"The Empire's Last Gasp":
The Siege of Vienna

Additional Notes

by Pat Condray

... As I mentioned, I lost a 1683 game to Jay Stone during a break in the weekend meeting known to history and legend as WALLY'S BASEMENT. Maybe I'll mention that in my next article.

There was a two part article by Jean Belaubre on the Polish Army of the 17th Century which might be useful. Most of what he said about the army tracks with your material. However, he did state that the Royal Troops of John Sobieski's Army wore royal livery, which was red and blue. The Guard Janissaries, for example, wore baggy blue trousers and a short red jacket. Most of the conscript infantry recruited by the King wore, I believe, blue kaftan and red trousers, but the reverse may have been wore as well. The Crown Prince's troops, at least his company of Hussars, wore yellow and black. Forces raised by Grand Hetman Radziwill of Lithuania wore green and red. My recollection is that the Lithuanian Guard Janissaries wore red trousers and green jackets. If you are interested I think I could get the TAG editor's permission for you to run a reprint of Belaubre's article.

The Austrian regiments cited sound like the field force under Lorraine(?). I have the impression that Stahremburg was the Vienna Garrison Commander and that he had his own regiment, Alt Stahremburg in the city with him. They wore the usual dirty gray with blue distinctions, and their company colors had a red field with blue and white border.

I had never seen any reference to the Polish Hussars finking a charge on the Turks in the initial battle. I had heard that in the pursuit they over-extended themselves, were taken in flank by fresh Turkish horse, and abandoned by the Austrian cuirassiers (Perfide Autriche!) I think it remarkable that galloping cavalry could get wrapped up in enemy mounted forces and still manage to get back behind their infantry without trampling the latter. I've been told (long ago) that the Crown Prince of Poland was killed in that action, but my readings in Polish history are sketchy. MEMOIRS OF THE POLISH BAROQUE didn't mention it.

My information on the Saxon mounted forces of that era was that they wore a red coat and black(?) hat with no externally appearing armor, and were termed "Reiter," although that doesn't of itself signify caracole or pistol tactics. That's probably what they were up to however, since they were doing that (with less success) against Charles XII a few years later. The infantry were, as you noted, armed with musket and spear, the latter termed "Schwienfedern" which doubled as a musket rest (as did the Berdische.)

Your account of the Bavarian Army is good. I believe, however, that in addition to the four cuirassier regiments and the horse guards there were two groups of two squadrons each of dragoons, one wearing red coats and blue cuffs, the other reversed. Each squadron pair was brigaded with two cuirassier regiments. The flat diorama on the cover of WIAM II (DANES BAVARIANS AND PRUSSIANS) depicts Max Emanuel in the red coat and blue cuffs of one of the Dragoon units, but with a black breastplate(RHIP), and escorted by his Hartschiere.

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