Anniversary of the beginning of the siege of the Polish camp close Chocim.
Today in our calendar we will look at the causes and course of the Polish-Turkish war from 1620-1621.
After the defeat in the war against Persia (1603-1612), The Ottoman Empire was exhausted and sought opportunities for financial reinforcement. The Dutch message of Constantius Hagi, which offered solid money on behalf of its authorities in exchange for the beginning of the Turkish marketplace for Dutch trade and the privileges of merchants from that country, was so accepted with greater approval in 1612. With the agreement with Sultan Ahmed I, The Hague opened a number of consulates and trading houses in the Turkish state.
These facilities served not only for trade but besides for intelligence. The Hague itself, while remaining resident in Istanbul from 1612 to 1639, became a virtuoso of intrigue, and thanks to his skills and established acquaintances with the most crucial figures in the empire, he gained considerable influence for many years on Ottoman politics. The Turks and their allies, in the event of the outbreak of a fresh spiritual war, could so be dragged into the Protestant camp against the Catholics, all the more so that they had their own quarrels with Vienna, Madrid and Warsaw for a long time.
On May 23, 1618, Protestants made part of the so-called. Prague defence I mean, tossing imperial officials out a castle window. This symbolic dethronation of Catholic Emperor Maciej began the 30 Years War (1618-1648) between the Protestant League and the Catholic Habsburg dynasty ruling in Germany and Spain. The Czechs called the fresh emperor of the Protestant Renian elector, Frederick. shortly anti-Catholic unrest began throughout Germany, and individual European countries were active on either side of the conflict.
In 1619, a Protestant leader dependent on the Turks of the 7 Garden Gábor Bethlen attacked behind the cognition of his Istanbul patrons Empire and besieged Vienna. The fresh Emperor Ferdinand, whose armies were active on another fronts, called on Sigismund III Vasa to help, but the Polish king waited to grant it, fearing Poland's engagement in a fresh war. After many thoughts, however, he sent to Hungary idle after expeditions of Moscow's alleged "Liskovczyks" or light Polish riding, which worked perfectly in the driveway fights.
The Lysovians defeated the Seven-Grodian forces at the conflict of Humienne on 23 November 1619, and then invaded northern Hungary and interrupted the enemy's communication lines, making Bethlen forced to collapse the siege of the imperial capital.
Indirect Polish intervention and defeat of the Seven-Grodians, upset the management circles of the Ottoman Empire. Bethlen sent a letter to Istanbul in which he accused the Republic of supporting Habsburg and acting against the interests of the Sultans. Next to the case of the foxes, old conflicts about the Moldovan lenna were remembered, as well as continuous Cossack and magnate attacks on Turkish lands.
Not without meaning was the war with Persia ended in 1618; The Turks adhered to the rule of fighting with only 1 enemy at the same time, and by securing cases in the east, they gained freedom of action in Europe.
Sultan Osman II declared war on the Republic of Poland and began the concentration of the army. The Polish side ordered a preventative expedition to Moldova, but 8,000 soldiers under the command of Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski were forces besides modest to halt Turkish invasion. Poles, hoping for aid from Grazziani's peasant, crossed Dniestr and headed south. The farmer appeared on call, but brought only 600 soldiers with him.
Soon the troops of Żółkiewski surrounded Turkish-Vołosko – Tatar troops in strength of over 40,000 soldiers under the command of Iskander Pasha. At the camp council, it was decided to penetrate the Dniester, utilizing rolling stock. The furious attacks of overwhelming enemy forces did not break the Polish defence for a number of days. Only erstwhile the border river was seen on the horizon, Poles broke up their own rolling stock and in general confusion there was a decisive attack by Turkish troops. Most Poles were killed, and Żółkiewski, who fought to the end, was cut off and sent to Istanbul.
The defeat under Cecora opened the country before the Tatar invasion, which reached as far as Lviv and Jarosław. A general decision in the country's army stripped of its forces gathered laboriously and at the very sound of the fighting, refused to attack. The concentration of magnate troops and common move, called on on October 20 to Glinin, did not come to fruition, as each magnate preferred to defend his property on his own. A complete deficiency of coordination of the defence was exuberant of the Tatars, who left behind a desert in many regions for the remainder of the year.
The threat of invasion of all Turkish forces led to exceptional consent to the Polish General Sejm. Taxes were passed to support 65,000 soldiers. The army was gathering slowly, but Turkish forces also, which gave Poles adequate time to prepare the defence. The Polish army was commanded by a veteran from Kircholm, aged hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz and the prince Władysław Waza. Due to the considerable Turkish advantage, it was decided to carry out a defensive conflict based on the castle in Chocimi.
In front of about 50,000 Polish army, which included a crucial number of registered Cossacks, about 120,000 Ottoman soldiers, including 30,000 selected Janczars. Disgusting began on September 2, 1621 Orc. Poles successfully defended themselves for over a month, bleeding Turkish forces. During the fighting, hetman Chodkiewicz died, but this message was hidden from the army in order not to origin panic. In the end, the defeat of attempts to master the Polish guards and the failure of more than 1/3 of the army forced Osman II to make peace and retreat. The Republic was saved.
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
