History - Austria - page 731

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HABSBURGS?
They're still around - about 500 of them, some 280 of whom still live in Austria. The current family head is
Karl Habsburg-Lothringen (b 1961). He recently took on the job of heading Europe's most famous family after
the death of his father Otto von Habsburg (1912-2011). Famous for his bon mots, Otto von Habsburg renounced
his claims to the Habsburg lands in 1961, a step that allowed him to re-enter Austria and launch a career in
European politics.
Once asked why his name never surfaced in the tabloids, the aged 'monarch' had replied: 'I've not once atten-
ded a ball. I prefer to sleep at night. And if you don't go to nightclubs, you don't run into the gossip columnists'.
He was something of a sporting man, too: when quizzed about who he thought would win an Austria-Hungary
football match, Otto reportedly replied, 'Who are we playing?'
Most poignant is perhaps a comment by German President Paul von Hindenburg to Otto von Habsburg in
1933 (the year Hitler seized power in Germany): 'You know, your majesty, there's only one person with hostile
feelings towards the Habsburgs, but he's an Austrian.'
Turks & the Siege of Vienna
The Ottoman Empire viewed Vienna as 'the city of the golden apple', but it wasn't Apfel-
strüdel they were after in their great sieges. The first, in 1529 during the reign of Karl V,
was begun by Süleyman the Magnificent, who advanced into Hungary and took Budapest
before beginning an 18-day siege to capture Vienna. This was the meeting of two powers
almost at the peak of their power, but - for reasons that are unclear today - the Ottomans
suddenly withdrew back to Hungary. The Turkish sultan died at the siege of Szigetvár,
yet his death was kept secret for several days in an attempt to preserve the morale of his
army. The subterfuge worked for a while. Messengers were led into the presence of the
embalmed body, which was placed in a seated position on the throne. They then relayed
their news to the corpse.
At the head of the second Turkish siege in 1683 was the general and grand vizier Kara
Mustapha. Amid the 25,000 tents of the Ottoman army that surrounded Vienna's mediev-
al centre, he installed 1500 concubines, guarded by 700 black eunuchs. Their luxurious
quarters contained gushing fountains and regal baths, all set up in haste but with great ef-
fect.
Again, it was all to no avail, even though Vienna was only lightly defended by 10,000
men. Mustapha's overconfidence was his downfall; failing to put garrisons on Kahlen-
berg, he and his army were surprised by a swift attack from this famous hill. Mustapha
was pursued from the battlefield and defeated once again, at Gran. At Belgrade he was
met by the emissary of Sultan Mehmed IV. The price of failure was death, and Mustapha