Europe Facing East in the Age of Ottoman Power - War, Diplomacy, and the Composite State

The dispute between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire over rulership of the kingdom of Hungary dominated military affairs between 1526 and 1699. A battleground for a wider theological contest between Christian and Muslim imperial forces, the conflict witnessed notable developments in military technology and religious strife, including the development of gunpowder and the European Reformation. Bringing together his wealth of research on this lengthy conflict, historian James Tracy provides a comprehensive and exacting examination of the implications this battle had for notions of sovereignty, statehood, and civilization. Ranging from the Veneto-Ottoman peace negotiations of 1573-4 to the “Book of Halil Beg” in Habsburg-Ottoman diplomacy, this volume serves as a vital guide to a turbulent period of history.