Originally posted at Dispatches from Reality, by Scipio Eruditus. dfreality.substack.com
“Arms and HEROES I sing! The might of the Turks.
Him who was willing to undergo Suleiman’s wrath—
That same Suleiman’s mighty arm,
He at whose saber Europe trembled.
— The Siege of Sziget, Nikola VII Zrinski Zrínyi Miklós
What makes a man fight on when no hope is left?
What turns him into a lion when cornered, selling his life dearly; all so that his brothers may yet live?
What spurs a man onward, knowing death is certain; knowing his doom lays before him, and yet, he rides out all the same?
Battles such as Thermopylae, Masada, and Antioch; Tenochtitlan to Gandamak; Little Bighorn to the Alamo; all perfectly capture the essence of the last stand – a battle against all odds. All provide us timeless lessons, and not just on battlefield tactics and military history. Last stands provide a sobering and yet critical look into the heart of a warrior: a look at the caliber of men — fighting for causes both righteous and unrighteous — who carved out their places in history with bronze, iron, and blood. Today we will explore one of the most underappreciated battles in this category: The Siege of Szigetvár, or as Cardinal Richelieu stated, “the battle that saved civilization.”
Continue reading “The Siege of Szigetvár”
