The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

that the energetic Grand Vizier Kara-Mustafa soon occupied the few Hungarian provinces remaining under Hapsburg rule, and in 1683 besieged Vienna. Thanks to the timely assistance of Poland, the Turks were beaten and Austria was saved. Once more the Austrian Emperor, Leopold I, looked to the Serbs for further successes against the Turks. He made use of a Serbian noble George Brankovic, the scion of an old princely family, to organise a Serbian insurrection and to supply the Imperial armies with as many Serbian volunteers as possible. By a special patent George Brankovi¢ was granted the title of Hungarian baron and in 1688 acknowledged hereditary prince of Hercegovina, Syrmia and the Banat. Soon afterwards Buda, the old capital of the Hungarian kings was recovered from the Turks and the Austrian successes were vigorously pursued. After a brief respite the Court of Vienna resumed its preparations for a new and decisive war against Turkey. The exhaustion of the Imperial finances notwithstanding, the Court circles of Vienna planned an extensive scheme : the conquest of Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Moldavia and Vallachia, and to crown the Hungarian King Joseph I, the son of the Emperor Leopold I, King of Romania, as all those lands were to be called. Of course the courage, gallantry and natural inclination of the Serbians were taken into first account. Vienna again applied to 58