ABSTRACT
The complex of events linked to the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 has been characterized as a turning point in East Central, indeed even European history, an argument which probably can be disputed only on semantic or philosophical grounds. The cultural achievements of the Habsburg Empire must be seen primarily within the confines of European development, the balance of the exchange between Turkey and the West over the past three centuries tilting strongly in the latter direction. Turkey was not only at the end of its logistical tether. It also lacked the basic internal sources of strength for further conquests. Had the Turks managed to seize Vienna, their advantage would have been fleeting at best. The first draft of this article was read as a paper on June 9, 1983, in Vienna at the International Congress of Military History organized by the Austrian Commission for Military History.
