Niederkorn Jan, Die europäischen Mächte und der „Lange Türkenkrieg“ Kaiser Rudolfs II. (1593–1606), Wien 1993
At the end of the 16th century, after several decades of relative peace, repeatedly disturbed by border conflicts and preserved by regular diplomatic efforts, war broke out again between the Ottomans and the Austrian Habsburgs in 1593. Due to the duration of the war, which ended with the Peace of Zsitvatorok in 1606, it is also known as the “Long Turkish War”. In addition to the two main opponents, the principalities of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, which were rebelling against Ottoman supremacy, also took part in the lasting war. While emperor Rudolf II. asked for subsidies all over Europe to finance the war, the Curia put a lot of effort into the formation of a Holy League, aiming at the expulsion of the Ottoman Empire from Europe. However, these attempts achieved only limited success. In the work at hand, historian Jan Niederkorn, member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, goes into impressive detail with this aspect, especially in its diplomatic manifestation.
After a quick preface on the general perception of the “Turks” in Europe as “enemies of Christendom” and the idea of a united European fight against them, a short chronology of the war is given. Niederkorn then starts his survey with a brief description of the initial situation in the states who were directly involved in the war (Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia), before dealing with the involvement of numerous other European states in this conflict. He pays particular attention to the question of subsidies and to Pope Clement VIII’s efforts to establish a Holy League. Niederkorn puts great value on completeness in his consideration. Thus, he not only addresses the important states such as Spain, France, England, and Venice, but also pays attention to states often neglected by Western historians, such as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia. He even considers minor powers such as small states of Italy, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Order of Malta.
Niederkorn comes to the conclusion (cf. pp. 499-502) that, based on the general “Turkish fear” and an interconfessional solidarity, all states in Europe supported the war against the “enemy of Christendom” at least superficially in an idealistic way. However, the states competing with the Habsburgs, such as France and England in particular, hoped to see their enemy weakened in a long-lasting war. With Poland-Lithuania, the emperor could not reach an agreement due to opposing interests in Central Europe. Moscow seemed too far away and was occupied with the Tartars. Venice not only saw its trade and holdings in the Aegean in danger, but also felt threatened by Habsburg dominance, which favoured an internal political division in the republic. Other states certainly provided support in the form of subsidies or troops. However, this was done less out of Christian solidarity than out of personal interest. The main financial burden was carried by the Holy Roman Empire with 20 million florins. In addition, 7.5 million florins came from other European states, with Spain (3.75 m.) and the Holy See (2.85 m.) providing the largest shares. The Spanish Habsburgs believed they would have to bear higher protection costs for their Italian possessions if their Austrian relatives were defeated. The minor states in Italy, such as Tuscany, Ferrara/Modena, and Mantua, hoped for military glory, new territories in the east, or imperial recognition of sovereign rights. Pope Clement VIII, who also played a major role in acquiring the other subsidies, worked hard, but ultimately in vain, to form a Holy League that would strengthen his position as padre comune.
Niederkorn’s approach and result are especially remarkable considering the amount of work that was involved. To accomplish this enormous work, he was not only obliged to evaluate a huge amount of literature in different languages. He also consulted archives in Kraków, London, Ludwigsburg, Madrid, Mantua, Modena, Parma, Paris, Rome, Simancas, the Vatican, Venice, and Vienna for his sources. The simple structure according to the individual states makes it easy to access this extensive work for those readers who are only interested in partial aspects. The book thus offers a substantial reading for those interested in the diplomatic and financial side of the “Long Turkish War”.