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{{For|the battle in the Rakóczi's War for Independence|Battle of Saint Gotthard (1705)}} | ||
| {{Multiple issues| | |||
| {{TOCleft}} | |||
| {{More citations needed|date=November 2010}} | |||
| {{Infobox Military Conflict | |||
| {{Expand Hungarian|Szentgotthárdi csata (1664)|topic=hist|date=August 2009}} | |||
| |conflict=Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||
| {{Expand Turkish|topic=mil|St. Gotthard Muharebesi (1664)|date=December 2011}} | |||
| |partof=the ] | |||
| |image=] | |||
| |caption=Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||
| |date=], ] | |||
| |place=], ], along the present-day Austro-Hungarian border | |||
| |result=Decisive Austrian victory | |||
| |combatant1=],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>],<br>], ] and ] soldiers | |||
| |combatant2=]<br>] | |||
| |commander1=], <br> ],<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
| |commander2=] | |||
| |strength1=~26-28,000<ref>Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), ''Vasi Szemle (Vas Review)'', ].</ref>, or 40,000<ref>Black & Murphey, ''Ottoman Warfare, 1500-1700'', pp.48-49 "At the battle of Saint Gotthard in August 1664 Raimondo Montecuccolli, supreme commander of a Habsburg force significantly strengthened by units both from France and the Rhine confederates, still only managed to field an army of some 40,000 men."</ref> | |||
| |strength2=~ 50,000-60,000 (30,000 remained unengaged<ref>Wilson, ''German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648-1806'', p. 43 "Energetic recruiting had increased Habsburg forces to 51,000 by February 1664, supported by 9,000 Hungarians, but disease and the need to garrison border fortresses reduced the combined force to 24,450 by the time Montecucolli engaged the 50,000-60,000 strong Ottoman army at the Monastery of St Gotthard on the river Raab on 1 August, 1664. Though 30,000 of his troops remained unengaged, the grand visier sensed the battle going against him and decided to retreat, leaving the Christians in possession of the field. Two thousand, mainly Germans, had been lost, along with similar number of fugitives. Turkish losses are not known, but were probably less."</ref>), or ~ 60,000 janissary, and sipahi<br/>60-90,000 irregular<ref>Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), ''Vasi Szemle (Vas Review)'', ].</ref> | |||
| |casualties1=2-6,000 | |||
| |casualties2=16-22,000<ref>Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), ''Vasi Szemle (Vas Review)'', ].</ref> | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Short description|Part of the Austro-Turkish War}} | |||
| {{Use British English|date=February 2021}} | |||
| {{Infobox military conflict | |||
| | conflict = Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||
| | partof = the ] | |||
| | image = Mogersdorf1.jpg | |||
| | image_size = 300px | |||
| | caption = Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||
| | date = 1 August 1664 | |||
| | place = ], ], along the present-day Austro-Hungarian border | |||
| | result = Imperial–French victory | |||
| | combatant1 = | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| | combatant2 = ''']''' | |||
| * ] | |||
| | commander1 = ] <br /> ]{{sfn|Stieve|1893|pp=266–267}} <br />]<br />]<br />] | |||
| | commander2 = ] | |||
| | strength1 = ~26,000–28,000,<ref name="Géza Perjés 1664">Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), ''Vasi Szemle (Vas Review)'', 1964.</ref> 30,000{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=88}} or 40,000<ref>Black & Murphey, ''Ottoman Warfare, 1500–1700'', pp. 48–49 "At the battle of Saint Gotthard in August 1664 Raimondo Montecuccolli, supreme commander of a Habsburg force significantly strengthened by units both from France and the Rhine confederates, still only managed to field an army of some 40,000 men."</ref> | |||
| | strength2 = ~50,000–60,000{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=88}} (30,000 remained unengaged<ref>Wilson, ''German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648–1806'', p. 43 "Energetic recruiting had increased Habsburg forces to 51,000 by February 1664, supported by 9,000 Hungarians, but disease and the need to garrison border fortresses reduced the combined force to 24,450 by the time Montecucolli engaged the 50,000–60,000 strong Ottoman army at the Monastery of St Gotthard on the river Raab on 1 August 1664. Though 30,000 of his troops remained unengaged, the grand visier sensed the battle going against him and decided to retreat, leaving the Christians in possession of the field. Two thousand, mainly Germans, had been lost, along with similar number of fugitives. Turkish losses are not known, but were probably less."</ref>)<hr />Total: '''150,000'''<br>~60,000 janissaries, and sipahi<br />60,000–90,000 irregular<ref name="Géza Perjés 1664" /> | |||
| | casualties1 = 2,000{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=88}} | |||
| | casualties2 = 8,000{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=88}}–10,000<ref>{{cite book |title=Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches volume: 11, p. 135}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Mehmed Raşid, İsmail Asım Küçükçelebizade, "Tarih-i Raşid" (History of Raşid), Istanbul, 1865}}</ref><hr />14,000<ref> Гажевић, Никола (1974). Војна енциклопедија (књига 8). Београд: Војноиздавачки завод. стр. 514</ref>–22,000<ref>Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), Vasi Szemle (Vas Review), 1964</ref> | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Campaignbox Austro-Turkish War (1663-1664)}} | |||
| {{Campaignbox Ottoman-Habsburg Wars}} | {{Campaignbox Ottoman-Habsburg Wars}} | ||
| The '''Battle of Saint Gotthard''' ({{lang-hu|Szentgotthárd}}) was fought on ] ] between an ] army led by ], ], ], ], ] and an ] army under the command of ]. The battle took place near ] and ] in Western ], near the present-day Austro-Hungarian border and is known as the Battle of Mogersdorf in Austria. The Turks were militarily defeated but were able to negotiate the ], which was highly favorable to them.<ref></ref> | |||
| The '''Battle of Saint Gotthard''' ({{langx|tr|Saint Gotthard Muharebesi}}; {{langx|de|Schlacht bei St. Gotthard}}; {{langx|hu|Szentgotthárdi csata}}), of the ], took place on 1 August 1664 on the ] between ] and the ] St. Gotthard in ] (today ]). It was fought between ] forces, including German, Swedish and French contingents, led by Imperial commander-in-chief Count ] and the ] of the ] under the command of ]. | |||
| As the Ottoman army tried to advance through Hungary towards Vienna, they were stopped on the side of the river Raab where they were charged and defeated by the Imperial forces. As a consequence, the Ottomans signed the ] a week later, on 10 August. Even though the Turks were militarily defeated, ] signed a disadvantageous treaty which shocked Europe as well as the Hungarian magnates, leading to the later ].<ref></ref><ref name="Stavrianos Stoianovich 2000 p. 168">{{cite book | last1=Stavrianos | first1=L.S. | last2=Stoianovich | first2=T. | title=The Balkans Since 1453 | publisher=Hurst | year=2000 | isbn=978-1-85065-551-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xcp7OXQE0FMC&pg=PA168 | page=168}}</ref> | |||
| ==Preparations== | ==Preparations== | ||
| ] | |||
| Ottoman dominance in Hungary began with the ] in 1526, which resulted in the conquest of most of Hungary by ]. Meanwhile, the parts of Hungary that remained under Austrian control became known as ]. Although the Ottomans had been in relative decline since the death of Suleiman I, Ottoman power saw a resurgence under the extremely capable ] who sought to destroy the Austrian Habsburgs once and for all. They found their '']'' when the Habsburgs supported a Transylvanian rebellion against Ottoman rule. | Ottoman dominance in Hungary began with the ] in 1526, which resulted in the conquest of most of Hungary by ]. Meanwhile, the parts of Hungary that remained under Austrian control became known as ]. Although the Ottomans had been in relative decline since the death of Suleiman I, Ottoman power saw a resurgence under the extremely capable ] who sought to destroy the Austrian Habsburgs once and for all. They found their '']'' when the Habsburgs supported a Transylvanian rebellion against Ottoman rule. | ||
| ] had escaped Ottoman conquest during the invasion of Hungary and retained its independence by playing off of their powerful neighbors: ], Austria and the Ottomans. They recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the ] but were given political and religious autonomy in return. In 1658, seeking new land for his principality, Prince ] invaded Poland with his ] allies in the ]. After initial success, he was defeated by the Poles and fled back to Transylvania. On hearing about Rákóczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before ] ] (Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rákóczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, ], fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support. | ] had escaped Ottoman conquest during the invasion of Hungary and retained its independence by playing off of their powerful neighbors: ], Austria and the Ottomans. They recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the ] but were given political and religious autonomy in return. In 1658, seeking new land for his principality, Prince ] invaded Poland with his ] allies in the ]. After initial success, he was defeated by the Poles and fled back to Transylvania. On hearing about Rákóczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before ] ] (Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rákóczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, ], fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support. | ||
| Emperor ], not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with his small army. Montecuccoli gave no direct support as he was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans. The Ottomans, meanwhile, completed the conquest of Transylvania {{ |
Emperor ], not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with his small army. Montecuccoli gave no direct support as he was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans. The Ottomans, meanwhile, completed the conquest of Transylvania {{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} and built up their forces in Ottoman Hungary. Leopold I, not wishing to face the Turks alone, summoned the ] in January 1663. | ||
| The Turks failed to conquer the fortress of ] six times, but managed to do so in 1663. It was made the center of |
The Turks failed to conquer the fortress of ] six times, but managed to do so in 1663. It was made the center of an Ottoman province, the ] in present-day southern ]. Turks and Tatars crossed the Danube in strength in 1663, ravaging Slovakia, ], and ]. They took 12,000 slaves in Moravia. Several Turkish divisions reached as far as ].<ref></ref> | ||
| ] | |||
| ==Diplomatic efforts== | ==Diplomatic efforts== | ||
| Although Leopold personally objected to ], he had to rely on his Protestant German princes to provide military aid. Even worse was the military aid from ], which was (and continued to be until the ] of 1756) Austria's nemesis. Despite numerous objections from some Protestant princes, help was not withheld. The ] - a French dominated group of German princes - agreed to send a corps of 6,000 men independently commanded by Count Coligny of France and Prince ]. By September 1663, ] and ] had also agreed to contingents of their own. In January 1664, the Imperial Diet agreed to raise 21,000 men, although this army did not yet exist other than on paper. The Turks had declared war in April 1663, but were slow in executing their invasion plans. | |||
| ==Battle== | ==Battle== | ||
| {{unreferenced section|date=November 2016}} | |||
| Köprülü's army, which might have numbered 120-150,000, probably included some 60,000 ] and ]s, 60-90,000 ]s, ]s, ]s, ] and ]s and allegedly 360 gun. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| Köprülü's army, which might have numbered 120-150,000, probably included some 60,000 ] and ]s, 60-90,000 ]s, ]s, ]s, ] and ]s and allegedly 360 guns. | |||
| Montecuccoli's army |
Montecuccoli's army consisted of Habsburg forces (including ] infantry and a few hundred Hungarians, approx. 2,000 Croatians) and forces from the German principalities, French brigades, a ]ese regiment . | ||
| '''The Habsburg forces:''' 5,000 infantry (10 |
'''The Habsburg forces:''' 5,000 infantry (10 Battalions), 5,900 cavalry (27 escadrons), 10 guns<br /> | ||
| '''The |
'''The Imperial forces:''' 6,200 infantry (6 Battalions), 1,200 cavalry (9 escadrons), 14 guns<br /> | ||
| '''The Rhine forces:''' 600 infantry (2 |
'''The Rhine forces:''' 600 infantry (2 Battalions), 300 cavalry (4 escadrons)<br /> | ||
| '''The French forces:''' |
'''The French forces:''' 3,500 infantry (4 Battalions), 1,750 cavalry (10 escadrons)<br /> | ||
| '''Other forces:''' 2,000 Croat cavalry (out of this |
'''Other forces:''' 2,000 Croat cavalry (out of this a regiment), Hungarian foot soldiers in ], and Esterházy, Batthyány and Nádasdy regiment's, Czech ]s and the Italian (Piedmontish) infantry regiment (commander ]). | ||
| ] | |||
| The Turks renewed their invasion in the spring of 1664. Montecuccoli was still waiting for help to arrive, and this delay was key to the defense of Austria, . In July 1664 the Imperial forces were assembled and set out for the River ], which separated the Turkish forces from the Austrian duchy itself. If the Turks were allowed to cross, they would threaten both Vienna and ]. Montecuccoli intercepted the Turks before they crossed the river but the division of command made effective deployment of troops impossible. On ] ], Turkish forces crossed the river near the monastery of ]d and beat the Austrians back. Although initially plagued by disunity, Montecuccoli was finally able to convince Coligny and Leopold Wilhelm of Baden-Baden (commander of the Imperial detachment) to mass their forces and attack the Turkish troops, who were reorganizing in a nearby forest. The attack surprised the Turks, who fled in confusion back to the river, a large number drowning. The confusion caused by the fleeing troops prevented Ahmed Köprülü (Vizier 1661-1676) from sending the rest of his army across the river and he instead retired from the field. | |||
| The Turks renewed their invasion in the spring of 1664. They ] ] on the ] river in ] at the very beginning of July. Montecuccoli was still waiting for help to arrive, and this delay was key to the defense of Austria. In July 1664 the Imperial forces were assembled and set out for the River ], which separated the Ottoman forces from the Austrian duchy itself. If the Turks were allowed to cross, they would threaten both Vienna and ]. Montecuccoli intercepted the Turks before they crossed the river but the division of command made effective deployment of troops impossible. | |||
| Ottoman casualties were heavy, significantly falling mostly on the elite corps of the army. Köprülü was left with an army of ill-trained irregulars and auxiliaries while Montecuccoli's casualties were light and mostly in the Imperial contingent. Despite the victory, the Austrians were still outnumbered nearly three to one{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. | |||
| On 1 August 1664, Ottoman forces crossed the river near the monastery of ]d and beat the Austrians back. Although initially plagued by disunity, Montecuccoli was finally able to convince Coligny and Leopold Wilhelm of Baden-Baden (commander of the Imperial detachment) to mass their forces and attack the Ottoman troops, who were reorganizing in a nearby forest. The attack surprised the Turks, who fled in confusion back to the river, a large number drowning. The confusion caused by the fleeing troops prevented Ahmed Köprülü (Vizier 1661-1676) from sending the rest of his army across the river and he instead retired from the field. | |||
| In his work ''The Ottoman Centuries'', ] reported that the Turks took huge casualties from the French auxiliaries in the Austrian ranks. This was the first Turkish experience at fighting soldiers using the musket in disciplined ranks. But the Turks, in their conservatism, were slow to adopt new economic, military, and social methods, and thus were becoming at this time gradually outclassed by Western European states. | |||
| Ottoman casualties were heavy, significantly falling mostly on the elite corps of the army. Köprülü was left with an army of ill-trained irregulars and auxiliaries while Montecuccoli's casualties were light and mostly in the Imperial contingent. | |||
| ] | |||
| ==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
| {{unreferenced section|date=November 2016}} | |||
| Although many in Europe, especially the ] and ] nobility, expected the Austrians to finally liberate Hungary once and for all, Leopold abandoned the campaign. Many have criticized him for this decision (both in the past and the present). Although Montecuccoli's army was largely intact, there was no interest among the allies to liberate Hungary. Any invasion of Hungary would undoubtedly have to be done without the help of the French and German troops. Leopold noticed that the French officers had begun to fraternize with the Magyar nobles and encouraged them to rebel against Austrian rule. | |||
| ] in ]]] | |||
| ] | |||
| Although many in Europe, especially the ] and ] nobility, expected the Austrian Habsburgs to finally liberate Hungary once and for all, Leopold abandoned the campaign. Many have criticized him for this decision (both in the past and the present). Although Montecuccoli's army was largely intact, there was no interest among the allies to liberate Hungary. Any invasion of Hungary would undoubtedly have to be done without the help of the French and German troops. Leopold noticed that the French officers had begun to fraternize with the Magyar nobles and encouraged them to rebel against Austrian rule. | |||
| In addition, Leopold had always been a member of the "Spanish faction" in Vienna. With the last ], ], about to die at any given moment, Leopold wanted to ensure that his hands were free for the inevitable struggle against ]. Although the liberation of Hungary was a strategic interest of the Habsburgs, it would have to wait until later. Throughout his reign, Leopold had always been more interested in the struggle against France rather than the Ottomans. Therefore, he signed the |
In addition, Leopold had always been a member of the "Spanish faction" in Vienna. With the last ], ], about to die at any given moment, Leopold wanted to ensure that his hands were free for the inevitable struggle against ]. Although the liberation of Hungary was a strategic interest of the Habsburgs, it would have to wait until later. Throughout his reign, Leopold had always been more interested in the struggle against France rather than the Ottomans. Therefore, he signed the rather unfavourable ], which did not take into account the Battle of Saint Gotthard. The Battle of Saint Gotthard is still significant, however, for it stopped any Ottoman invasion of Austria, which certainly would have prolonged the war and led to a disastrous resolution. The Austrians would also use the twenty-year truce to build up their forces and begin the liberation of Hungary in 1683. | ||
| ==In literature== | ==In literature== | ||
| The battle of Mogersdorf/Szentgotthárd provided ] with the inspiration |
The battle of Mogersdorf/Szentgotthárd provided ] with the inspiration for his poetic short story, "]", which was very popular among German and Austrian soldiers during the first half of the 20th century. | ||
| {{commons|Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)}} | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| {{Commons and category|Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)|Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| * {{Cite ADB|35|264|267|Sporck, Johann Graf von|Felix Stieve|ADB:Sporck, Johann Graf von|ref=CITEREFStieve1893}} | |||
| * Jeremy Black & Rhoads Murphey, ''Ottoman Warfare, 1500-1700'', Routledge, 1999. | |||
| * |
* Jeremy Black & Rhoads Murphey, ''Ottoman Warfare, 1500–1700'', Routledge, 1999. | ||
| * Peter H. Wilson, ''German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648–1806'', Routledge, 1998. | |||
| *], ''Leopold I of Austria'' (1977) ISBN 0-8135-0836-3 | |||
| *], '' |
* ], ''Leopold I of Austria'' (1977) {{ISBN|0-8135-0836-3}} | ||
| * ], ''The Habsburg Monarchy 1618–1815'' (1994) {{ISBN|0-521-78505-7}} | |||
| *{{cite book |last=Bodart |first=Gaston |year=1908 |title=Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618–1905) |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Eo4DAAAAYAAJ/page/88/mode/1up |access-date=4 February 2023}} | |||
| {{Coord|46|56|30|N|16|13|00|E|dim:250_scale:2500_region:AT-1_type:event_source:dewiki|display=title}} | |||
| {{Portal|Military history of the Ottoman Empire|image=Topcu_arma.jpg}} | |||
| {{Ottoman battles}} | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{coord|46|56|30|N|16|13|00|E|dim:250_scale:2500_region:AT-1_type:event_source:dewiki|display=title}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Gotthard (1664), Battle Of}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 11:49, 25 November 2024
For the battle in the Rakóczi's War for Independence, see Battle of Saint Gotthard (1705). | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) | |||||||
 Battle of Saint Gotthard | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of France | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Raimondo Montecuccoli Johann von Sporck Margrave von Baden Comte de Coligny Prince Waldeck | Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~26,000–28,000, 30,000 or 40,000 |
~50,000–60,000 (30,000 remained unengaged) Total: 150,000 ~60,000 janissaries, and sipahi 60,000–90,000 irregular | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,000 |
8,000–10,000 14,000–22,000 | ||||||
| Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) | |
|---|---|
| 1663
1664 |
The Battle of Saint Gotthard (Turkish: Saint Gotthard Muharebesi; German: Schlacht bei St. Gotthard; Hungarian: Szentgotthárdi csata), of the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664), took place on 1 August 1664 on the Raab between Mogersdorf and the Cistercian monastery St. Gotthard in West Hungary (today Hungary). It was fought between Imperial Army forces, including German, Swedish and French contingents, led by Imperial commander-in-chief Count Raimondo Montecuccoli and the army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Paşa.
As the Ottoman army tried to advance through Hungary towards Vienna, they were stopped on the side of the river Raab where they were charged and defeated by the Imperial forces. As a consequence, the Ottomans signed the Peace treaty of Vasvár a week later, on 10 August. Even though the Turks were militarily defeated, Emperor Leopold signed a disadvantageous treaty which shocked Europe as well as the Hungarian magnates, leading to the later Magnate conspiracy.
Preparations
Ottoman dominance in Hungary began with the Battle of Mohács in 1526, which resulted in the conquest of most of Hungary by Suleiman the Magnificent. Meanwhile, the parts of Hungary that remained under Austrian control became known as Royal Hungary. Although the Ottomans had been in relative decline since the death of Suleiman I, Ottoman power saw a resurgence under the extremely capable Köprülü family who sought to destroy the Austrian Habsburgs once and for all. They found their casus belli when the Habsburgs supported a Transylvanian rebellion against Ottoman rule.
Transylvania had escaped Ottoman conquest during the invasion of Hungary and retained its independence by playing off of their powerful neighbors: Poland, Austria and the Ottomans. They recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the Porte but were given political and religious autonomy in return. In 1658, seeking new land for his principality, Prince George Rákóczy II invaded Poland with his Swedish allies in the Second Northern War. After initial success, he was defeated by the Poles and fled back to Transylvania. On hearing about Rákóczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rákóczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, János Kemény, fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support.
Emperor Leopold I, not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with his small army. Montecuccoli gave no direct support as he was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans. The Ottomans, meanwhile, completed the conquest of Transylvania and built up their forces in Ottoman Hungary. Leopold I, not wishing to face the Turks alone, summoned the Imperial Diet in January 1663.
The Turks failed to conquer the fortress of Nové Zámky six times, but managed to do so in 1663. It was made the center of an Ottoman province, the Uyvar eyalet in present-day southern Slovakia. Turks and Tatars crossed the Danube in strength in 1663, ravaging Slovakia, Moravia, and Silesia. They took 12,000 slaves in Moravia. Several Turkish divisions reached as far as Olomouc.
Diplomatic efforts
Although Leopold personally objected to Protestantism, he had to rely on his Protestant German princes to provide military aid. Even worse was the military aid from France, which was (and continued to be until the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756) Austria's nemesis. Despite numerous objections from some Protestant princes, help was not withheld. The League of the Rhine - a French dominated group of German princes - agreed to send a corps of 6,000 men independently commanded by Count Coligny of France and Prince Johann Philipp of Mainz. By September 1663, Brandenburg and Saxony had also agreed to contingents of their own. In January 1664, the Imperial Diet agreed to raise 21,000 men, although this army did not yet exist other than on paper. The Turks had declared war in April 1663, but were slow in executing their invasion plans.
Battle
 | This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg)
Köprülü's army, which might have numbered 120-150,000, probably included some 60,000 Janissaries and sipahis, 60-90,000 azaps, akıncıs, silidars, Tatars and vassals and allegedly 360 guns.
Montecuccoli's army consisted of Habsburg forces (including Czech infantry and a few hundred Hungarians, approx. 2,000 Croatians) and forces from the German principalities, French brigades, a Piedmontese regiment .
The Habsburg forces: 5,000 infantry (10 Battalions), 5,900 cavalry (27 escadrons), 10 guns
The Imperial forces: 6,200 infantry (6 Battalions), 1,200 cavalry (9 escadrons), 14 guns
The Rhine forces: 600 infantry (2 Battalions), 300 cavalry (4 escadrons)
The French forces: 3,500 infantry (4 Battalions), 1,750 cavalry (10 escadrons)
Other forces: 2,000 Croat cavalry (out of this a regiment), Hungarian foot soldiers in Szentgotthárd, and Esterházy, Batthyány and Nádasdy regiment's, Czech musketeers and the Italian (Piedmontish) infantry regiment (commander Marchese Pio de Savoya).
The Turks renewed their invasion in the spring of 1664. They besieged, conquered and destroyed Novi Zrin Fortress on the Mura river in northern Croatia at the very beginning of July. Montecuccoli was still waiting for help to arrive, and this delay was key to the defense of Austria. In July 1664 the Imperial forces were assembled and set out for the River Rába, which separated the Ottoman forces from the Austrian duchy itself. If the Turks were allowed to cross, they would threaten both Vienna and Graz. Montecuccoli intercepted the Turks before they crossed the river but the division of command made effective deployment of troops impossible.
On 1 August 1664, Ottoman forces crossed the river near the monastery of Saint Gotthard and beat the Austrians back. Although initially plagued by disunity, Montecuccoli was finally able to convince Coligny and Leopold Wilhelm of Baden-Baden (commander of the Imperial detachment) to mass their forces and attack the Ottoman troops, who were reorganizing in a nearby forest. The attack surprised the Turks, who fled in confusion back to the river, a large number drowning. The confusion caused by the fleeing troops prevented Ahmed Köprülü (Vizier 1661-1676) from sending the rest of his army across the river and he instead retired from the field.
Ottoman casualties were heavy, significantly falling mostly on the elite corps of the army. Köprülü was left with an army of ill-trained irregulars and auxiliaries while Montecuccoli's casualties were light and mostly in the Imperial contingent.
Aftermath
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Although many in Europe, especially the Croats and Hungarian nobility, expected the Austrian Habsburgs to finally liberate Hungary once and for all, Leopold abandoned the campaign. Many have criticized him for this decision (both in the past and the present). Although Montecuccoli's army was largely intact, there was no interest among the allies to liberate Hungary. Any invasion of Hungary would undoubtedly have to be done without the help of the French and German troops. Leopold noticed that the French officers had begun to fraternize with the Magyar nobles and encouraged them to rebel against Austrian rule.
In addition, Leopold had always been a member of the "Spanish faction" in Vienna. With the last Spanish Habsburg, Carlos II, about to die at any given moment, Leopold wanted to ensure that his hands were free for the inevitable struggle against Louis XIV of France. Although the liberation of Hungary was a strategic interest of the Habsburgs, it would have to wait until later. Throughout his reign, Leopold had always been more interested in the struggle against France rather than the Ottomans. Therefore, he signed the rather unfavourable Peace of Vasvár, which did not take into account the Battle of Saint Gotthard. The Battle of Saint Gotthard is still significant, however, for it stopped any Ottoman invasion of Austria, which certainly would have prolonged the war and led to a disastrous resolution. The Austrians would also use the twenty-year truce to build up their forces and begin the liberation of Hungary in 1683.
In literature
The battle of Mogersdorf/Szentgotthárd provided Rainer Maria Rilke with the inspiration for his poetic short story, "Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke", which was very popular among German and Austrian soldiers during the first half of the 20th century.
See also
Notes
- Stieve 1893, pp. 266–267.
- ^ Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), Vasi Szemle (Vas Review), 1964.
- ^ Bodart 1908, p. 88.
- Black & Murphey, Ottoman Warfare, 1500–1700, pp. 48–49 "At the battle of Saint Gotthard in August 1664 Raimondo Montecuccolli, supreme commander of a Habsburg force significantly strengthened by units both from France and the Rhine confederates, still only managed to field an army of some 40,000 men."
- Wilson, German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648–1806, p. 43 "Energetic recruiting had increased Habsburg forces to 51,000 by February 1664, supported by 9,000 Hungarians, but disease and the need to garrison border fortresses reduced the combined force to 24,450 by the time Montecucolli engaged the 50,000–60,000 strong Ottoman army at the Monastery of St Gotthard on the river Raab on 1 August 1664. Though 30,000 of his troops remained unengaged, the grand visier sensed the battle going against him and decided to retreat, leaving the Christians in possession of the field. Two thousand, mainly Germans, had been lost, along with similar number of fugitives. Turkish losses are not known, but were probably less."
- Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches volume: 11, p. 135.
- Mehmed Raşid, İsmail Asım Küçükçelebizade, "Tarih-i Raşid" (History of Raşid), Istanbul, 1865.
- Гажевић, Никола (1974). Војна енциклопедија (књига 8). Београд: Војноиздавачки завод. стр. 514
- Géza Perjés: The Battle of Szentgotthárd (1664), Vasi Szemle (Vas Review), 1964
- Cross and Crescent
- Stavrianos, L.S.; Stoianovich, T. (2000). The Balkans Since 1453. Hurst. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-85065-551-0.
- Olomouc History
References
- Felix Stieve (1893), "Sporck, Johann Graf von", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 35, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 264–267
- Jeremy Black & Rhoads Murphey, Ottoman Warfare, 1500–1700, Routledge, 1999.
- Peter H. Wilson, German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648–1806, Routledge, 1998.
- John P. Spielman, Leopold I of Austria (1977) ISBN 0-8135-0836-3
- Charles W. Ingrao, The Habsburg Monarchy 1618–1815 (1994) ISBN 0-521-78505-7
- Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618–1905). Retrieved 4 February 2023.
46°56′30″N 16°13′00″E / 46.94167°N 16.21667°E / 46.94167; 16.21667
Categories:- Conflicts in 1664
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- Vas County
- Battles involving Hungary
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