The Great Turkish War was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and European powers at the time during the second half of the 17th century. It marked the end of the Ottoman incursion into Europe.

1667-1683

The beginning of the Great Turkish war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire was in 1667. A war started in 1672 due to Doroszeko's Rebellion (Cossack rebels).

After Bohdan Khmelnytsky's rebellion, when Russia acquired parts of Eastern Ukraine from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, some cossacks stayed in the south east of the Commonwealth. Their leader, Petro Doroshenko wanted to connect the rest of Ukraine with the Ottoman Empire. He started a rebellion against hetman (Polish army commander) Jan Sobieski. The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire at this time was Mohamed IV. He knew that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was weak due to internal conflicts and he attacked Kamieniec Podolski, a big city on the border. A small Polish army was defeated by a larger Ottoman Army. The Poles agreed to surrender Kamieniec Podolski and the adjacent region to the Ottoman's and to pay tribute to the Ottoman Sultan.

When a message about the defeat and treaty terms reached Warsaw, the Sejm refused to the tribute. Accordingly the Sejm organized a large army under Jan Sobieski. He won a battle near Chocim in 1673, but the Ottoman's didn’t give back Kamieniec Podolski. However, after King Michael’s death in 1674, Jan Sobieski was elected king of Poland.

1683-1699

After a few years of peace, the Ottoman Empire attacked the Habsburg Empire. The Turks almost captured Vienna, but Jan III Sobieski led a Christian alliance which defeated them. The Battle of Vienna finished the Ottoman Empire's hegemony in Eastern Europe.

See also: Holy League (Great Turkish war), Treaty of Karlowitz

Jan III Sobieski died in 1697, but the Ottoman Empire gave back Kamieniec Podolski region in 1699.

See also

• Ottoman wars in Europe