# The Great Turkish War begins (12 September 1683)

URL: https://allhistories.com/serbia/timeline/1683-the-great-turkish-war-begins
Themes: Wars & Battles

On 12 September 1683 a Christian relief army under the Polish king John III Sobieski defeated the Ottoman army besieging Vienna. The Habsburg Monarchy, Poland, Venice and later Russia formed the Holy League to drive the Ottomans out of Central Europe. In the following years Habsburg armies reconquered Buda (1686) and most of Hungary, while Serbian militias and hajduks joined the advance in increasing numbers. The Great Turkish War (1683–1699) was the turning point in the Ottoman presence in Europe. It brought Habsburg troops into Serbia for the first time and set off the chain of uprisings and migrations that reshaped the Serbian people.

## Why it matters
The war ended Ottoman expansion and drew the Serbs into the Habsburg orbit.

Ruler at the Time: [Ottoman Serbia](https://allhistories.com/serbia/rulers/ottoman-serbia)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Great Turkish War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Turkish_War)
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Vienna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna)
- [Wikipedia — Holy League (1684)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_League_(1684))
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — The Great Turkish War begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=The+Great+Turkish+War+begins)
- [Wikipedia — Ottoman Serbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Serbia)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Serbian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Serbian_history)