Jan Sobieski (John III)
1629–1696 · Polish · Ottoman Wars in Europe
Known for: Saved Vienna from Ottoman siege in 1683 with history's largest cavalry charge
Jan III Sobieski was the King of Poland who broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683 with the largest cavalry charge in history—18,000 horsemen, including 3,000 winged hussars, thundering down the Kahlenberg hill into the Ottoman camp. It was one of the most decisive battles in European history.
He was well-educated, multilingual, and deeply in love with his wife Marie Casimire—their love letters are among the most passionate in European history. He was a warrior-king in the truest sense, personally leading the charge at Vienna. His message to the Pope after the battle: 'Venimus, vidimus, Deus vicit'—'We came, we saw, God conquered.'
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