Free Republic

The Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire were at war.  Vienna had been under siege for months.  On 11 September a coalition of Christian forces, a Holy League blessed by Bl. Pope Innocent XI, arrived with Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland, to lift the siege.When he saw that the Turks were about to breach the walls of the city, Sobieski attacked earlier than he had intended.On 12 September at 4 am the battle was closed.   Sobieski had called on the protection of Our Lady of Czestochowa before the battle.He sent his forces of 81,000 against the Turks’ 130,000. ...

Mel Gibson to play Polish King?! Reports have emerged that Mel 'Madmax' Gibson has been approached to play King Jan Sobieski in an epic movie about the 1683 Siege of Vienna. Wroclaw-based producer Mariusz Bielak would like Gibson to both star in and direct the picture, and he is optimistic that the Australian maverick will come on board: 'All the signs show that he is interested in this project and its theme', Bielak was quoted as saying in Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza. "It's his cup of tea.' The film, which has a working title of Victoria (The Victory), is being...