaxed with a massive charge by three divisions of Polish winged hussars. This hard-won victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which was never to threaten central Europe again.
96 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 13, 2020
This was exactly what I expected from an Osprey book: succinct information with lots of maps and illustrations.
October 8, 2023
Quite a nice description of the 1683 siege of Vienna. The battles are portrayed quite well and the maps and images are great as allays. Would have liked more information about the minor Ottoman allies though.
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August 28, 2018I’d been looking for a single volume treatment of the siege as I was going to be visiting Vienna this summer. I’ve previously enjoyed this authors work and this book is no exception. Simon Millar covers a great deal of ground in the very limited space allowed him, dealing with the politics of the Ottoman court, the fraught relationship between Hungary and the rest of Europe, the influence of the French and the maddeningly complex relationships that existed within the allied army. Once he’s covered all of that he has to tackle the siege and then the relief after that. It’s a wonder he manages to cram it all in.
The maps are admirably clear and Peter Dennis’s illustrations are so uniformly good that praising them is getting awkward.
As a newcomer to the period, I found this a perfect introduction and it has whetted my appetite for more.
The maps are admirably clear and Peter Dennis’s illustrations are so uniformly good that praising them is getting awkward.
As a newcomer to the period, I found this a perfect introduction and it has whetted my appetite for more.
September 10, 2016
This book is a title in the continuing Osprey Battles and Campaigns series. It's a compact but succinct overview of one of history's more consequential battles. Despite its slim size it contains maps, engravings, biographies and several commissioned color illustrations that enhance the text. I read this after watching a very strange new Polish film,
The Day of the Siege: September 11, 1683
. (September 11th was the first day of the final battle which ended on September 12th, some creative marketing genius at work I presume).
A visually arresting movie in many places it nevertheless simplifies the historical background and personalities and completely simplifies the progress of the battle. The Battle of Vienna is important as marking the end of Muslim imperialism in Europe. Although conflict between Europe and the Ottomans would continue for another sixteen years the defeat at Vienna was the last major offensive by the Ottomans.
A visually arresting movie in many places it nevertheless simplifies the historical background and personalities and completely simplifies the progress of the battle. The Battle of Vienna is important as marking the end of Muslim imperialism in Europe. Although conflict between Europe and the Ottomans would continue for another sixteen years the defeat at Vienna was the last major offensive by the Ottomans.
June 17, 2025
Simon Millar’s concise book offers a balanced portrait of courage and resolve on both sides of the 1683 siege of Vienna, turning a pivotal campaign into a highly readable “snapshot” history.
Millar opens with an overview of the strategic setting—not only the Habsburg–Ottoman frontier, but also Louis XIV’s pressure on the Empire’s western flank, which explains why several German princes hesitated to join the relief force. On the Ottoman side he sketches Sultan Mehmed IV’s need for a decisive victory after a run of deposed (and occasionally murdered) predecessors and the imminent expiry of the 1664 peace treaty.
A brief survey of troop types—supported by crisp black‑and‑white art highlights strengths and weaknesses on each side: Montecuccoli’s reforms, the Empire’s improving artillery science and field fortifications, versus the Ottomans’ comparatively poor gunnery but superb mining corps. Millar rounds this out with compact biographical notes on the key commanders: John III Sobieski, Count Starhemberg, Kara Mustafa Paşa and others.
The operational narrative is a real strength. March routes, skirmishes and supply problems are laid out step by step, aided by clear campaign maps. The siege itself is broken into distinct phases, interwoven with the diplomatic manoeuvring beyond Vienna’s walls. The dramatic climax on the Kahlenberg—where Polish, Imperial and Bavarian troops shattered the Ottoman army—is vividly reconstructed, and Millar rightly follows the story through the lesser‑known battles of Párkány and the long‑term fallout of the failed siege.
Peter Dennis’s artwork—three colour plates plus lively line drawings—adds real atmosphere and helps differentiate uniforms and equipment at a glance.
I have some slight quibbles regarding this work:
- The biographical sketches stray into political rulers who took no field command; tighter focus on the actual battlefield leaders would have been more useful.
- While the campaign maps are excellent, the book provides only a single bird’s‑eye battle diagram (Osprey usually gives three), and the orders of battle lack fine‑grained manpower figures.
Despite these minor shortcomings, this is an awesome primer on the 1683 campaign, ideal for newcomers and wargamers alike—and a fine reminder that heroism and determination were far from one‑sided on Vienna’s walls.
Millar opens with an overview of the strategic setting—not only the Habsburg–Ottoman frontier, but also Louis XIV’s pressure on the Empire’s western flank, which explains why several German princes hesitated to join the relief force. On the Ottoman side he sketches Sultan Mehmed IV’s need for a decisive victory after a run of deposed (and occasionally murdered) predecessors and the imminent expiry of the 1664 peace treaty.
A brief survey of troop types—supported by crisp black‑and‑white art highlights strengths and weaknesses on each side: Montecuccoli’s reforms, the Empire’s improving artillery science and field fortifications, versus the Ottomans’ comparatively poor gunnery but superb mining corps. Millar rounds this out with compact biographical notes on the key commanders: John III Sobieski, Count Starhemberg, Kara Mustafa Paşa and others.
The operational narrative is a real strength. March routes, skirmishes and supply problems are laid out step by step, aided by clear campaign maps. The siege itself is broken into distinct phases, interwoven with the diplomatic manoeuvring beyond Vienna’s walls. The dramatic climax on the Kahlenberg—where Polish, Imperial and Bavarian troops shattered the Ottoman army—is vividly reconstructed, and Millar rightly follows the story through the lesser‑known battles of Párkány and the long‑term fallout of the failed siege.
Peter Dennis’s artwork—three colour plates plus lively line drawings—adds real atmosphere and helps differentiate uniforms and equipment at a glance.
I have some slight quibbles regarding this work:
- The biographical sketches stray into political rulers who took no field command; tighter focus on the actual battlefield leaders would have been more useful.
- While the campaign maps are excellent, the book provides only a single bird’s‑eye battle diagram (Osprey usually gives three), and the orders of battle lack fine‑grained manpower figures.
Despite these minor shortcomings, this is an awesome primer on the 1683 campaign, ideal for newcomers and wargamers alike—and a fine reminder that heroism and determination were far from one‑sided on Vienna’s walls.
November 21, 2024
Ever imagined why there’s cooling down to be expected after a heated workout while it does more to further heat you up? Because I don’t have an answer. Neither am I sure that I can fathom the significance or the strategic beauty ascribed to the relief of Vienna in 1683.
It’s plainly a campaign fought with disconnected efforts kissed by a stroke of luck, with the coin favouring the West for this mere time. The book cannot be worse organised than it already is: the complete playout spoiled at the outset followed by a drab replay of the events, culminating in a double-paged travel guide through the modern Wienerwald, the Vienna Woods, with a clear caveat that absolutely nothing resembles the surroundings in that fateful year besides earth, water, air, fire and aether.
It’s plainly a campaign fought with disconnected efforts kissed by a stroke of luck, with the coin favouring the West for this mere time. The book cannot be worse organised than it already is: the complete playout spoiled at the outset followed by a drab replay of the events, culminating in a double-paged travel guide through the modern Wienerwald, the Vienna Woods, with a clear caveat that absolutely nothing resembles the surroundings in that fateful year besides earth, water, air, fire and aether.
January 3, 2025
The history of the Siege of Vienna by the Ottomans lead by Kara Mustafa Pasha and the Battle of Kahlenburg lead by Jan III Sobieski.
This marked the turning point for the Europe as they replead the Ottomans out of Vienna and Hungary.
A very excellent read!
This marked the turning point for the Europe as they replead the Ottomans out of Vienna and Hungary.
A very excellent read!
May 15, 2015
Osprey books are aimed primarily at wargamers, with a mind toward providing the historical groundwork necessary to accurately paint models and create scenarios. Keeping this in mind, it's not reasonable to expect a volume like this to satisfy on the same level as, say, Roger Crowley's 1453 (though I do hope that Millar will write a book length narrative historical treatment sometime, because I think he'd do a great job and I would read the hell out it).
Taken for what it is, a *very* specific dive that goes just deep enough to facilitate gaming, this is a great book. It's also badly needed, since there is almost no scholarship available in English on this incredibly dramatic and important campaign (actually a series of battles, which Millar nails).
It's doesn't do service to the drama of the narrative (the desperate defense, the knife's-edge historical stakes of the campaign, the colorful and compelling characters, the last minute reprieve, the glorious charge), but that's not the goal of the book.
Readers looking to be swept up in the story Steven Ambrose style should look elsewhere (though you won't find anything), but the book is comprehensive, detailed and clearly written from a position of real and intimate familiarity with the primary source material.
Scholarship on the Early Modern/Transitional warfare period is kind of a desert, and Millar makes an important contribution with this book.
I hope he reads this, and is encouraged to do a real book-length narrative work. That would make me (and a lot of other history nerds) incredibly happy.
Taken for what it is, a *very* specific dive that goes just deep enough to facilitate gaming, this is a great book. It's also badly needed, since there is almost no scholarship available in English on this incredibly dramatic and important campaign (actually a series of battles, which Millar nails).
It's doesn't do service to the drama of the narrative (the desperate defense, the knife's-edge historical stakes of the campaign, the colorful and compelling characters, the last minute reprieve, the glorious charge), but that's not the goal of the book.
Readers looking to be swept up in the story Steven Ambrose style should look elsewhere (though you won't find anything), but the book is comprehensive, detailed and clearly written from a position of real and intimate familiarity with the primary source material.
Scholarship on the Early Modern/Transitional warfare period is kind of a desert, and Millar makes an important contribution with this book.
I hope he reads this, and is encouraged to do a real book-length narrative work. That would make me (and a lot of other history nerds) incredibly happy.
March 6, 2014
The narrative is clear and concise and each side receives its due although the Turks seem a bit under represented in the narrative.
February 15, 2016
A good encapsulation of this epochal shift in the relationship between the Ottoman Turks and Europe, including relating the challenges of rounding up troops in the late 17th century.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews