26 June 1644: The Battle of Somos: Hungarian Transylvanians vs. Hungarians of Royal Hungary, a small clash in a cat-and-mouse game...
Prince Rákóczi I György of Transylvania (1593-1648) could afford to have an independent foreign policy, neither the sultan nor the Habsburg emperor could interfere in his actions.
The Habsburgs had done everything to hinder Rákoczi’s intervention in the 30-Year War: they had bribed the Ottoman Serasker (chief military leader under the sultan) who threatened Rákóczi to send Crimean Tatar and Turkish raiders to Transylvania if he tried to attack the Austrians. When this Serasker received his “silk string” from Sultan Murad, this obstacle was not there anymore.
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So in 1644, Rákóczi intervened in the 30-Year War, allying himself with the French and the Swedes. He declared war against the new Emperor, Habsburg Ferdinand III, but not with the intention of crushing him beyond measure.
Rákóczi’s Transylvanian army in 1644 February was on the march to join the Swedish General Torstenson, they were supposed to meet at Vienna. Rákóczi occupied the whole of Upper Hungary from the Habsburgs, and these lands were in his hands within a few weeks when he arrived at the Vág River.
Rákóczi could not expect any help from General Torstenson by this time because the Swedish general had already left for Moravia. Thus, the Transylvanian prince was quite alone to face the Habsburgs’ counter-attack.
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Please, read the whole story on my page and see how finally Rákóczy outsmarted his enemy without having to shed much blood:
Picture: Rákóczi György I
