Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-08-04
Fooled The TURKS.
Vienna Bakers Saved Europe
From the Grip Of the Moslems.
CAUSE OF soLYMAN's DEFEAT.
A Monentous incident Ia History That
Carries With II an Explanation Of
Why Vienna Rolls Are Nodded In the
Form Of Crescent.

shaped like crescents? The story
forms one of the great "ifs" of history.
solyman the Magnificent sultan of
Turkey. 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 al Mohacs lin 1926 and
Staying the Hungarian king
So successful was the first expedition
that he planned second and more far
reaching raid in 1929. Moving on
ward almost unchecked and carrying
all before him, be captured Buda and
advanced against the city OF Vienna.
An Europe stood sghast Nothing
had 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 NOLAN.
mechanism as their religion. People
trembed for the fate of Christendom.
1t seemed for 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 emptre' stood
In their path. seemingly frail obsta-
Gle between such 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 tnha bitants OF Vienna were at
that time more renowned for culture
and thrift than for warfare. Yet IN
der Nicholas Won Salm they CALAMITY
proposed to defend their city against
the foe and to fight to the last gasp for
their imperiled homes. The Turks
drew near. destroying Vienna's sub.
urbs, and encamped close to the town
itself.
1t was on Sept. q, 1925, that the
enormous Turkish host laid siege to
Vienna. Solyman conducting the affair
in person Before risking useless loss
OF life in 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 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 at
their command made the task a swift
one Here it was that an "if'' inter.
vened to save the threatened capital
and perhaps Europe as we'll.
| Some Vienna bakers were at work
one night-so the story runs-in eel
lar, making bread for the garrison.
one OF the bakers happened to hear the
muttied sound OF digging 1t seemed
to come from spot not far beyond
one OF the cellar walls Guessing al
once that the enemy was tunneling a
way into the city, the bakers rushed
out and gave the alarm. The garri.
son, aroused, was able to battle Soly.
mans plan.
The sultan, failing at strategy, next
tried force He hurled bis army
against the city in one fierce assault
after another. The Viennese fought
like heroes. Each attack was repulseC
with terrific loss to the Turks. Flo,
four entire days the Moslems assaile6
the city, fresh detachments ever tax
ing the places OF those who reeled bach
defeated. On the fifth day OF the as
sault. Oct IA. Solyman gave up thu
; attempt to crush Vienna. He with
; drew sullenly from the scene OF bis de
feat, leaving $4,000 dead Turks on tn
. field. The price OF conquest was TO
; once too high for him.
) Vienna was saved. and not only VI
, emma, but Europe. Vienna had bee
IEurope's barrier against the Turks
: farther advance, and the barrier bel
+ firm. The northern limit OF Europe
: Turkish raids was reached
, Once more. In later years. Vienn
; was besieged by the Moslems. and sh
, again beat them Off The high It'd
OF such invasion had come and recet
r ed. Europe at large was now foreve
secure from this long dreaded foe.
> In the moment of victory. accordin
. to the account, the bakers who ha
! given the alarm were not forgotten
o To commemorate the event they an
y their descendants thenceforth molde
f their rolls into the shape OF crescel
(the sacred emblem Of Turkey. II
+ custom prevails to this day.
II Few Americans who are used to Sc
!, Ing crescent shaped Vienna rolls ha,
any idea how such rolls first came
= be thus twisted nor what great dee
- the crescent form commemorates.-Ct
;, cagO Inter Ocean
r The most sublime psalm that can