Siege of Szigetvár The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth ( , , ) was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya ( near the present Hungarian / Croatian border ) which blocked Suleiman ' s line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD . The battle was fought between the defending forces of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy under the leadership of Croatian ban Nikola Šubić Zrinski ( ) , and the invading Ottoman army under the nominal command of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ( " Süleymān " ) . After the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , which resulted in the end of the independent Kingdom of Hungary , Ferdinand I was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia . This was followed by a series of conflicts with the Habsburgs and their allies , fighting against the Ottoman Empire . In the Little War in Hungary both sides exhausted themselves after sustaining heavy casualties . The Ottoman campaign in Hungary ceased until the offensive against Szigetvár . In January 1566 Suleiman went to war for the last time . The siege of Szigetvár was fought from 5 August to 8 September 1566 and , though it resulted in an Ottoman victory , there were heavy losses on both sides . Both commanders died during the battle — Zrinsky in the final charge and Suleiman in his tent from natural causes . More than 20 , 000 Turks had fallen during the attacks and almost all of Zrinsky ' s 2 , 300 man garrison was killed , with most of the final 600 men killed on the last day . Although the battle was an Ottoman victory , it stopped the Ottoman push to Vienna that year . Vienna was not threatened again until the Battle of Vienna in 1683 . The importance of the battle was considered so great that the French clergyman and statesman Cardinal Richelieu was reported to have described it as " the battle that saved civilization . " The battle is still famous in Croatia and Hungary and inspired both the Hungarian epic poem " Siege of Sziget " and the Croatian opera " Nikola Šubić Zrinski " . Background . On 29 August 1526 the Hungarian forces led by King Louis II were defeated at the Battle of Mohács by Ottoman forces led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent . Louis was killed in the battle which resulted in the end of the independent Kingdom of Hungary , as he died without an heir . Both Hungary and Croatia became disputed territories with claims from both the Habsburg and Ottoman empires . Ferdinand I from the House of Habsburg , brother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V , married the sister of Louis II and was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia . The throne of Hungary became the subject of a dynastic dispute between Ferdinand and John Zápolya from Transylvania . Suleiman had promised to make Zápolya the ruler of all Hungary . Ferdinand set out to enforce his claim on Hungary and captured Buda from John Zápolya in 1527 , only to relinquish his hold on it in 1529 when an Ottoman counter - attack stripped Ferdinand of all his territorial gains during 1527 and 1528 . The Siege of Vienna in 1529 was the first attempt by Suleiman the Magnificent to capture the Austrian capital . This siege signalled the pinnacle of Ottoman power and the maximum extent of Ottoman expansion in central Europe . Little War in Hungary . The years from 1529 to 1552 were known as the " Little War in Hungary " . Following Suleiman ' s unsuccessful siege of Vienna in 1529 Ferdinand launched a counter - attack in 1530 to regain the initiative . An assault on Buda was driven off by John Zápolya , although Ferdinand was successful elsewhere — capturing Gran ( Esztergom ) and other forts along the Danube river , a vital strategic frontier . Suleiman ' s response came in 1532 when he led a massive army of over 120 , 000 troops to besiege Vienna again . Ferdinand withdrew his army , leaving only 700 men with no cannons and a few guns to defend Güns ( Koszeg ) although Ibrahim Pasha , the Grand Vizier of the Ottomans , did not realize how poorly defended Koszeg was . Suleiman came to join him shortly after the siege had started . For more than twenty five days Croatian captain Nikola Jurišić and his garrison of 800 Croats held out against nineteen full - scale assaults and an incessant bombardment by the Ottomans . As a result the city was offered a surrender on favourable terms and , although the offer was rejected , the Ottomans retreated leading to a peace treaty between Ferdinand and Suleiman . John Zápolya was recognized as the King of Hungary by the Habsburgs , although as an Ottoman vassal . The treaty did not satisfy either John Zápolya or Ferdinand and their armies began skirmishes along the borders . In 1537 Ferdinand attacked John ’ s forces at Osijek in violation of the treaty . The siege was a disaster of similar magnitude to that of Mohács , with an Ottoman relief army smashing the Austrians . Rather than attack Vienna again Suleiman attacked Otranto in southern Italy . Nonetheless , an Ottoman victory at the naval Battle of Preveza ( 1538 ) gave the Habsburg - led coalition another defeat . John Zápolya died in 1540 and was succeeded by his infant son John II Sigismund Zápolya . For much of his reign the country was governed by his mother Isabella Jagiellon , with continued support from Suleiman . John II remained as nominal King of Hungary until he abdicated in 1570 and returned the country to Habsburg rule . A further humiliating defeat was inflicted on the Habsburgs in the Siege of Buda ( 1541 ) when the Ottomans responded to a request for help from Isabella Jagiellon . In April 1543 Suleiman launched another campaign in Hungary , taking back Bran and other forts so that much of Hungary returned to Ottoman control . In August 1543 the Ottomans succeeded in the Siege of Esztergom ( 1543 ) which was followed by the capture of three Hungarian cities : Székesfehérvár , Siklós and Szeged , offering better security for Buda . Another peace agreement between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans lasted until 1552 when Suleiman decided to attack Eger . The siege proved futile and the Habsburg victory reversed a period of territorial losses in Hungary . The survival of Eger gave the Austrians good reason to believe that Hungary was still a contested ground and the Ottoman campaign in Hungary ceased , until its revival in 1566 . Campaign of 1566 . In January 1566 Sultan Suleiman I had ruled the Ottoman Empire for 46 years and went to war for the last time . He was 72 years old and , although having gout to the extent that he was carried on a litter , he nominally commanded his thirteenth military campaign . On 1 May 1566 the Sultan left Constantinople at the head of one of the largest armies he had ever commanded . His opposite number , Count Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was one of the largest landholders in the Kingdom of Croatia , a seasoned veteran of border warfare , and a Ban ( Croatian royal representative ) from 1542 to 1556 . In his early life he distinguished himself in the Siege of Vienna and pursued a successful military career . Suleiman ' s forces reached Belgrade on 27 June after a forty - nine day march . Here he met with John II Sigismund Zápolya who he earlier promised to make the ruler of all Hungary . Learning of the Zrinski ' s success in an attack upon a Turkish encampment at Siklós , Suleiman decided to postpone his attack on Eger ( ) and instead attack Zrinski ' s fortress at Szigetvár to eliminate him as a threat . Siege . The advanced guard of the Turks arrived at on 2 August 1566 and the defenders made several successful sorties causing considerable loss to the Turks . The Sultan arrived with the main force on 5 August and his big war tent was erected on the Similehov hill , giving him a view of the battle . The Sultan had to stay in his camp where he received verbal battle progress reports from his Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha , the real operational commander of the Ottoman forces . Count Zrinsky found himself besieged by a hostile army of at least 150 , 000 soldiers with powerful artillery . Zrinsky had assembled a force of around 2 , 300 Croatian and Hungarian soldiers prior to the siege . These consisted of his personal forces and those of his friends and allies . The majority of the defenders were Croatian , with a significant Hungarian contingent represented in both the men - at - arms and the leadership . Szigetvár was divided into three sections divided by water : the old town , the new town and the castle — each of which was linked to the next by bridges and to the land by causeways . Although it was not built on particularly high ground the inner castle , which occupied much of the area of today ' s castle , was not directly accessible to the attackers . This was because two other baileys had to be taken and secured before a final assault on the inner castle could be launched . When the Sultan appeared before the Fortress he saw the walls hung with red cloth , as though for a festive reception , and a single great cannon thundered once to greet the mighty warrior monarch . The siege began on 6 August when Suleiman ordered a general assault on the ramparts , although the attack was successfully repulsed . Despite being undermanned , and greatly outnumbered , the defenders were sent no reinforcements from Vienna by the imperial army . After over a month of exhausting and bloody struggle the few remaining defenders retreated into the old town for their last stand . The Sultan tried to entice Zrinski to surrender , ultimately offering him leadership of Croatia under Ottoman influence , Count Zrinsky did not reply and continued to fight . The fall of the castle appeared inevitable but the Ottoman high command hesitated . On 6 September the Suleiman died in his tent and his death was kept secret at great effort with only the Sultan ' s innermost circle knowing of his demise . A courier was dispatched from the camp with a message for Suleiman ' s successor , Selim . The courier may not even have known the content of the message he delivered to distant Asia Minor within a mere eight days . Final battle . The final battle began on 7 September , the day after Suleiman ' s demise . By this time , the fortress walls had been reduced to rubble by mining with explosives and wood fueled fires at the corners of the walls . In the morning an all - out attack began with fusillades from small arms , " Greek fire " , and a concentrated cannonade . Soon the castle , the last stronghold within Szigetvár , was set ablaze and cinders fell into the apartments of the count . The Ottoman army swarmed through the city , drumming and yelling . Zrinski prepared for a last charge addressing his troops : Zrinski did not allow the final assault to break into the castle . As the Turks were pressing forwards along a narrow bridge the defenders suddenly flung open the gate and fired a large mortar loaded with broken iron , killing 600 attackers . Zrinsky then ordered a charge and led his remaining 600 troops out of the castle . He received two musket wounds in his chest and was killed shortly afterwards by an arrow to the head . Some of his force retired into the castle . The Turks took the castle and most of the defenders were slain . A few of the captured defenders were spared by Janissaries who had admired their courage , with only seven defenders managing to escape through the Ottoman lines . Zrinsky ' s corpse was beheaded and his head taken to the Emperor while his body received an honourable burial by a Turk who had been his prisoner , and well treated by him . Powder magazine explosion . Before leading the final sortie by the castle garrison , Zrinski ordered a fuse be lit to the powder magazine . After cutting down the last of the defenders the besiegers poured into the fortress . The Ottoman Army entered the remains of Szigetvár and fell into the booby trap , thousands perished in the blast when the castle ' s magazine exploded . The Vizier Ibrahim ' s life was saved by one of Zrinski ' s household who warned him of the trap when the Vizier and his troops searched for treasure and interrogated the survivors . While inquiring about treasure the prisoner replied that it had been long expended , but that 3 , 000 lbs of powder were under their feet to which a slow match had been attached . The Vizier and his mounted officers had just enough time to escape but 3 , 000 Turks perished in the explosion . Aftermath . Almost all of Zrinski ' s garrison was wiped out after the final battle . Ottoman casualties were also heavy . Three pasha s , 7 , 000 Janissaries and 28 , 000 other soldiers are said to have perished . Sources vary on the exact number with estimates ranging from 20 , 000 – 35 , 000 . After the battle the Grand Vizier forged bulletins in the Sultan ' s name , proclaiming victory . These announced that the Sultan regretted that his current state of health prevented him from continuing with the successful campaign . His body was returned to Constantinople while the inner circle of officials pretended to keep up communication with him . Turkish sources state that the illusion was maintained for three weeks and that even the Sultan ' s personal physician was strangled as a precaution . It is likely that the long journey and the siege had a detrimental effect on the Sultan ' s health . His death meant that any advances were postponed as the Grand Vizier had to return to Constantinople for the succession of the new Sultan , Selim II . Even if Suleiman had lived his army could not have achieved much in the short time that remained between the fall of Szigeth and the onset of winter . The prolonged resistance at Szigeth delayed the Ottoman push to Vienna . Two ambasadors were sent by Emperor Maximilian : Croatian Antun Vrančić and Styrian Christoph Teuffenbach . They arrived in Istanbul on 26 August 1567 and were well received by Sultan Selim II . An agreement ending the war between the Austrian and Ottoman empires was reached on 17 February 1568 , after five months of negotiations with Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ( also known as " Mehmed - paša Sokolović , " being originally from Bosnia ) . The Treaty of Adrianople was signed on 21 February 1568 . Sultan Selim II agreed to an eight - year truce , although the agreement brought 25 years of ( relative ) peace between the Empires until the Long War . The truce was conditional and Maximilian agreed to pay an annual tribute of 30 , 000 ducats . Depictions in art . The Croatian Renaissance poet and writer Brne Karnarutić , from Zadar , wrote " The Conquest of the City of Sziget " ( ) sometime before 1573 . His work was posthumously published in 1584 in Venice . This is the first Croatian historical epic dealing with national history and the Battle of Szigetvár . It was inspired by Marko Marulić ' s " Judita " . The battle was also immortalized in the Hungarian epic poem " Szigeti Veszedelem " ( " " Peril of Sziget " " ) , written in fifteen parts by Zrinsky ' s great - grandson Nicholas VII of Zrin ( also a Ban of Croatia ) in 1647 and published in 1651 . This was one of the first such epics in the Hungarian language and was also inspired by Marulić ' s " Judita " . Kenneth Clark ' s renowned history " Civilisation " lists the " Szigeti Veszedelem " as one of the major literary achievements of the 17th century . In spite of the author and other members of Zrinsky family being fierce enemies of the Turks , the poem never demonizes them . The Turks are portrayed as human beings and a love story between Deliman the Tatar and the Sultan ' s daughter Cumilla is interwoven into the main plot . Petar Zrinski ( ) , the brother of Nikola VII Zrinski , published " Opsida Sigecka " ( 1647 / 8 ) in the Croatian language — not surprising since the Zrinski family were bilingual . Another Croatian nobleman warrior - poet Pavao Ritter Vitezović ( 1652 – 1713 ) wrote about the battle . His poem " Odiljenje sigetsko " ( " The Sziget Farewell " ) , first published in 1684 , reminisces about the event without rancour or crying for revenge . The last of the four cantos is titled " Tombstones " and consists of epitaphs for the Croatian and Turkish warriors who died during the siege , paying equal respect to both . Ivan Zajc ' s 1876 opera " Nikola Šubić Zrinski " is his most famous and popular work in Croatia . This recounts the heroic defiance of the Croats towards the Turks , as a metaphor for their later nationalist impulses within the Habsburg monarchy . Zrinski is depicted in the plot as a 16th - century Croatian hero who defeated the Turks a couple of times before perishing sacrificially , along with his family and close supporters , in the siege of Szigeth castle . The opera is patriotic with a famous aria " U boj , u boj " .