Habsburgs vs. Ottomans: More Than Enemies

For centuries, two super-powers battled for ultimate supremacy in Europe: the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. Leading the Habsburg forces was Prince Eugene of Savoy, an impoverished young nobleman rejected by King Louis XIV of France, who rose through the ranks in Vienna to become a military genius and one of the wealthiest men in Europe. On the Ottoman side stood Gülnûş Valide Sultan, a powerful harem favorite, mother of two sultans, and a influential patron of arts and printing in Constantinople. On September 11, 1697, Prince Eugene made a high-stakes decision that altered European history forever. Risking everything at the Battle of Zenta, he mounted two infantrymen on each cavalry horse and ambushed the Ottoman army while they were crossing the Tisza River. The resulting rout saw 25,000 Ottomans killed compared to fewer than 500 Imperial casualties, effectively halting Ottoman expansion in Europe and leading to the historic Treaty of Karlowitz (1699). From the War of the Spanish Succession and Janissary revolts in Istanbul to the Siege of Belgrade (1717) and the shocking defection of the Count de Bonneval (who converted to Islam to become an Ottoman artillery commander), this documentary explores a brutal era of military strategy, palace intrigue, and rich cultural exchange between East and West. Director : Heinz Leger, Martin Betz