The Siege of Vienna

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2009

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests Andrew Wheatcroft, Claire Norton and Jeremy Black discuss the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683, when the Ottoman Empire tried to capture the capital city of the Hapsburg monarchs. The ensuing tale of blood and drama helped define the boundaries of Europe. In June 1683, a man called Kara Mustafa made a journey to Vienna. That a Muslim Turk should come to a Catholic city was not unusual, but Kara Mustafa did so at the head of the Ottoman Army. Vienna was the capital of the Hapsburg Empire and he intended to take it. The ensuing siege has been held responsible for many things, from the invention of the croissant to the creation of Viennese coffee. But most importantly, it has come to be seen as a clash of civilisations, one that helped to define a series of boundaries, between Europe and Asia, Christian and Muslim, Hapsburg and Ottoman, that influence the view between Vienna and Istanbul to this day. But to see the siege as a defining moment in east/west relations may be to read back into history an idea that was not true at the time.Claire Norton is Lecturer in History at St Mary's University College, London; Andrew Wheatcroft is Professor of International Publishing at Stirling University; Jeremy Black is Professor of History at the University of Exeter.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know.
0:04.7	My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds.
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0:39.0	For more details about In Our Time and for our terms of use, please go to BBC.co. UK forward slash radio for. I hope you enjoy
0:46.6	the program. Hello in June 1683 a man called Karam Mustafa Pasha, made a journey to Vienna. That a Muslim
0:54.5	Turk should come to a Catholic city wasn't unusual, but Karamostafa did
0:58.4	so at the head of the Ottoman army. Vienna was the capital of the Habsic Empire and he intended to take it.
1:05.0	The ensuing siege, a tale of blood and drama has been held responsible for many things
1:10.9	from the invention of the quasse on to the creation of Viennese coffee,
1:14.0	but most importantly it's been used to define a series of boundaries
1:17.5	which in Europe and Asia, Christian and Muslim, Habsburg and Ottoman,
1:21.5	these boundaries that influence the view between Vienna and Istanbul to this day.
1:26.0	With me to discuss the Siege of Vienna at Claire Norton, lecturer in history at St Mary's University London,
1:32.0	Andrew Wheatcroft, Professor of International Publishing
1:34.6	at the University of Stirling, and Jeremy Black Professor of History at the University of Exeter.
1:39.3	Jeremy Black, can you explain why the siege of Vienna is considered such an important battle even in world history?
1:45.6	The Siege of Vienna and in particular the fact that it ended with the destruction of the Ottoman
1:50.4	Field Army, an enormous battle on the 12th of September 83.
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