Guns (march)

Part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the March of Guns is a heavily fortified Captaincy located in the foothills of the Koszeg Mountains 40 miles from the Ottoman frontier. It is populated almost entirely by soldiers and military hirelings.

The march has a total area of 0.2 hexes, with a density of 11,028 persons per hex. It is bordered on the west by the Duchy of Burgenland and on the east by the March of the West Border. It has a population of 2,206.

History

The region became a private dukedom under the control of the Koszegi in 1274; the town itself was founded in 1313. The dukedom would last until 1327, when King Charles Robert of Hungary (1308-1342) annexed the area. It would be reorganized as a fiefdom directly under the king in 1392, by Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437), who received it as repayment of a debt.

In 1532, Guns was seiged by the Grand Vizier Ibrahim of the Ottoman Empire, bent on securing fortresses on his push to Vienna. Over a period of 25 days, between the 5th and 30th of August, Guns withstood 19 major assaults. Under the leadership of the town and fort captain, Miklos Jurisich, the small garrison of 700 soldiers were able to force 80,000 Turks to withdraw. The presence of the fort prevented 120,000 Turks from marching on Vienna, ending Suleiman the Magnificent's campaign.

Following the withdrawal of the Turks from the West Border, Guns was relieved by a Habsburg force; Emperor Ferdinand I refused to yield the fort and it - along with the West Border - became part of the Habsburg occupation of Royal Hungary.

Population

Production

Guns possesses a sustenance-based economy and produces no marketable goods.

See sheet map D 02 ~ Carpathians.

World