Stephen Sisa : The Spirit of Hungary

In all of Hungarian history there is only one recorded case of two men with the same name - Count Miklós Zrínyi - having achieved such heights of fame and glory that each serves as an inspiration to Magyars even today.

The two Zrínyis lived a hundred years apart. The first Miklós Zrínyi attained his place in history through his heroic death, while the other his great-grandson, did so by both the pen as a poet and by the sword as a warlord reminiscent of Hunyadi.

To understand Miklós Zrínyi, the poet-warlord, one has to go back to his ancestor who was the central hero of the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. Both were of Croatian origin.

The Siege of Szigetvár

Szigetvár, situated close to the city of Pécs in Southern Hungary, was never a particularly large or strong fortress. Its existence, however, had been a thorn in the Turks' side since 1556, when Ali Pasha of Buda had lost ten thousand men under its walls in an unsuccessful siege.

Ten years later Suleiman the Magnificent, the victor of Mohács, decided that as a preparatory step to the capture of Vienna, Szigetvár must be destroyed. When in August 1566 he arrived with 90,000 troops and 300 cannons under Szigetvár, he was not impressed. To him, Szigetvár was a "molehill."

A few hundred kilometers to the north another army, 80,000 strong, struck camp between Gyr and Komárom. These were the troops gathered by Emperor Maximilian, King of Hungary, to fend off the anticipated Turkish advance on Vienna after the expected fall of Szigetvár. The efforts of Hungarian leaders to induce Sam Ekhard, the Imperial commander of his force, to aid the beleaguered fortress were of no avail.

Count Miklós Zrínyi, who was then the Ban (viceroy) of Croatia, decided to take charge of the defense himself. With only 2,500 Hungarian and Croatian soldiers he had no illusions about the final outcome. The wives and daughters of Zrínyi's officers refused to leave the city, they wanted to stay with their husbands and fathers until death.

After due preparations for the siege, Zrínyi gathered his men for a meeting during which all swore to defend Szigetvár against the infidels to their last breath. Then red flags were hoisted as a signal to the Turks that Zrínyi was ready for battle.

What made Szigetvár defensible at all were not high hills or strong walls, but the marshes of the Almás Creek which surrounded Szigetvár, a city built on three islands. A dammed lake added to its defense potential. Szigetvár's three islands were connected by wooden platforms built over the water. The largest island was situated in the middle, serving as the base for the "old city." Connected to it on one side was the "new city" and on the other side the fort proper, which included a high point called Nádasdy Hill. From Nádasdy Hill, gun emplacements looked down on the plain around Szigetvár.

The defenders were at an immediate disadvantage, because an unusually dry summer had reduced their best weapon: water, to inundate the marshes. Whatever was left in the lake and moats had been drained by the Turks, who had destroyed the dam in preparation for the siege. As a next step, the Turks built three causeways of brushwood and dirt across the drained lake bed. The Portuguese artillery expert, Aliportug, whom the Sultan had used at the siege of Malta, devised a monster platform, made of forty-two wagons (three wagons wide, fourteen wagons long). fastened together by tree trunks to bridge the gap between the bastion and the causeway.

The Turks took the indefensible "new city," built on the smallest island, in two days, a feat claiming the lives of 3,000 Turks and 300 defenders. But the fortress proper still stood and the guns from Nádasdy Hill continued to batter the attackers, causing heavy casualties.

In his frustration, Grandvizier Ahmed Sokolovits changed tactics. He sent envoys to Zrínyi, promising him eternal possession of all of Croatia and Slovenia if he would only surrender. Zrínyi turned the offer down with contempt. Next, the Turks used arrows to shoot messages written in Hungarian and Croatian to the defending soldiers to induce them to open the gate. The result was the same.

Angered. the Grandvizier ordered the fortress to be bombarded on all four sides day and night. At the same time, his men began sinking shafts to under-

mine the entrenchments, to no avail. The general attack on the night of August 26 was beaten back with the Turks losing Ali Pasha of Buda, and Ali Borsuk, the commander of Turkish artillery.

Suleiman Dead and Still "Alive"

Suleiman the Magnificent was furious. On August 29, the 40th anniversary of his Mohács triumph, the aged Sultan personally took charge of an all-out attack which was renewed ten times during the day. But this time it was Zrínyi who took revenge for Mohács: thousands of the Sultan's best soldiers were piling up dead or wounded in the ten futile attempts at a breakthrough. The Portuguese Aliportug was one of the first victims, felled on his wagon-bridge trying to crossover with Janissary troops. The defenders even captured the commander of the Janissaries.

The "Magnificent" was crying in shame and anger when he witnessed how his best regiments took to flight from the walls. At the end, when he was helped down from his horse, he was a dying man although he had not been touched by any weapon.

For five days a deadly silence fell upon the Turkish camp while new attempts were made to sink shafts under the fortress. This time the Turks succeeded. On September 5th a shattering explosion demolished Nádasdy Hill, fire engulfing all the surrounding buildings. Through the gaps caused by the explosion thousands of Janissaries rushed in and began to sack the buildings in the marketplace, killing women and children. They thought the fortress was already theirs.

Not quite. Zrínyi and his soldiers descended on them like avenging angels killing most of the invaders and repelling two new attacks. Turk bodies were piled up in the passages made by the explosion, blocking further attempts to enter. Those who remained alive were seen fleeing like scalded ants from an ants' nest.

Sultan Suleiman could not bear the sight any longer. When the Turkish trumpets signaled retreat again, a fatal stroke felled him.

Sultan had come to kill Miklós Zrínyi and ultimately it was Zrínyi whose resistance killed him.

Suleiman died, but he lived for three more days - officially, that is.

The Grandvizier believed it was essential to conceal the truth from his troops to prevent general panic. In an act of make-believe unprecedented in history, he had the Sultan dressed up in his imperial robes with a diamond-studded turban on his head and a golden war-hammer in his hand, and placed him in a chair under his tent as if he were watching his troops in review.

This farce continued for three days to allow time for the complete capture of Szigetvár, now practically ruined and with only 300 defenders left under Zrínyi's command. All their cannons and supplies, except for the ammunition, had been destroyed by the flames.

Zrínyi knew that the end was near.

Storming out into Certain Death

The defenders were all prepared to die in keeping with their oath, but first a horrendous task awaited them. Their wives and daughters were still alive in the tower. Should they fall into Turkish hands, they would suffer a fate worse than death, and so, they had chosen instead to die at the hands of their beloved fathers and husbands.

After tearful farewells the men plunged daggers into their loved ones' hearts. This was the Hungarian version of Masada. the immortal self-sacrifice of Jewish zealots in a Roman-besieged fortress two millenniums ago.

With this tragic event behind him, Zrínyi donned the silk and velvet garment he had worn on his wedding day, and hung a heavy gold chain around his neck. He discarded his shirt of mail and instead, stuffed his pockets with gold pieces to "provide for my funeral" and with the unsheathed sword of his father in hand he joined his men in the tower yard. He blessed and thanked them for their loyalty. His men, following their commander's example, also discarded their armor.

Then Miklós Zrínyi, with the national flag in one hand, his sword in the other, ordered the opening of the gate behind which enemy troops swarmed on a bridge. When the gate was flung open Zrínyi's men fired two heavy cannons stuffed with nails and sharp pieces of iron, point blank into the enemy ranks. A moment later Zrínyi and his 300 men stormed out of the fortress. "Like a fiery ray of lightning he cracked down on them, cutting down everybody within range to make way for himself and for the courageous men following him," wrote the German historian Wagner.

The bridge had been cleared of Turkish troops when the inevitable happened. Zrínyi was fatally hit by two bullets in the chest and by an arrow in his eye. His officers and men also fell - all except three.

Zrínyi's head was promptly severed by the Janissaries and his body placed on a cannon. As a sign of victory, his head was put on a plate and rushed to the Sultan's tent by troops still unaware of the Magnificent's death.

This, however was not the end of the resistance.

Booty-hungry Janissaries invaded the fortress searching for the alleged treasures of Miklós Zrínyi. Thousands jammed the yard and the tower when the last holdout, a young woman hiding in the underground ammunition chamber, threw a flaming torch into the gunpowder stored in the cellar. The terrible detonation which followed buried not only those in the tower but practically everyone in the yard. Thus, it became the burial ground for 3,000 Janissaries.

All told, the Battle of Szigetvár claimed the lives of 2,500 Magyars and Croatians and 25,000 Turks in a siege in which no stones remained unturned.

The remains of the fortress of Szigetvár still stand as a silent memorial to a battle fought for country, faith and honor.

Except for the Hunyadis, no family played a greater role in the defense of Christendom than the Zrínyis, and among the Zrínyis, Miklós Zrínyi. the poet-warlord, was the most outstanding.

We do not often find in the history of any nation a single man who is a first-rate statesman, a great military strategist and a poet as well, but Count Miklós Zrínyi, a contemporary of Milton and Cromwell, was all these things.

His main opus as a poet was the Szigeti veszedelem (Obsidio Szigetiana - The Perils of Sziget) - a long epic poem dealing with the heroic actions of his ancestor. And yet he considered writing poetry only a pastime. In the prologue of his poem he says: "My profession is not poetry, but a higher and nobler one: To serve my country." Later he inserted into one of his prose works the following lines:

"Not with the quill's black tintured scroll,

I seek to earn a name.

With good sword-blows and blood of foes,

I'll write in red my fame."

Miklós Zrínyi was born in 1620, the eldest son of the Ban (viceroy) of Croatia, György Zrínyi, who himself was a renowned foe of the Turks. György had died an early death in a campaign against the Swedes; some said he had been poisoned by an agent of Wallenstein, who was jealous of his brilliant rival.

Before his death he had asked King Ferdinand to

protect his two sons, Miklós and Péter, who were very much alike in physical appearance. The King then made Péter Pázmány, Archbishop of Esztergom, their guardian. Until their father's death they lived in an atmosphere of soldiering, and Miklós, at the age of five or six, was often taken to the military camp by his famous father.

Under Pázmány's guardianship the two orphans were educated by the Jesuits in Graz and Nagyszombat where study of the classics was combined with Catholic indoctrination. In 1636-37 a priest accompanied them on a tour through Italy where they received an audience with Pope Urbanus. It was on this trip that Miklós became acquainted with the splendor of the Italian Renaissance and read the writings of Macchiavelli, which described how a prince could make himself and his nation great. Zrínyi, who understood seven languages, could read the Italian poets and appreciate the flowery new style of the poet Marino.

By the time the two brothers returned home, their great protectors, Ferdinand II and Péter Pázmány, had died. After a thorough military training, both retired to their castle in Csáktornya. Péter soon married and left, but the brothers kept close family ties to the end of their lives. Péter translated Miklós' Hungarian poems into the Croatian tongue and published them in a beautiful edition. Miklós Zrínyi was preoccupied with what he considered his lifetime mission: to fight the Turks in defense of the Hungaro-Croatian frontiers. His fame soon spread and the King appointed him general, and soon thereafter, Ban (governor) of Croatia. His greatest success occurred in 1647, when he defeated a much larger army commanded by Ali Pasha.

It was between his campaigns that he wrote his Obsidio Szigetiana to depict the drama of Hungary protecting Christendom against the infidel. The epic is written by a soldier and yet mirrors the mysticism of Christianity, showing the figure of his ancestor, the hero of Szigetvár as the Athlete of Christ and ideal of all Christian heroes. The hero symbolizes the Hungarian nation and is transfigured into a mystical sacrifice, his love of country into divine service.

This epic, in which the defender of Szigetvár learns his destiny, is a famous one in Hungarian literature: It describes how "one morning at daybreak, as was his won, Zrínyi knelt before the crucifix and his lips uttered a prayer" asking the Almighty to heed him, though his own merits in God's sight be "no more than the water carried by a swallow in its bill, as compared to the waters of the seas."

He called on God to forgive his sins and those of his fathers, for the Turks, in conquering the Hungarians, were mocking His Name and in granting the Hungarians victory against the infidels, God would be honoring Himself, not the Hungarians.

In answer to this prayer the crucifix "bowed toward him three times," responding that God would grant his request, but that first the heathen would crown him with martyrdom. The crucified figure then told how Suleiman would come with a great army to Szigetvár where he would "wait like a hungry wolf" for Zrínyi. But before his death, Zrínyi would conquer and then be taken up to Heaven. The accomplishments of his sons would make his name even more illustrious "as the Phoenix hatches its young from the ashes."

To quote a noted Hungarian literary critic, "Zrínyi was the first poet to see all the problems connected with Hungary's position between East and West. though Hungary's problems could not be solved by writing poems."

Zrínyi's Credo

The military-political aim of Zrínyi's life was to free Hungary from the yoke of the Turks. In his own words:.

The ghosts and bones of the great Hungarian heroes do not give me the peace and the rest I desire. I am a lover of their glory; so much so that I could never forget their admonitions, for they are with me not only in my daily meditations, but even in my nightly dreams saying: do not sleep; seek no pleasure; behold your country in ruins - the country which we gained with our hearts'

blood, which we kept for many centuries: follow in our wake, regardless of labor, regardless of life.

Zrínyi followed his credo by the power of the sword, using every opportunity to crack down on the Turks along the southern frontier. His talent as a military leader was demonstrated by his "active defense" tactic of leading offensive campaigns deep into Turkish-held Bosnia. Tellius, a Dutch scholar, praises his military knowledge and says that the Turks were so afraid of Zrínyi that Turkish mothers would use his name in threatening their children.

Although Zrínyi, in the tradition of his family, was absolutely loyal to the Emperor-King, Vienna regarded his "overzealous" military activity against the Turks with misgivings. Habsburg powers, embroiled in so many directions, were trying to preserve the status quo. In their eyes the crusading Hungarian lords -especially Zrínyi - were a nuisance.

Vienna's first blow against Zrínyi was the blocking of his election as Palatine of Hungary, although he was the most eligible candidate for the position.

Zrínyi had to realize that for the Habsburgs the interests of the State were more important than actively fighting the Turks. At the time, no one recognized Hungary's position better than he, who besides being a writer and strategist, was an outstanding statesman as well.

It was in 1671 that Zrínyi published his most famous political pamphlet, The True Remedy against the Turkish Poison (A török áfium elleni orvosság), in which he asks, "If danger comes, from whom can the Hungarians expect help? From the Emperor? From Poland? Italy, France or England? No, from nobody! They are all concerned with their own interests. Hungary is alone." Therefore, Zrínyi advised that Hungary maintain a standing army ready for action anytime.

Zrínyi's ideal was the Hungary of Matthias Corvinus (King Mátyás). "I see," he declared, "why King Mátyás could do what he liked with the Hungarians. It was because he had a strong, centralized power." That power, however, must rule in the interests of Hungary and seek to expel the Turk.

Zrínyi was, of course, right, but given his position he could not realize this grand design. For a while, he regarded Transylvania as a potential main Hungarian base, but his hopes crumbled when György Rákóczi II's unfortunate leadership entangled the principality in futile wars.

Zrínyi erected a strong new fortress called Zerinvár on his own estate to serve as his base against the Turks. The erection of Zerinvár caused a Turkish casualty, for the Grandvizier ordered the Pasha of Kanizsa strangled for allowing the fortress to be built.

The Habsburg-Turkish "Detente" Upset

The Habsburg-Turkish "Detente" was upset by the arrogance of the Turks so Vienna could not avoid the outbreak of hostilities that began in 1663. The Zrínyis, both Miklós and Péter, now had the chance for which they had been preparing. Péter remained at Zerinvár while Miklós joined the Imperial forces on the Vág, Upper Hungary. To his great surprise he encountered a reluctance to engage the enemy occupying the key fortress of Érsekújvár.

Zrínyi took matters into his own hands. He attacked the Turks with his own troops and in a single brilliant exploit he reclaimed the huge island of Csallóköz in the Danube, releasing the thousands of Christian prisoners held captive there. More importantly, he returned to Zerinvár to annihilate several hordes of Turks, and to destroy the strategically important bridge at Eszék that for years had been serving the Turks as a point for crossing the River Drava. This he achieved in bitter winter weather and with a small force.

All of Europe took notice of his victories. The Pope and the King of France sent letters of congratulations and German towns arranged thanksgiving processions in his honor. From the King of Spain, he received the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Assisting troops, mainly French, arrived in the camp of Emperor-King Leopold I for the decisive battle in 1664. The chief commander of his troops was Montecuccoli, a master of delaying tactics, who just the previous year had marched against the Turks to Nagyvárad only to return without engaging them in battle, to the consternation of the Magyars. An angry exchange of letters between Zrínyi and Montecuccoli created bitter antagonism between them.

Now, in 1664, Montecuccoli repeated his tactics of continuous retreat and even gave up Zerinvár, humiliating Zrínyi, whose successes made him jealous. At last Grandvizier Köprili forced Montecuccoli to fight near St. Gotthard at the Austrian frontier, after the general had given the Turks a "free ride" across Hungary. The battle at St. Gotthard was won by the Christians, chiefly through the brave attacks of 6,000 French troops led by La Feuillade and Coligny and the German troops led by Waldeck. Montecuccoli, however, failed to exploit the victory by not pursuing the beaten enemy.

This was bad enough but even worse was the hasty peace Vienna concluded with the Turks at Vasvár - without consulting the Magyars - a mere ten days after the victory at St. Gotthard. The terms of the treaty made it seem as if the Turks had defeated the

Christians. Concluded for twenty years, it left in Turkish hands all the occupied territories; Transylvania was to remain under Turkish tutelage; the Imperial garrisons still holding several fortresses were to be withdrawn; and finally, a "present" of 200,000 talérs was to be sent to the Sultan.

Hungary's indignation over this shameful treaty knew no bounds. It was openly said that the country had been betrayed by its own king. Now the Habsburgs became almost as much of an enemy as the Turks.

Zrínyi himself was in despair and retired to his fortress in Csáktornya to contemplate what action if any to take. He was only forty-four years old at the time and as the most respected leader in Hungary, a wide range of options lay before him.

But all his options were wiped out by a stroke of fate. On November 1, 1664, he was killed by a wild boar during a hunt. When the news of his death spread, people were incredulous and suspected foul play.

Sagredo, the envoy of Venice wrote: "With the passing of Zrínyi, the Hungarians were left without counsel and leadership."

Miklós Zrínyi wrote many thousands of words during his lifetime, of which only a few phrases have taken root in the public mind. One of them is his personal motto: "Sors bona nihil aliud" (Good luck and nothing else; "Jó szerencse, semmi más") -Something he sorely missed during his entire career.

The other phrase consists of only four words but they mirror his spirit and have become the most remembered phrase ever uttered by a Hungarian: "Ne bántsd a magyart!" (Hands off the Magyars!)

Stephen Sisa : The Spirit of Hungary