PETROVARADIN, 2016

CORFU - PETROVARADIN: THE TWIN HISTORICAL SYMBOLISM

By that time, Eugene of Savoy was already the glorified army commander of Europe. In August 1716, and under the benediction of Virgin Mary of Snows, he would be the one who would give the vital blow to the Ottoman army in Petrovaradin of Hungary (today’s suburb of Novi Sad in northern today’s Serbia).

Though he was a French, Eugene was glorified as a general of the Austrian and Habsburgs’ army (fighting even against France). Now, in Petrovaradin, as the head of a multinational Christian army of 75,000 soldiers, he was facing a much more cohesive Ottoman army of 150,000 soldiers. The overwhelming victory of the European army against the Ottoman (and Muslim) army in Petrovaradin is of the same symbolic value as the battle of Poitiers (where in 732 the Arabic, Muslim expansion to Europe had been stopped).

A few days afterwards, Ottomans’ defeat would be completed in Corfu. The siege of the island, by an Ottoman fleet and 30.000 Ottoman soldiers, would at last be resolved under the pressure of the heroic resistance of Corfiots and Europeans who fought under the brave and competent general Schulenburg (appointed by the Doge of Venice on Eugene’s suggestion) and of course under the benediction of Saint-protector of the island (to whom the catalytic storm of the days has been attributed). The successful siege of Belgrade’s fortress by the advancing Eugene’s army would follow.

The treaty of Passarowitz, in 1718, would seal this war period, proclaiming as winner the Austrian empire over the Ottoman, but also proclaiming as winner the Ottoman empire against Venetian. Venice, being defeated, though she had kept Corfu, lost Peloponnese. Turkey, being finally defeated, though she earned Peloponnese, lost the proximity to west Europe via Hungary. Turkey will not any more threaten Europe. (Venice will follow the orbit of decline – up to her final fall, in 1797.)

If we think that, by that time Ottoman despotism constitutes the great ideological opponent of the “enlightened” people of European Enlightenment (eg Montesquieu, in Spirit of Laws, fixes explicitly “Turkey” as the anti-model, that is to say, as what Europe should never become), we can understand the political symbolism of Ottoman’s defeat in Corfu and Petrovaradin. The despotism is what was defeated and, for redeemed Europe, 18th century would be called “age of Enlightenment”. History would have taken another turn, if the result of these two twin battles had a different result.

In the front line as in the rear, belligerents were completely aware of the high political-religious risk (though most European soldiers, according to the practice of the time, were mercenaries!). Montesquieu and the rest philosophes in distant Paris could think secularly; however all those who heard the bullet just over their head (either mercenaries or not) invoked immediately the divine intervention. And all these men knew what faith with what were at war.

Note 1. For sure, Montesquieu made criticism to despotic “Turk” in order to be heard by Louis. Likewise a comparison of societies showed that in a lot of things (eg cleanness!) the Ottomans excelled. However, it was already clear where the stagnation and where the progress stood by.

Note 2. Greeks of Peloponnese came out militantly in favor of Turks against the authoritarian Venetians. Narration of history can never be simplistically schematic.

Note 3. Virgin Mary of Snows (name from the snow that fell in the field of battle, in August!) is honored every year on these days of August in the namesake church that lies in the place of the battle. It is the only church in Europe (with an Orthodox altar and a catholic one) that is honored by both, Orthodox and Catholics.

Note 4. Already, since 1453, Sultan, henceforth owning the title of the Emperor of Rome, claimed as his own legacy the old Roman universality. Twice (in 1529 and 1683), he stopped outside Vienna, seat of the German Roman emperor. The third time was in 1716. Roughly 500 kilometers south-east of Vienna. (Obviously, beyond titles, Sultan, in 1716, was interested more immediately in the recapture of the rich – as to the territory and the ability to pay taxes - Hungary, which had been lost for Turkey after the treaty of Karlowitz, in 1699.)

Ενημέρωση 6/8/2016