Nikola Jurišić

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Statue of Nikola Jurišić in Senj

Statue of Nikola Jurišić in Kőszeg, Hungary

Baron Nikola Jurišić (Hungarian: Miklós Jurisics or Jurisich) (c. 1490 in Senj, Croatia - 1545 in Kőszeg, Hungary) was a Croatian-born nobleman, solider, and diplomat, who led the armies of the territory of the Military Frontier in defense against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I.

After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Jurisic's vote helped Ferdinand of Habsburg gain the Hungarian crown. Later Jurisic was sent to Constantinople to negotiate with the Ottomans for peace.

[edit] The Defence of Kőszeg (1532)

In 1532, he defended the small border fort of Kőszeg with only 800 Croatian-Hungarian soldiers, preventing the advance of the Turkish army of 140,000 toward Vienna. There are two legendary versions of that battle.

In one version, after Suleiman I led an army of 140,000 towards Vienna, Nikola Jurisic and his 800 soldiers responded to the calls of the Habsburg Emperor to defend the city. While passing through western Hungary they saw helpless women and children in the small fort of Koszeg, and decided to defend it. The fort was on the route to Vienna, so Suleiman II attacked it, and after three days of fighting Jurisic wrote: "...Me and 89 of my knights are tired and low on supplies. If we hold another day it will be a miracle..."^{[citation needed]} Before the final charge women and children prayed to St. Martin for two hours, and the final battle started. After ten minutes of battle the Turks retreated, and reported they saw a flaming knight with flaming sword.

In the second version, the Turks decided to negotiate with the defenders after three days. Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha wanted to attack Vienna at any cost and offered to Jurisic the option of simulating a Turkish victory, enabling Suleiman II to continue to Vienna. A few Turkish soldiers pretended to guard the city, and the bulk of the Turkish forces proceeded toward Vienna. The next day defenders took down Turkish flag.

In 1538, the king made him the supreme army commander of the armed forces defending the borders. He spent the last years of his life as a secret adviser at the court in Vienna.