Sobieski Saves Europe 1683 Millar

Vienna 1683: Christian Europe Repels the Ottomans, by Simon Millar. 2008

Polish King John Sobieski Defeats the Muslim Turks at Vienna, Saving Austria and Europe. Short Austrian Gratitude and Then Long-Term Austrian Ingratitude, Even to This Very Day

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 MYTH OF POLISH INTOLERANCE

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 CRUCIAL BATTLE

The Polish winged Hussars, a mobile cavalry, had a large number of Cossacks in its ranks. (p. 24). They 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).

SUBSEQUENT AUSTRIAN INGRATITUDE

This book does not tell the full story.

Unfortunately, Austria’s gratitude to Poland for having saved her from the Ottomans was short-lived. Little more than a century after this event, Austria was one of the powers partitioning Poland.

More recently, Austrian Nazis were massively overrepresented in the Third Reich after the Anschluss (1938). They played a disproportionate role in the German conquest of Poland in 1939 and in both the Holocaust and Polokaust.

In the 21st century, the Viennese authorities have refused to put up a statue honoring King John Sobieski. The pretext? “Not offending Muslims”. Really.