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339 years ago today in 1683, Polish king John Sobieski and his winged-hussars spearhead the largest recorded cavalry charge in human history to relieve the siege of Vienna.Since its founding, the Ottoman Empire had a 300 year struggle with Christians in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. It had the manpower and technology to be one of the most formidable militaries on the planet. In 1529 an Ottoman host similar in size(>100,000 men) attempted to take the city but were forced to withdraw due to weather and disease. Since then, the city was a prized target of the Ottomans to project their military might and expand their borders. The Austrians would significantly improve the defenses of the city which would prove invaluable for the 2nd siege in 1683.In July 1683, a large Muslim host of ~140,000 men arrived outside of Vienna. An alliance of multiple nations known as The Holy League sent a relief force to save the city. The garrison in Vienna was outnumbered 15 to 1. And after 60 days of siege, they had now held out longer than the infamous Siege of Constantinople in 1453. A siege where no relief came to save the city from the Ottoman Empire. Vienna was close to starving and in a desperate situation. Commanding the city’s defenses was Count Starhemberg who tactfully organized defensive lines, assault parties, and sharpshooters to hold off the Ottoman attacks. The Ottomans began to tunnel mines and plant explosives to bring down the bastions around the city. Everyday large explosions would shake the city and Ottoman victory was around the corner. The Grand Vizier began to reward his commanders with future provinces in the region. The Holy League's relief force was alerted of the dire situation and did a forced march. On September 11th the relief force began firing many rockets and flares to motivate the desperate defenders to not give up. As they approached, an enormous failure of the much larger Ottoman army was not abandoning the siege to focus on arrival of the smaller relief force.In the early morning of September 12th, the infantry and cannons of the relief forces began to deploy against Ottoman positions across the Danube River. Fighting raged on for over 10 hours and the German infantry managed to push the Ottomans into the last defensive line around their main camp. All while the Polish forces went uphill on the Ottoman right flank. Daylight was soon coming to an end and the relief could end in failure. The next day the Ottomans could direct all of their forces on the smaller relief force, or they would direct them to storm the city that could no longer hold out. Polish King John Sobieski informed the other leaders that he was still planning to attack the Grand Vizier's location with all his men before sunset. The relief force would bring up their cannons and fire the remainder of their ammunition to soften the Ottoman position. The Grand Vizier's large and exquisite tent was a very noticeable landmark on the massive battlefield. The relief force prepared an assault by finding every horse they could to attack the Grand Vizier’s tent from three flanks. The garrison inside Vienna would also mount their horses and sally out of the city to participate in what would become one of the most monumental battles of Western Civilization. As the horsemen lined up and prepared for the final assault, priests blessed the men and absolved them of their sins. After their prayers the charge began around 6:00pm. The Polish cavalry started at a slow gallop down a mountain until they reached an open clearing where they were hit by arrows, muskets, and cannons. The Poles then lowered their 17-foot long lances and charged at full speed screaming "Jezus Maria ratuj!” (Jesus and Mary Help!). The amount of dust from all the horsemen barely made them visible until they were near. The Polish king and his 3000 winged-hussars in shining armor and wings, along with 15,000 horsemen, galloped through smoke and dust clouds to crash into the Ottoman position. As the hussars impaled the Ottomans with their lances, they then drew swords and pistols. The ambience in such a clash of fire and steel was chaotic; the screams of men and horses, the shattering shields and armor, the firing of guns and cannons. The Europeans were trampling and slashing their way towards the Grand Vizier’s tent when he ordered his forces not engaged in the fighting to relocate and reinforce his position. Instead the Turks fled from the chaos! Inside the enemy camps the Christians became enraged when they found badly treated slaves the Ottomans had captured during their invasion. Many Muslim soldiers who were captured were put to the sword. The large Turkish host would quickly flee the field to avoid being cut off by cavalry movements, and by sunset the battle was over, and Vienna was saved. After the fighting Count Starhemberg ran to the Polish king to hug and kiss him. John Sobieski famously claimed “Veni, vidi, Deus vicit"—"I came, I saw, God conquered" and his forces looted the valuable Ottoman camp. Insulted by Sobieski receiving the credit and fame for the monumental battle, the German leaders of the relief force sent their men to return home shortly after.For his failure, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha lost his position and eventually his life when the Sultan had him strangled a few months later. The Battle of Vienna was a decisive battle that ended the furthest Muslim expansion into Europe and began the decline of the Ottoman Empire. To celebrate the victory, bakers across Europe cooked pieces of bread in the shape of the Ottoman crest on their flag which would be called a croissant. Artwork by Piotr Arendzikowski “The Battle 1683”[Online References](http://www.historynet.com/turning-the-ottoman-tide-john-iii-sobieski-at-vienna-1683.htm )(http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/9_MilitaryAffairs_Doc.3_English.pdf )(https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/the-1683-battle-of-vienna-islam-at-viennas-gates/ )[Audiobook Reference]The Siege of ViennaThe Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent By: John Stoye(https://amzn.to/3cZyVNb )Authored by R.E. Foy#OnThisDay