Siege Of Kőszeg
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The siege of Kőszeg () or siege of Güns (), also known as the German campaign () was a siege of
Kőszeg Kőszeg (; ; ; ; ) is a town in Vas County, Hungary. The town is known for its historical character. History Medieval Period The origins of the only free royal town in the historical garrison county of Vas (Eisenburg) go back to the third quart ...
()During the
Ottoman–Habsburg wars The Ottoman–Habsburg wars were fought from the 16th to the 18th centuries between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy, which was at times supported by the Kingdom of Hungary, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Holy Roman Empire, The ...
, the small border fort was called Güns since it was under Habsburg jurisdiction, today as a part of Hungary it is known as Kőszeg.
in the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
within the
Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
, that took place in 1532. In the siege, the defending forces of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy under the leadership of Croatian
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Nikola Jurišić Baron Nikola Jurišić (; – 1543) was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat. He is known for commanding a force of 700–800 soldiers during the Siege of Kőszeg against a much larger Ottoman army of 120,000–140,000 stopping its adva ...
(), defended the small border fort of Kőszeg with only 700–800 Croatian soldiers, with no cannons and few guns. The defenders prevented the advance of the Ottoman army of over 100,000 toward
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, under the leadership of
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
() and
Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha ( 149515 March 1536), was the first Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire appointed by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Ibrahim, born as Orthodox Christian, was enslaved during his youth. He and Suleiman became close frie ...
.Turnbull (2003), p. 51. The exact outcome is unknown, since there are two versions which differ, depending on the source. In the first version, Nikola Jurišić rejected the offer to surrender on favourable terms; in the second version, the city was offered terms for a nominal surrender, which the garrison accepted. Suleiman, having been delayed nearly four weeks, withdrew at the arrival of the August rains, and did not continue towards Vienna as he had intended, but turned homeward. Suleiman secured his possession in Hungary by conquering several other forts,Akgunduz and Ozturk (2011), p. 184. but after the Ottoman withdrawal, Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I reoccupied some of the devastated territory. Following this, Suleiman and Ferdinand concluded a 1533 treaty of Constantinople that confirmed the right of
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai (; ; ; ; 1487 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He wa ...
as a king of all Hungary, but recognised Ferdinand's possession of some of the reoccupied territory.Turnbull (2003), pp. 51–52.


Background

On 29 August 1526, at the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; , ) took place on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was fought between the forces of Hungary, led by King Louis II of Hungary, Louis II, and the invading Ottoman Empire, commanded by Suleima ...
, the
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
forces led by King Louis II were defeated by Ottoman forces led by Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
.Turnbull (2003), p. 49 Louis was killed in the battle, which resulted in the end of the independent
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
as he died without an heir. Both the Kingdoms of Hungary and
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
became disputed territories with claims from both the Habsburg and Ottoman empires. Habsburg Archduke and later Emperor from 1556, Ferdinand I, who was a brother of
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...
, had married the sister of Louis IITurnbull (2003), pp. 49–51. and was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia.Corvisier and Childs (1994), p. 289 The throne of Hungary became the subject of a dynastic dispute between Ferdinand and
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai (; ; ; ; 1487 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He wa ...
from
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
, since Suleiman had promised to make Zápolya the ruler of all Hungary.Turnbull (2003), pp. 55–56. During
Hungarian campaign of 1527–1528 The Hungarian Civil War (Hungarian: Magyar Belháború) or campaign of 1527–1528 was launched by Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia and his Hungarian followers against the Ottoman Turks. Following the Battle of ...
, Ferdinand captured
Buda Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...
from John Zápolya in 1527, only to relinquish his hold on it in 1529 when an Ottoman counter-attack stripped Ferdinand of all his territorial gains during 1527 and 1528. The
Siege of Vienna Sieges of Vienna may refer to: * Siege of Vienna (1485), Hungarian victory during the Austro–Hungarian War. *Siege of Vienna (1529), first Ottoman attempt to conquer Vienna. *Battle of Vienna, 1683, second Ottoman attempt to conquer Vienna. * Cap ...
in 1529 was the first attempt by Suleiman the Magnificent to capture the Austrian capital. This siege signalled the pinnacle of Ottoman power and the maximum extent of Ottoman expansion in central Europe.


Little War in Hungary

Following Suleiman's unsuccessful siege of Vienna in 1529, Ferdinand launched a counter-attack in 1530 to regain the initiative and avenge the destruction brought by Suleiman's 120,000 strong army. This campaign is usually considered as the start of the Little War, the period of a series of conflicts between the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire. An assault of Buda was driven off by
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai (; ; ; ; 1487 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He wa ...
, the vassal King of Hungary, but Ferdinand was successful elsewhere, capturing
Gran Gran may refer to: People *Grandmother, affectionately known as "gran" * Gran (name) Places * Gran, the historical German name for Esztergom, a city and the primatial metropolitan see of Hungary * Gran, Norway, a municipality in Innlandet coun ...
(Esztergom) and other forts along the Danube river, a vital strategic frontier.


Campaign of 1532

During the early period of the Little War in Hungary, Suleiman, as a response to Ferdinand's counter-attack in 1530, and as a part of his fifth imperial campaignZürcher (1999), p. 38. (, ''Sefer-i humāyūn'') in 1532, led a massive army of over 120,000 troops to besiege Vienna again. Due to Suleiman's rapid advances, Ferdinand feared the Christian forces would not be assembled in time to meet him.Setton (1984), p. 364. On 12 July, Suleiman wrote to Ferdinand from
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
() in Slavonia, to assure him of the Ottoman advance. According to the letter, Suleiman's fifth campaign was primarily directed against
Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...
, and not personally against Ferdinand.Setton (1984), pp. 364–365. After Suleiman crossed the river
Drava The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe.
at Osijek, instead of taking the usual route for Vienna, he turned westwards into Ferdinand's Hungarian territory. According to historian Andrew Wheatcroft, on the route for Vienna, the Ottoman army had briefly invested and captured seventeen fortified towns or castles. Ferdinand withdrew his army, leaving only 700 men with no cannons and a few guns to defend
Kőszeg Kőszeg (; ; ; ; ) is a town in Vas County, Hungary. The town is known for its historical character. History Medieval Period The origins of the only free royal town in the historical garrison county of Vas (Eisenburg) go back to the third quart ...
. However, in order to make decisive gains, the Ottomans had to take the city quickly, as a large Imperial army, raised in Germany, reinforced by Spanish troops and led by the Emperor Charles V himself was approaching in support of Ferdinand.''History of the Habsburg empire'',
Jean Bérenger Jean Bérenger (2 October 1934 – 8 September 2024) was a French people, French historian, director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, CNRS, professor at the Faculty of History of the University of Strasbourg and, ...


Siege

Located south of
Sopron Sopron (; , ) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century In the Iron Age a hilltop settlement with a burial ground existed in the neighbourhood of Sopron-Várhely. When ...
, the small town of Kőszeg was only a few miles from the Austrian border. It was held by a task force commanded by the Croatian soldier and diplomat
Nikola Jurišić Baron Nikola Jurišić (; – 1543) was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat. He is known for commanding a force of 700–800 soldiers during the Siege of Kőszeg against a much larger Ottoman army of 120,000–140,000 stopping its adva ...
.Setton (1984), p. 365. Kőszeg was not considered a place of importance. It was an insubstantial obstacle and many stronger places had yielded without a fight. The Grand Vizier of the Ottomans, Ibrahim Pasha, did not realize how poorly defended Kőszeg was. After taking a few minor places, Suleiman came to join Ibrahim Pasha shortly afterwards, when the siege had already started. The Ottomans met stiff resistance at Kőszeg. Suleiman had hoped that the imperial army would come to relieve Kőszeg, affording him an opportunity for a larger engagement.Setton (1984), p. 366. However, during the Ottoman attacks on Kőszeg, the imperial army still formed up in
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
.Gregg (2009), p. 169. The Ottomans continued with one attack after another; artillery fire brought down parts of the walls, but brought no surrender. The Ottomans' mines were sapped by countermines. The layout of Kőszeg's walls made mining a feasible strategy, but even though several mines succeeded in blowing holes in the fortifications, the defenders held out. For more than twenty-five days, without any artillery, Captain Nikola Jurišić and his garrison of 800 Croat soldiers held out against nineteen full-scale assaults and an incessant bombardment by the Ottomans. There are two versions of the outcome. In the first version, Nikola Jurišić rejected the offer to surrender on favourable terms, and the Ottomans retreated.Ágoston and Alan Masters (2009), p. 583 In the second version, the city was offered terms for a nominal surrender. The only Ottomans who would be allowed to enter the castle would be a token force who would raise the
Ottoman flag The Ottoman Empire used various flags and naval ensigns during its history. The crescent and star came into use in the second half of the 18th century. A ' (decree) from 1793 required that the ships of the Ottoman Navy were to use a red flag with ...
. In both versions, Suleiman withdrew at the arrival of the August rains, and returned homeward instead of continuing towards Vienna as previously planned. He had been delayed nearly four weeks, and during this time a powerful army had been collected in Vienna, which Suleiman did not intend to face. According to historian Paolo Giovio, Charles arrived with an imperial army at Vienna on 23 September, too late to fight the Ottomans because Suleiman had already withdrawn.Zimmerman (1995), p. 124 By their defense of Kőszeg, Nikola Jurišić and his men had saved Vienna from a siege.


Aftermath

Although he was stopped at Kőszeg and failed to conquer Vienna, Suleiman additionally secured his possession in Hungary by conquering several forts, since Ferdinand and Charles evaded an open field battle. Immediately after the Ottoman withdrawal, Ferdinand reoccupied devastated territory in Austria and Hungary.Black (1996), p. 26. Nevertheless, Suleiman concluded a
peace treaty A peace treaty is an treaty, agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually country, countries or governments, which formally ends a declaration of war, state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an ag ...
with Ferdinand in 1533, in
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. The treaty confirmed the right of
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai (; ; ; ; 1487 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He wa ...
as a king of all Hungary, but recognised Ferdinand's possession of that part of the country that enjoyed the status quo. Also the Austrian archiduke was considered equal to the
Ottoman Grand Vizier The grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire ( or ''Sadr-ı Azam'' (''Sadrazam''); Ottoman Turkish language, Ottoman Turkish: or ) was the ''de facto'' prime minister of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, sultan in the Ottoman Empire, with the absolute p ...
. This treaty did not satisfy Zápolya or Ferdinand, whose armies began to skirmish along the borders. After Zápolya's death in 1540, Suleiman annexed Hungary to the Ottoman realm.Scott (2011), pp. 58–59. Although from 1529 to 1566 the borders of the Ottoman Empire moved further west, none of the campaigns after 1529 achieved the decisive victory that would secure the new Ottoman possessions.Uyar and Erickson (2009), p. 74.


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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kőszeg 1552 Sieges of the Hungarian–Ottoman Wars Sieges involving Hungary Sieges involving the Ottoman Empire Conflicts in 1532 1532 in Europe Battles involving Habsburg Croatia Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War Suleiman the Magnificent 1532 in the Ottoman Empire