Battle of Khotyn

Overview

The Battle of Khotyn or Battle of Chocim, also known as the Hotin War, took place on 11 November 1673 in Khotyn, where the forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth under the Grand Hetman of the Polish Crown John Sobieski defeated Ottoman Empire forces, with Moldavian and Wallachian regiments, led by Hüseyin Pasha. It reversed the fortunes of the previous year, when Commonwealth weakness led to the signing of the Treaty of Buchach, and allowed John Sobieski to win the upcoming royal election and become the King of Poland.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Khotyn on 11 November 1673 was fought between a Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth force of roughly 29,000–30,000 under John III Sobieski and Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł and an Ottoman force of 35,000. Commonwealth casualties of approximately 2,000 against Ottoman losses estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 indicate a decisive Polish–Lithuanian victory within the broader Polish–Ottoman War of 1672–1676. The scale of Ottoman losses relative to the engaged force points to a severe defeat for the Ottoman side, with implications for the subsequent course of the conflict. Sobieski's role as commanding general at Khotyn contributed substantially to his political standing within the Commonwealth, as his military reputation bore directly on his election as King of Poland shortly after the battle.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)