following the victories of the holy league at the battle of vienna and the habsburg victory at the second battle of mohács the city of arad has been freed from ottoman rule. after the treaty of karlowitz, the entire city of arad was on the border region of the habsburg empire and so, of critical importance for the viennese court as it became a focal point of the military frontier administration until 1751. the strategic placement of the city determined prince eugene of savoy, to rebuild and improve the former rectangular turkish built fortress, on the right bank of the river, but after consultations with the empress, the decision was made not to rebuild the old fortress, but to erect a new and vastly improved fortified complex on the peninsula lying just south of the city.