THE INVISIBLE ENEMY: SANITARY CONDITIONS OF THE HABSBURG ARMIES DURING THE GREAT TURKISH WAR 1683-1699

In this paper we will shed some light on the sanitary and health conditions of Imperial Habsburg armies in Hungary during the Great Turkish War (1683-1699). Early modern warfare was quite deadly for soldiers; they had equal or greater chance to succumb to illness then to get killed in combat. The war that was fought on vast expanses of the Pannonian Basin was especially deadly in this regard; all logistical and sanitary deficiencies of the Imperial troops (that were quite typical for the armies of the era in question) were exacerbated, which led to prolonged and intensive suffering of men in the field throughout the conflict.