Battle of Zenta The Battle of Zenta or Battle of Senta , fought on 11 September 1697 just south of Zenta ( Serbian : Senta ; then part of the Ottoman Empire ; today in Serbia ) , on the east side of the Tisa river , was a major engagement in the Great Turkish War ( 1683 – 1699 ) and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history . In a surprise attack , Habsburg Imperial forces routed the Ottoman army which was in the process of crossing the river . At the cost of a few hundred losses , the Habsburg forces inflicted 30 , 000 casualties on the Ottomans , dispersed the remainder and captured the Ottoman treasure . As an immediate consequence , the Ottoman Empire lost control over Bosnia , while in the long run , the Habsburg victory at Zenta was the last decisive step to force the Ottoman Empire into the Treaty of Karlowitz ( 1699 ) , ending the Ottoman control of large parts of Central Europe . Prelude . After the relief of the Habsburg capital in the Battle of Vienna of 1683 , Austria enjoyed great success and by 1688 Belgrade and most of the Pannonian Plain was occupied by Habsburgs . But as the war with the French demanded more troops , and the new grand vizier reorganized and reinvigorated the Ottoman Army , the success ended . Belgrade was recaptured by the Ottomans in 1690 and the following year ’ s campaign was relatively indecisive . The Austrians would be led by Eugene of Savoy in his first independent command ; it was to be the first of a series of spectacular campaigns for the Prince . Battle . Opening manoeuvres . Prince Eugene was made commander in chief of the Army in the newly conquered Pannonian Plain on 5 July 1697 . His army consisted of 70 , 000 men at full strength of whom only 35 , 000 were ready for battle . As the war chest was empty , Eugene had to borrow money in order to pay wages and to create a working medical service . The Habsburg Army consisted of German , Austrian and Hungarian infantry and cavalry forces ( approx . 7 , 000 soldiers ) . Thanks to Palatine Paul Eszterházy , Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary contributed to Ottoman - Habsburg Wars with 20 , 000 soldiers . Serb light cavalry and militia conscripts also took part in the coalition . When news arrived that the Sultan and his army were in Belgrade , Eugene decided to concentrate all his available troops from Upper Hungary and Transylvania and started to move his troops towards Petrovaradin . After the concentration took place , Eugene had an Imperial army of 50 , 000 to 55 , 000 men to face the Ottomans . On July 18 , in the village of Kolut , Eugene held a military review of his forces . Soon he left with forces to Petrovaradin via Sombor . During August , Eugene offered battle in the neighborhood of the fortress of Petrovaradin but the Ottomans , attempting to start a siege , refused to engage in battle . In September the Ottomans moved north in an attempt to capture the fortress of Szeged and the Imperial army followed . There were few Kuruc cavalries in the Ottoman army under Imre Thököly , however most of them fought alongside the Austrians . Thököly was in charge of the Ottoman cavalry in battle . The battle . After the capture of Cafer Pasha ( Djafer Pasha ) by the imperial cavalry , the plan for the siege of Szeged was abandoned and the Sultan decided to return to winter quarters near Timişoara . When Eugene learned of these movements , he decided to force a battle . On 11 September 1697 , the Ottoman army began to ford the river Tisa ( Tisza , Theiß ) near Zenta ( Senta ) , unaware that the Hungarian Imperial Army was nearby . The Imperial army was able to surprise and attack the Ottoman forces while they were in the process of crossing the river . After an intensive artillery bombardment , many Imperial Dragoon regiments dismounted and proceeded to the moat encircling and engaging the Ottoman camp . Ottoman troops behind the entrenchments retreated in confusion to the bridge , which was now overcrowded . Austrian artillery targeted the Ottoman troops and slaughtered them . The left flank of the Imperial army attacked , penetrating between the Ottoman left flank and the bridge , cutting off their retreat . At the same time , Imperial forces attacked from the front and , after ferocious close - quarter fighting , broke through the trenches surrounding the Ottoman camp . Inside the camp , beyond the camp - wagons , the slaughter was terrible . Imperial soldiers pressed the attack relentlessly . Barely a thousand Ottoman soldiers escaped . More than 10 , 000 Ottoman troops drowned in the Tisa river . Up to 20 , 000 Ottoman soldiers were slaughtered on the battlefield . Aftermath . The battle was an amazing victory for Austria ; at the cost of 500 men they had inflicted the loss of 30 , 000 men and captured the sultan ' s harem , 87 cannons , the royal treasure chest and the state seal of the Ottoman Empire . According to " Prinz Eugen " ( 1960 , biography ) by Alexander Lernet - Holenia , the startled Austrians even captured a train of camels . The main Ottoman army was scattered and the Austrians gained complete freedom of action in Bosnia , where Sarajevo was sacked . By the terms of the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 , the Austrians forced the sultan Mustafa II to make peace with the Emperor , and to cede Transylvania and the Ottoman eyalets of Egri , Varat , and Kanije , as well as much of the eyalet of Budin and parts of the eyalets of Temeşvar and Bosnia . These territories were later transformed or integrated into Habsburg provinces known as the Principality of Transylvania , Kingdom of Hungary , Kingdom of Slavonia , and the Military Frontier . After this treaty , Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary was enlarged and included one part of the lands that formerly were administered by the medieval Kingdom of Hungary ( In the 16th century , the territory formerly administered by the Kingdom of Hungary was divided between the Habsburg Monarchy ( see : Kingdom of Hungary ( 1538 – 1867 ) ) , the Ottoman Empire ( see : History of Hungary during Ottoman administration ) and the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom centered in Transylvania ) . Many Imperial soldiers were rewarded after the bloody battle . John de la Feld ( who led the fight for Prince Eugene ) was thereupon created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire .