Innocent XI

Battle of Vienna

Innocent XI was an enthusiastic initiator of the Holy League, which brought together the states of the Holy Roman Empire and King John III Sobieski of Poland-Lithuania who in 1683 hastened to the relief of the Battle of Vienna, which was being besieged by the Turks. After the siege was raised, Innocent XI again spared no efforts to induce the Christian princes to lend a helping hand for the expulsion of the Turks from Ottoman Hungary. He contributed millions of scudi to the Turkish war fund in Austria and Hungary and had the satisfaction of hearing of the capture of Belgrade on 6 September 1688.