Second Siege Of Vienna

The problems in central Hungary were considered as the beginning of the besiege idea. Catholic Austria’s religious and military pressures on protestant Hungary forced the son of Erdel governor to request help from the Ottomans. The grand-vizier Fazil Ahmet Pasha refused helping due to the Treaty of Vasvar signed with Austria. With the death of Grand Vizer Fazil Ahmet Pasha, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was assigned as the grand-vizier. He accepted Tokeli Imre as Erdel governor, also accepted Hungary’s help request, convinced Mehmet IV for a military action against Vienna with a great army consisting of the armies of Erdel, Eflak, Bogdan and Crimea in 1683. On the other hand Germany, France and Poland under the aegis of the Pope accepted Austria’s help request. The siege of Vienna continued for two months. When Crimea’s Khan Murad Giray could not stop the Polish attacks from passing the Danube river, the Ottoman army had to move back to Belgrade. The unexpected defeat of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha resulted with the order of his execution given by Mehmet IV and he was replaced by Kara Ibrahim Pasha.

The European’s great hope of wiping out the Turks from Europe was raised by the Ottoman’s defeat at Vienna. The Holy League, composed of Austria, Poland, Russia, Venice and Malta was organised. The army of Austria attacked the lands of Hungary and Erdel. Belgrade, Estregon and Buda(Budin) were lost. Poland took Podolia and entered Bogdan. The republic of Venice controlled the Morea Peninsula and Athens fell.

Janissaries dethroned Mehmet IV as the cause of the military defeats and his brother Suleyman II took over the throne in 1687.

Mehmet IV was imprisoned in the palace’s Harem and died in 1692. He was buried at the courtyard of Yeni Cami (Mosque) in Istanbul, in a mausoleum next to his mother Turhan Sultan.

As Mehmet IV was a talented horseman and hunter, he was called the “hunter”