COUNT MIKLÓS ZRÍNYI, THE POET-WARLORD
Except for the Hunyadis, no family played a greater role in
the defense of Christendom than the Zrínyis, and among the Zrínyis, Miklós Zrínyi. the
poet-warlord, was the most outstanding. We do not often find in the history of any nation
a single man who is a first-rate statesman, a great military strategist and a poet as
well, but Count Miklós Zrínyi, a contemporary of Milton and Cromwell, was all these
things. His main opus as a poet was the Szigeti veszedelem (Obsidio Szigetiana - The
Perils of Sziget) - a long epic poem dealing with the heroic actions of his ancestor. And
yet he considered writing poetry only a pastime. In the prologue of his poem he says:
"My profession is not poetry, but a higher and nobler one: To serve my
country." Later he inserted into one of his prose works the following lines:
"Not with the quill's black tintured scroll, I seek to earn a name. With good
sword-blows and blood of foes, I'll write in red my fame." Miklós Zrínyi was
born in 1620, the eldest son of the Ban (viceroy) of Croatia, György Zrínyi, who himself
was a renowned foe of the Turks. György had died an early death in a campaign
against the Swedes; some said he had been poisoned by an agent of Wallenstein, who
was jealous of his brilliant rival. Before his death he had asked King Ferdinand to
protect his two sons, Miklós and Péter, who were very much alike in physical appearance.
The King then made Péter Pázmány, Archbishop of Esztergom, their guardian. Until their
father's death they lived in an atmosphere of soldiering, and Miklós, at the age of five
or six, was often taken to the military camp by his famous father.
Under Pázmány's guardianship the two orphans were educated by the Jesuits in Graz and
Nagyszombat where study of the classics was combined with Catholic indoctrination. In
1636-37 a priest accompanied them on a tour through Italy where they received an
audience with Pope Urbanus. It was on this trip that Miklós became acquainted with
the splendor of the Italian Renaissance and read the writings of Macchiavelli, which
described how a prince could make himself and his nation great. Zrínyi, who
understood seven languages, could read the Italian poets and appreciate the flowery new
style of the poet Marino. By the time the two brothers returned home, their great
protectors, Ferdinand II and Péter Pázmány, had died. After a thorough military
training, both retired to their castle in Csáktornya. Péter soon married and left, but
the brothers kept close family ties to the end of their lives. Péter
translated Miklós' Hungarian into the Croatian tongue and published them in a
beautiful edition. Miklós Zrínyi was preoccupied with what he considered his lifetime
mission: to fight the Turks in defense of the Hungaro-Croatian frontiers. His fame soon
spread and the King appointed him general, and soon thereafter, Ban
(governor) of Croatia. His greatest success occurred in 1647, when he defeated a
much larger army commanded by Ali Pasha. It was between his campaigns that he wrote
his Obsidio Szigetiana to depict the drama of Hungary protecting Christendom
against the infidel. The epic is written by a soldier and yet mirrors the mysticism of
Christianity, showing the figure of his ancestor, the hero of Szigetvár as the Athlete of
Christ and ideal of all Christian heroes. The hero symbolizes the Hungarian nation
and is transfigured into a mystical sacrifice, his love of country into divine service.
This epic, in which the defender of Szigetvár learns his destiny, is a famous one in
Hungarian literature: It describes how "one morning at daybreak, as was his won,
Zrínyi knelt before the crucifix and his lips uttered a prayer" asking the Almighty
to heed him, though his own erits in God's sight be "no more
than the water carried by a swallow in its bill, as compared to the waters of
the seas." He called on God to forgive his sins and those of his fathers, for
the Turks, in conquering the Hungarians, were mocking His Name and in granting the
Hungarians victory against the infidels, God would be honoring Himself, not the
Hungarians. In answer to this prayer the crucifix "bowed toward him three
times," responding that God would grant his request, but that first the heathen would
crown him with martyrdom. The crucified figure then told how Suleiman would come
with a great army to Szigetvár where he would "wait like a hungry wolf" for
Zrínyi. But before his death, Zrínyi would conquer and then be taken up to Heaven. The
accomplishments of his sons would make his name even more illustrious "as the Phoenix
hatches its young from the ashes."To quote a noted Hungarian literary critic,
"Zrínyi was the first poet to see all the problems connected with Hungary's position
between East and West. though Hungary's problems could not be solved by writing
poems." Zrínyi's Credo The military-political aim of
Zrínyi's life was to free Hungary from the yoke of the Turks. In his own words:. The
ghosts and bones of the great Hungarian heroes do not give me the peace and the rest
I desire. I am a lover of their glory; so much so that I could never forget their
admonitions, for they are with me not only in my daily meditations, but even in my nightly
dreams saying: do not sleep; seek no pleasure; behold your country in ruins - the
country which we gained with our hearts'blood, which we kept for many centuries: follow in
our wake, regardless of labor, regardless of life. Zrínyi followed his credo by the power
of the sword, using every opportunity to crack down on the Turks along the southern
frontier. His talent as a military leader was demonstrated by his "active
defense" tactic of leading offensive campaigns deep into Turkish-held Bosnia.
Tellius, a Dutch scholar, praises his military knowledge and says that the Turks
were so afraid of Zrínyi that Turkish mothers would use his name in threatening their
children. Although Zrínyi, in the tradition of his family, was absolutely loyal to the
Emperor-King, Vienna regarded his "overzealous" military activity against the
Turks with misgivings. Habsburg powers, embroiled in so many directions, were trying to
preserve the status quo. In their eyes the crusading Hungarian lords -especially
Zrínyi - were a nuisance.Vienna's first blow against Zrínyi was the blocking of his
election as Palatine of Hungary, although he was the most eligible candidate for the
position.Zrínyi had to realize that for the Habsburgs the interests of the State were
important than actively fighting the Turks. At the time, no one recognized
Hungary's position better than he, who besides being a writer and strategist, was an
outstanding statesman as well.It was in 1671 that Zrínyi published his most famous
political pamphlet, The True Remedy against the Turkish Poison (A török áfium elleni
orvosság), in which he asks, "If danger comes, from whom can the Hungarians expect
help? From the Emperor? From Poland? Italy, France or England? No, from nobody! They are
all concerned with their own interests.Hungary is alone." Therefore, Zrínyi
advised that Hungary maintain a standing army ready for action anytime. Zrínyi's
ideal was the Hungary of Matthias Corvinus (King Mátyás). "I see," he
declared, "why King Mátyás could do what he liked with the Hungarians. It was
because he had a strong, centralized power." That power, however, must rule in the
interests of Hungaryand seek to expel the Turk.Zrínyi was, of course, right, but given
his position he could not realize this grand design. For a while, he regarded Transylvania
as a potential main Hungarian base, but his hopes crumbled when György Rákóczi II's
unfortunate leadership entangled the principality in futile wars. Zrínyi erected a strong
new fortress called Zerinvár on his own estate to serve as his base against the Turks.
The erection of Zerinvár caused a Turkish casualty, for the Grandvizier ordered the Pasha
of Kanizsa strangled for the fortress to be built. The Habsburg-Turkish
"Detente" Upset The Habsburg-Turkish "Detente" was
upset by the arrogance of the Turks so Vienna could not avoid the outbreak of hostilities
that began in 1663. The Zrínyis, both Miklós and Péter, now had the chance for which
they had been preparing. Péter remained at Zerinvár while Miklós joined the Imperial
forces on the Vág, Upper Hungary. To his great surprise he encountered a reluctance
to engage the enemy occupying the key fortress of Érsekújvár. Zrínyi took
matters into his own hands. He attacked the Turks with his own troops and in a single
brilliant exploit he reclaimed the huge island of Csallóköz in the Danube,
releasing the thousands of Christian prisoners held captive there. More importantly, he
returned to Zerinvár to annihilate several hordes of Turks, and to destroy the
strategically important bridge at Eszék that for years had been serving the Turks
as a point for crossing the River Drava. This he achieved in bitter winter weather and
with a small force. All of Europe took notice of his victories. The Pope and the
Kingof France sent letters of congratulations and German towns arranged
thanksgivingprocessions in his honor. From the King of Spain, he received the Order of the
Golden Fleece. Assisting troops, mainly French, arrived in the camp of Emperor-King
Leopold I for the decisive battle in 1664. The chief commander of his troops was
Montecuccoli, a master of delaying tactics, who just the previous year had marched against
the Turks to Nagyvárad only to return without engaging them in battle, to the
consternation of the Magyars. An angry exchange of letters between Zrínyi and
Montecuccoli created bitter antagonism between them. Now, in 1664, Montecuccoli repeated
his tactics of continuous retreat and even gave up Zerinvár, humiliating Zrínyi, whose
successes made him jealous. At last Grandvizier Köprili forced Montecuccoli to fight near
St. Gotthard at the Austrian frontier, after the general had given the Turks a "free
ride" across Hungary. The battle at St. Gotthard was won by the Christians,
chiefly through the brave attacks of 6,000 French troops led by La Feuillade and Coligny
and the German troops led by Waldeck. Montecuccoli, however, failed to exploit the victory
by not pursuing the beaten enemy. This was bad enough but even worse was the hasty peace
Vienna concluded with the Turks at Vasvár - without consulting the Magyars - a mere ten
days after the victory at St. Gotthard. The terms of the treaty made it seem as if the
Turks had defeated the Christians. Concluded for twenty years, it left in Turkish
hands all the occupied territories; Transylvania was to remain under Turkish
tutelage; the Imperial garrisons still holding several fortresses were to be withdrawn;
and finally, a "present" of 200,000 talérs was to be sent to the Sultan.
Hungary's indignation over this shameful treaty knew no bounds. It was openly said that
the country had been betrayed by its own king. Now the Habsburgs became almost as much of
an enemy as the Turks.Zrínyi himself was in despair and retired to his fortress in
Csáktornya to contemplate what action if any to take. He was only forty-four years old at
the time and as the most respected leader in Hungary, a wide range of options lay before
him. But all his options were wiped out by a stroke of fate. On November 1, 1664, he was
killed by a wild boar during a hunt. When the news of his death spread, people were
incredulous and suspected foul play.Sagredo, the envoy of Venice wrote: "With the
passing of Zrínyi, the Hungarians were left without counsel and leadership." *
* * Miklós Zrínyi wrote many thousands of words during his lifetime, ofwhich only
a few phrases have taken root in the public mind. One of them is his personal motto:
"Sors bona nihil aliud" (Goodluck and nothing else; "Jó szerencse, semmi
más") -Something he sorely missed during his entire career. The other phrase
consists of only four words but they mirror his spirit and have become the most remembered
phrase ever uttered by a Hungarian: "Ne bántsd a magyart!" (Hands off the
Magyars!)
Gabor Vincze
Berze Nagy János Gimnázium,Gyongyos
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