Showing posts with label Parkany 1683. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parkany 1683. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Young Pasek at Parkany & Juliusz Kossak painting

 Salvete Omnes

the painting above, a watercolor painted by famous artist Juliusz Kossak in the late XIX century, depicts a particular event that took place during the aftermath of  the 2nd battle of Parkany.

Polish XVII century memoirist Jan Ch. Pasek wrote down the description of the 1683 campaign based on conversations with the actual participants. One of them was his brother's son (hence synowiec) or nephew  Stanislaw Pasek.
The painting describes Stanislaw's tale about what happened after the battle:

'My nephew Stanislaw Pasek [captured] a certain  important-looking Turk, because of his fine costume and  of a beautiful steed he was mounted upon; he had already disarmed [his prisoner] and rode with him by leading the [Turkish] horse by its reins, with the Turk mounted upon it, until a German [horseman] rode up, and when [the German] was parallel to the Turk , he run  [the Turk] through with his sword. The Turk just only groaned, so when [my] nephew turned to see [he saw] that the [Turk] opened his mouth  in last gasps and was falling off the horse. The German rode quickly to the side. My nephew berated the [German] -
-"Oh scoundrel, such and son of the bitch! you killed my prisoner, is that honorable?"
The German just laughed and said [in broken Polish]:
-"I am [your] Pan/Sir / Brother , Pan/Sir/ Pole, I am astonished that you want to feed this devil/pagan."
My Nephew continued to scold him:
-"You are a knave, not a chivalrous man, when you kill a prisoner in my custody (in my hands)."
The German kept on laughing and riding, thus slipped away [unpunished].                                                     What was the nephew to do? The German harbored [then] great hatred towards the Turks [...] and because the German were cruel by nature and when in victory don't know how to show noble moderation.''

in Polish from one of the versions that survived, devoid of Latin phrases and curses) -


..



enjoy

Valete

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Parkany II - 9 Ocotober 1683 AD

 Salvete Omnes,

the routed Ottomans' fatal crossing of the river Danube - detail from a painting by Pierre-Denis Martin


today we celebrate the anniversary of the second battle of Parkany - 9th October 1683AD.

on the left bank the fortress of Parkany or today's Sturovo in Slovakia opposite Gran in Hungary

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Parkany II was mostly a cavalry battle, roughly some 30-plus thousands on each side, although some sources say 15-plus thousands of cavalry and 1000 Janissary on the Ottoman side. The Ottomans had a camp with supply train with the swamped banks of Hron river behind them.




Victorious engagement for the armies of  our Polish Crown and Hapsburg Empire against the Ottoman Imperial army commanded by seraskier Kara Mehmed.
Hapsburg army was commanded by prince Charles of Lorraine, husband to the widow of our king Michal Korybut.  Overall command belonged to Jan III.

Winged hussars shock tactics shone in this battle - skillfully managed by our king Jan III. 

Jan III placed prince Charles' forces - infantry and artillery - in the center of the allied army, his left wing under hetman Stanislaw Jan Jablonowski, and the right wing under Hieronim Augustyn Lubomirski, here also was the command post of king Jan III.  Around noon the allied army advanced and came up to the enemy lines, about 1,5km from the Parkany fortress. Then the Ottoman forces attacked furiously and charged, mostly the left wing, according to Dupont, king's secretary, at least ten times they charge, but the center was protected by the portable devices known as cheval de frise, while Jablonowski counterattacked with his Polish cavalry supported by the Imperial cuirassiers.  King's left wing moved forward breaking the right wing of the Ottomans and causing panic that ended in a rout. Most panicked Ottoman cavalry then tried to swim the Danube, a huge river at this juncture, and drowned in process. Serskier Kara Mehmed did save himself but his command was destroyed. 
The battle resulted in a complete annihilation of the Ottoman army - depriving the sultan  of his best sipahi cavalry. 

Pierre-Denis Martin's full canvass showing the battle


Altomonte also painted  this monumental canvass - 


Parkany frieze from  the royal Wilanow Castle

Monument to king Jan III Sobieski in Sturovo






ps.
there are some interesting primary sources to this engagement, including three Ottoman chroniclers. 

enjoy

Valete