Croatia - Hungary JOINT issue

“ 450^th ANNIVERSARY BATTLE OF SIGET.”

MNH ~ Miniature Sheet !

THE BATTLE OF SIGET IN 1566

The Battle of Siget, a collision between a small number of Croatian and Hungarian soldiers   and a huge Turkish army in summer 1566 determined the history of Europe for the next century.  The Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1494 -1566) initiated a war campaign through Hungary to Vienna.

Modern organised Turkish army composed of 100,000 soldiers and 300 cannons came across an obstacle on their way - a town of Siget, with strategic importance for the defence of Croatia and Hungary. The defence of the town with only 2,500 soldiers was led by Nikola Šubić Zrinski (1508 -1566).

It so happened that the strong Turkish army was stopped at the beginning of August on its way to the heart of Europe by a small number of Siget crew.  Sultan, who was in a hurry to conquer Vienna, offered to Zrinski the power over Croatia and Slavonia in order to enable the huge Turkish army a safe and undisturbed passage toward west.

The Battle of Siget had a great echo in whole Europe and marked the beginning of the end of Turkish military supremacy.

Year:  2016.

(COA16)