The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-10-19
Fooled The TURKS
Vienna Bakers Saved Europe
From the Grip of the MosIems.
CAUSE OF SOLYMAN'S DEFEAT.

CAUSE OF S0LYMAN'S DEFEAT.
A Momentous Incident In History That
Carries With 1t an Explanation Of
Why Vienna Rolls Are Nodded In tho
Form Of a Crescent.
Do you know why Vienna rolls are
shaped like crescents? The story
forms one Of the great ''ifs" of history.
Solyman the Magnificent, sultan of |
planned to overrun Europe, !
even as he and his Moslem predeces-
sors had seized the countries of the |
orient With mighty army he cap
tured the fortified island Of Rhodes
and invaded Hungary, annihilating the
Magyar forces at Mohacs (in 1926 and
Staying the Hungarian king.
So successful was the first expedition
that he planned a second and more far
reaching raid in 1929. Moving on
ward almost unchecked and carrying
all before him, he captured Buda and
advanced against the city Of Vienna
All Europe stood aghast Nothing
lad been able to stem the wave Of
Moslem conquest Men remembered
how one eastern land after another
had been seized by the Mohammedan
hordes and forced to adopt Moham-
mechanism as their religion. People
l11 ~ 20 "a ~ Thric
1t seemed for a moment almost pos
sible that the whole eastern section Of
the European continent might fall VIC
tim to the Turk and become part Of
the Moslem possessions.
To hope for clemency from Solyman
was to rely upon the mercy Of the
merciless. Conquering one Christian
army and stronghold after another, the
sultan's all powerful army threatened
to carry destruction and Mohammed-
anism throughout the continent 1t
was one Of fate's big movements.
On moved the Turks. Vienna (then
capital Of the German empire) stood
in their path, a seemingly frail obsta'
Gle between such a host and the rest
Of Europe. Should Vienna fall before
the Moslem onset the progress Of the
sultan's army would be made far easier
and other lesser cities would lose heart
The inhabitants Of Vienna were at
that time more renowned for culture
and thrift than for warfare. Yet un-
der Nicholas Won Salm they CALAMITY
proposed to defend their city against
the foe and to fight to the last gasp for
their imperled homes. The Turks
drew near, destroying Vienna's sub
urbs, and encamped close to the town
itself.
1t was on Sept p. 1929, that the
enormous Turkish host laid siege to
Vienna, Solyman conducting the affair
in person. Before risking useless loss
OF life in a general assault the sultan
tried to make an entrance into the city
by means OF tunnels. His soldiers
were set to work with pick and spade
to dig a secret underground way into
Vienna by which a body Of men might
later pour into the place and thus
catch the defenders ''between two
fires"
The cleverness Of the Turkish engi
neers and the countless workers al
their command made the task a swift
one. Here it was that an ''if'' inter-
vened to save the threatened capita
and perhaps Europe as we'll
Some Vienna bakers were at wort
one night-so the story runs-in a eel
lar. making bread for the garrison
During a pause in their conversation
one OF the bakers happened to hear th'
mutt1ed sound OF digging. it seemed
to come from a spot not far beyon(
one OF the cellar walls. Guessing a
once that the enemy was tunneling
way into the city, the bakers rushet
out and gave the alarm. The garri
son, aroused. was able to battle Soly
mans plan
The sultan. failing at strategy, mex
tried force, He hurled his arm
against the city in one fierce assault
after another. The Viennese tough
like heroes. Each attack was repulse
with terrific loss to the Turks. Flo
AOui eulue udyS LIE MOS1eulS assault
the city, fresh detachments ever tax
ing the places OF those who reeled bac
defeated. On the fifth day OF the as
sault, Oct IA, Solyman gave up tn
attempt to crush Vienna. He witt
drew sullenly from the scene Of his de
feat, leaving $4,000 dead Turks on tn
field. The price OF conquest was ro
once too high for him.
Vienna was saved. and not only Y
emma, but Europe Vienna had bee
Europe's barrier against the Turk
farther advance, and the barrier bel
firm. The northern limit of Europe
Turkish raids was reached.
Once more. in later years, Vienr
was besieged by the Moslems, and 81
again beat them of. The high til
of such invasion had come and rece
ed. Europe at large was now forev
secure from this long dreaded foe.
In the moment of victory, accordil
to the account. the bakers who b: