CORESPONDENTA DIPLOMATICA AUSTRIACA DESPRE „CHELTUIELILE DIPLOMATICE” ALE AUSTRIEI LA ISTANBUL ÎNTRE 1547 SI 1551
DIPLOMATIC AUSTRIAN CORRESPONDENCE ON „DIPLOMATIC EXPENSES” OF AUSTRIA IN ISTANBUL BETWEEN 1547 AND 1551

Summary/Abstract: To promote political objectives in relation to the Ottoman Empire, Vienna put into action, next to competence and determination, important amounts of money. The first important „pouring” of money was made in March 1548, on the account of the peace agreement from 1547, this way: 30.000 ducats for the treasury of the state, as ”price of peace”; 5.400 ducats representing „gifts” for Ottoman dignitaries from Istanbul; 2.200 ducats for the administrative body of diplomatic legation. Totally, almost 37.600 ducats were spent on diplomatic purposes. A simple calculation shows us that on the whole of diplomatic expenses of Vienna in Istanbul those supporting the staff of its diplomatic legation represented approximately 5-6 %, while those destined to Ottoman dignitaries represented approximately 14 %. If it were to report only to the money that entered thepockets of high Ottoman dignitaries, we notice that the sum allocated to the legation represented only 37 % from that for „gifts”. Out of data offered by documents valorized in this study the conclusion may be drawn that Viennese diplomacy was prudent and pragmatic when it negotiated or made payments in the capital of the Ottoman Empire. To the Ottoman dignitaries it offered much and gave little, always for services provided and never for promises. Practically, the Ottomans received money only in 1548, for conclusion of peace from 1547, and in the following two years, to maintain peace at the border from Hungary. On the whole, in 1548, 1549 and 1550, years when payments were made, the diplomatic expenses of Vienna in Istanbul were approximately of 12.000 ducats. On 1551, on the background of the crisis generated by the intervention of soldiers of Ferdinand I in Transylvania, payments towards the Ottomans ceased until issues concerning „the Transylvanian crisis” were solved.

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