Ottoman Disadvantages and its Implications on The Siege of Vienna 1529

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Under Suleiman the Magnificent the Ottoman Empire was a force to be reckoned with, it ruled the Middle East and Suleiman was quickly realizing his goal of advancing into Europe. However in 1529 a major military upset in the Austrian city of Vienna would halt the Islamic Ottoman expansion and save Europe from the possibility of Ottoman control. However this might not had been the case if it were not for several key disadvantages the Ottoman Empire had against the Viennese. Suleiman the Magnificent’s defeat during the siege of Vienna, 1529, was caused by poor weather conditions, chaos and disorganization amongst the Ottoman ranks, and a much stronger Viennese defense than was anticipated.

On May 10, 1529 Sultan Suleiman left Istanbul on an offensive campaign. Earlier, in August 1526, the Ottoman forces had defeated the forces of King Louis II of Hungary at the Battle of Mohacs. This put south-eastern Hungary under Ottoman control, giving Suleiman the Magnificent the foot-hold in Europe he so desperately wanted. Up until this point Suleiman’s military prowess had been unprecedented; he easily swept over and conquered many kingdoms such as Belgrade, Rhodes, and Hungary. This gave him confidence that he could also easily take Vienna and begin to sweep over the rest of Europe; this mistake would prove to be detrimental.

After the Hungarian defeat in 1526, the Arch Duke of Austria, Ferdinand I of Habsburg, claimed the empty Hungarian throne by right of his wife, Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, who was the heirless Louis II’s sister. However, there was a dispute over the power in Hungary; Ferdinand took recognition only in the west, while a Transylvanian noble named John Zápolya challenged him for the crown in the east. Zápolya tr...

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