Battles & Campaigns · 1739
Battle of Grocka
Grocka, near Belgrade, Serbia
What happened
A Habsburg army under Marshal George Olivier Wallis fought an Ottoman army under Grand Vizier Ivaz Mehmed Pasha. Wallis's cavalry came out of a narrow gully at dawn and met the whole Ottoman army in the open. The Austrians held on, and infantry arrived at midday, but the Ottomans held the high ground. By nightfall the Austrians were badly battered and retreated toward Belgrade.
Why it matters
It was the decisive battle of the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739. It opened the way to Belgrade.
What came next
The Ottomans besieged Belgrade, and the Treaty of Belgrade handed it back to them that September.
Did you know?
Belgrade had been captured by Prince Eugene in 1717 and then held by the Habsburgs for 22 years.
Timeline
- 1717Prince Eugene takes Belgrade.
- 22 Jul 1739Battle of Grocka.
- 18 Sep 1739Treaty of Belgrade.