While doing research into leadership I stumbled across and incredible example of leadership that I had never heard of before; the story is of Nikola Šubić Zrinski (Zrínyi Miklós in Hungarian) with about 2,300 dedicated soldiers, defending a fortress from attacks by about 100,000 soldiers led by Sokollu Mehmed Pasha for Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (or the Scourge of Europe) in 1566.Et pius est patriae facta referre labor.
1. It is a noble task to tell the story of one's Homeland.
2. It is a labor of affection to tell the exploits of one’s country.
Ovid. Tristium II. 322 (Tristia, His Plea)
A lot is written about the Siege of Szigetvar in Hungarian, a bit less in Turkish, some in Croatian and very little in English. I want to collect the English language resources into one spot so that the English speaking world can appreciate an epic story that has elements of The Alamo, Braveheart and The 300.
The attack on the fort was like The Alamo (with the Ottomans being like the Mexicans).
Nikola Subic Zrinski was like Leonidas from 300 mixed with William Wallace from Braveheart.
The most memorable part of the siege was the sacrificial last charge
led by Zrinski and his soldiers against the attacking Ottoman army.
At the end of the siege about 2,300 Croatian and Hungarian defenders
and between 25,000 to 35,000 Ottoman attackers lost their lives.
This blog is an English language resource for information about the siege.
This picture is nice but historically incorrect as the final charge was not on a horse.
