Ottoman Siege of Vienna Repelled by Allied Relief Force

Ottoman forces under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha besieged the Habsburg capital of Vienna for two months beginning July 14. The city garrison, commanded by Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg, held defensive positions while a relief army assembled under Polish King John III Sobieski. On September 12, a combined force of approximately 65,000-76,000 Polish, Austrian, and German troops attacked from the Kahlenberg heights. The relief culminated in a massive cavalry charge led by the Polish winged hussars, breaking the siege and routing the Ottoman army.