Lesson topic: John III Sobieski at Vienna

Author: Marcin Dyś

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

XI. The Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth and its neighbors in the 17th century. Student:

1. explains the main causes of the wars of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth with (...) Turkey;

2. situates in time, locates and discusses the most important battles in the seventeenth century;

3. evaluates the political, social and economic consequences of wars in the 17th century.

General aim of education

Students learn the Polish‑Turkish relations in 17th century and the great victory of the Polish king at Vienna in 1683.

Key competences

• communicating in the mother tongue;

• communicating in foreign languages;

• IT competences;

• learning to learn.

Operational objectives

Student:

• explains where from and why Ottoman Turks came to Europe;

• describes the history of Polish and Turkish relations in the 17th century;

• describes John III Sobieski and his merits for Poland;

• describes one of the greatest victories of the Polish army in the history – the battle of Vienna in 1683.

Teaching methods

• methods of giving: talk, explanations and comments of the teacher;

• programmed methods: using an e‑textbook, using multimedia;

• problem methods: activating: discussion;

• practical methods: subject exercises, work with text, work with illustration.

Forms of work

• work in pairs or groups;

• individual work.

Teaching measures

• e‑textbook;

• interactive or traditional board;

• tablets / computers;

• notebook and crayons / pens.

Before the lesson

Students should revise what wars Poland took part in 17th century and when Turks came to Europe (the fall of Constantinople).

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

1. The teacher specifies the subject, the objective of the lesson as well as the criteria for success.

2. Referring to the homework, the teacher asks students how they would describe the situation of Poland in the 17th century. Was it the time of peace and development for Poland? Students should mention wars with Sweden, Russia, Turkey and the conflict with Cossacks. The teacher remembers to make key questions.

3. Then the teacher asks about the Turks’ coming to Europe. Students should know the date of the fall of Constantinople (the year 1456) and the battle of Mohacs (the year 1526), when Louis II, king of Bohemia and Hungary, died. The teacher mentions Suleiman the Magnificent thanks to whom the Ottoman Empire reached the apotheosis of its existence. Students do Exercise 1.

Realization

1. The teacher presents the Polish‑Turkish relations in 16th and 17th centuries to students. The teacher pays their attention to the fact that until the beginning of the 16th century the relations were proper and only the participation of the Polish army (so‑called lisowczycy) in the battle of Humenné in 1620 and the conflict about the territories of Moldavia were the reasons of the war. The teacher tells also about the actions of Tatars and Cossacks. The teacher mentions also the lost battle of Cecora and death of hetman Żółkiewski as well as the siege of Chocim. Students do Exercise 2.

2. The next war broke out after nearly 50 years, during the reign of Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and continued on and off until the end of 17th century. The teacher should mention losing of the Kamianets‑Podilskyi Castle and the victory of John III Sobieski at Chocim in 1673, which was one of the main reasons for choosing the hetman for the next king of Poland.

3. The teacher asks students what they associate John III Sobieski with. They should answer: Vienna, Turks, Vienna relief, 500 PLN etc. Referring to the students’ answers the teacher explains how one of the greatest victories of the Polish army in the history happened. He should tell about the agreement with Austria, the expedition from Cracow to Vienna (350km in two weeks which was extraordinary at that time), the overview of the battle (commanding of Sobieski, hussars’ charge and the attack from the less expected side of the Vienna Woods).

4. Then the teacher has a discussion with students about the results of the battle. Students do Exercise 1 and Exercise 2. The teacher says that apart from handing the letter to the Pope which was immortalised by Polish painter Jan Matejko, the king sent also a letter to his beloved wife – Queen Marie Casimire. Students do Exercise 3. The teacher makes sure that the exercise is done correctly and gives feedback.

5. The teacher takes care of the feedback given to students during doing the exercises.

Summary

1. To sum up, the teacher asks students some questions about the most important events of the Polish‑Turkish relations; asks e.g. why there were wars with Turkey; who were Tatars and Cossacks; what the meaning of the battle of Vienna was.

2. Students do Exercise 4. The teacher makes sure that the exercise is done correctly and gives feedback.

3. The teacher assesses students’ work in the lesson taking into account their contribution and commitment. He can prepare an evaluation questionnaire for self‑assessment and to assess the teacher’s and the other students’ work.

4. The teacher gives optional homework (it is not an obligatory part of the lesson plan): Beautiful Wawel tapestries are not the only things which came to Poland and Europe after the victory of John III Sobieski at Vienna. Get to know what other cultural effects (e.g. in cuisine, behaviour, clothing, fashion etc.) do we owe to relations with Turkey? Who was Jerzy Kulczycki and what citizens of Vienna owe to him?

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

John III Sobieski at Vienna

Since the 14th century the Ottoman Empire (the name comes from Osman – tribe leader from the medieval times) had been creating with conquests a great empire encompassing wide territories of Asia Minor, Middle East, North Africa and Europe. In Europe almost the whole Balkan Peninsula was under the sultan (Turkish ruler). The Turks threatened Poland and the Habsburg monarchy (Austria). Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova (duchies which are parts of present‑day Romania and Moldova) were a bone of contention. In 1683 Vienna, the capital of Austria, was besieged by the Turkish army. Polish king John III Sobieski concluded an alliance with the emperor Leopold I. United Polish and German armies under the command of the Polish monarch came to the relief of Austrian capital. On 12th September 1683 there was a great battle of Vienna where John III magnificently defeated Turks. Polish mercenaries (Hussars) and artillery had the key role there. The Turkish army was crashed. Vienna was saved.