In 1683, two empires - the Ottoman, based in Constantinople, and the Habsburg dynasty in Vienna - faced each other at the culmination of a 250-year power struggle: the Great Siege of Vienna. Within the city's walls, the choice of resistance instead of surrender to the largest army ever assembled by the Turks created an "all or nothing" scenario: every last survivor would be enslaved or slaughtered fiercely. The Turks had set their sights on Vienna, the city they had dubbed "The Golden Apple" from their first siege in 1529. Both sides remained irrevocable, backed by the hatred of their ancient enemy, confident that their victory would be won by the grace of God.
Eastern raiders had always threatened the West: Huns, Mongols, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals, and many others. Western fears of the East were intense and powerful and, in their new eyes, the Turks always appeared as the sole aggressors. Andrew Wheatcroft's remarkable book shows that this belief is a serious oversimplification: during the 400-year struggle for dominance, the West attacked as often as the East. As modern Turkey attempts to reshape its relationship with Europe, a new generation of politicians exploits the lingering fears and tensions between East and West to curtail this change. "Enemy at the Gate" provides a timely and excellent depiction of this most complex and epic struggle.
Pages: 384, Dimensions: 15.3x15.3cm
