# Battle of Vienna (1683)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1683-battle-of-vienna
Location: Vienna
Categories: battle, main-event

John III Sobieski led the relief army that broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna. The charge of the winged hussars helped end Ottoman expansion into central Europe. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (12 September 1683), the governing authority was John III Sobieski (King of Poland). Military commander who relieved Vienna from the Ottoman siege in 1683. Battle of Vienna mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Vienna mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [John III Sobieski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/john-iii-sobieski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Vienna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Vienna](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Vienna)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)