Background to the conflict
Russia's relations with Turkey began with the latter's conquest of Crimea (Crimean Khanate and the Genoese city of Kafa) in 1475. The reason for the beginning of the relationship was the oppression to which Russian merchants in Azov and Cafe began to be subjected by the Turks.
Subsequently, in the 16th–17th centuries, Russian-Turkish relations were quite tense. In addition to the difficulties that Turkey caused Moscow with its constant support of the Crimean Khan, new complications arose: the Don Cossacks, considered Moscow subjects, attacked the Azov Cossacks, the Nogais, whom the Sultan considered his subjects, and harassed them. In 1637, Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks captured Azov and held it until 1643.
The first armed clash between Russians and Turks dates back to 1541, when the Crimeans moved to Moscow under the command of Sahib I Giray, and the Turks were with them.
However, the unexpected foray of the garrison, the actions of the Moscow army sent to liberate Astrakhan by the governor Prince Pyotr Semyonovich Serebryany-Obolensky, according to the “History of Little Russia” by N. A. Markevich and information about the founding of the city of Cherkassk, supported by the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by the Cherkasy headman M.A. Vishnevetsky - forced the enemy to lift the siege. Russian reinforcements, consisting of 15 thousand people, dispersed and scattered the canal builders and defeated an army of 50 thousand Crimean Tatars sent to protect the builders. At the same time, the Ottoman fleet was destroyed by a strong storm and the actions of the Cossacks from Ukraine who united with the Don Cossacks and founded Cherkassk, separating from Vishnevetsky’s army.
1672-1681
The cause of the war was an attempt Ottoman Empire intervene in the Russian-Polish confrontation and seize control of Right Bank Ukraine. In 1669, the hetman of Right Bank Ukraine Pyotr Doroshenko became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
Relying on a new ally, Sultan Mehmed IV began a war with Poland in 1672, as a result of which he gained control of Podolia. The successes of the Turks caused panic in Moscow, where they were very afraid of the invasion of the Turks into Left Bank Ukraine, which was under the control of Moscow. The Russian government declared war on the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate. The Don Cossacks, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, attacked Turkish possessions at the mouth of the Don and on the coast of Crimea.
In 1673, a Russian detachment under the command of the Duma nobleman I. S. Khitrovo, together with the Don Cossacks, continued fighting in the south against the Turkish city of Azov. Since 1673, without waiting for the Turkish invasion, Russian troops under the command of Prince Romodanovsky and the Left Bank Hetman Ivan Samoilovich began to make campaigns in Right Bank Ukraine against the Turkish vassal Hetman Doroshenko. As a result, in September 1676, they achieved the surrender of Chigirin and the capitulation of Doroshenko.
Instead of Doroshenko Turkish Sultan, considering Right Bank Ukraine his vassal, proclaimed Yuri Khmelnitsky hetman and began a campaign against Chihyryn.
In 1677, Turkish troops unsuccessfully besieged Chigirin and, after the defeat at Buzhin, were forced to retreat.
In 1678, the Turks managed to capture Chigirin, and Russian troops retreated to Left Bank Ukraine.
In 1679−80 there were no active hostilities and the war ended with the signing of the Bakhchisarai Peace Treaty in January 1681, which consolidated the status quo.
1686-1700
During the war in 1687 and 1689, Russian troops under the command of Vasily Golitsyn, together with the Zaporizhian Cossacks, made two trips to the Crimea, but both times, due to poor water supply in the conditions of the Nogai steppes, they were forced to turn back.
After the overthrow of Sophia, at first the young Tsar Peter I did not intend to resume hostilities against the Crimeans. And only in 1694 it was decided to repeat the campaigns to the south. However, this time it was decided to try to capture not Perekop, but the Azov fortress.
Successes also accompanied the actions of the Austrian troops. As a result, in 1699, the Austrians concluded the successful Peace of Karlowitz with the Turks. Russian-Turkish negotiations continued a little longer and ended in 1700 with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople, according to which Azov was ceded to Russia.
1710-1713
The causes of the war were the intrigues of the Swedish king Charles XII, who was hiding in the Ottoman Empire after the defeat near Poltava, the French envoy to Turkey Charles de Ferriol and the Crimean Khan, as well as counter demands from Russia to expel the Swedish king from the Ottoman Empire. On November 20, 1710, Türkiye declared war on Russia.
The state of war continued until 1713, as the Sultan put forward new demands to which Russia did not agree. The Treaty of Adrianople was concluded under the terms of the Treaty of Prut of 1711.
1735-1739
The war of 1735-1739 took place in the alliance of the Russian and Austrian empires against the Ottoman Empire. The war was caused by increased contradictions in connection with the outcome of the War of the Polish Succession, as well as the continuous raids of the Crimean Tatars on the southern Russian lands. In addition, the war was consistent with Russia's long-term strategy to gain access to the Black Sea. Taking advantage of the internal political conflict In Constantinople, Russia began a war with Turkey.
In 1739, Minich's army captured Khotyn and Iasi.
In September 1739, the Treaty of Belgrade was concluded. According to the agreement, Russia acquired Azov, but undertook to demolish all the fortifications located in it. In addition, it was forbidden to have a fleet in the Black Sea, and Turkish ships had to be used for trade on it. Thus, the problem of access to the Black Sea was practically not solved.
1768-1774
Taking advantage of the fact that a detachment of Koliys who considered themselves Russian and in Russian service, pursuing Polish rebels, entered the city of Balta, thus invading the territory of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mustafa III declared war on Russia on September 25, 1768.
In 1769, the Turks crossed the Dniester, but were driven back by the army of General Golitsyn. Russian troops, having occupied Khotyn, reached the Danube by the winter of 1770.
After the victory of the Russian army under Suvorov at Kozludzha in 1774, the Turks agreed to peace negotiations, and the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was signed on July 21.
According to the peace treaty, the Crimean Khanate was declared independent from the Ottoman Empire. Russia received Greater and Lesser Kabarda, Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn, with the adjacent steppe between the Dnieper and the Southern Bug.
1787-1791
1806-1812
1828-1829
In 1827, the London Convention was signed between Russia, England and France, according to which Greece was granted full autonomy. The Ottoman Empire refused to recognize the convention.
In the same 1827, a combined squadron of Russia, Great Britain and France destroyed the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Navarino. In April 1828, Emperor Nicholas I declared war on Turkey due to the Porte's refusal to comply with previous bilateral agreements (the Ackerman Convention of 1826).
After the successful actions of the Russian army in the Balkans and Transcaucasia, the Peace of Adrianople was signed between the two parties in September 1829, according to which:
Crimean War (1853-1856)
At the beginning of the war, the Russian fleet managed to win a major victory over the Turkish in Sinop Bay. However, after the Allies entered the war, the situation changed. During the ensuing hostilities, the Allies succeeded, using technological backwardness Russian army and fleet, carry out a successful landing of the landing corps in Crimea, inflict a series of defeats on the Russian army and, after a year-long siege, capture Sevastopol, the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. At the same time, the Allied landing in Kamchatka failed. On the Caucasian front, Russian troops managed to inflict a number of defeats Turkish army and capture Kars. However, diplomatic isolation forced Russia to capitulate. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1856, required Russia to cede southern Bessarabia and the mouth of the Danube River to the Ottoman Empire. Neutrality and demilitarization of the Black Sea, the Bosporus and Dardanelles were proclaimed.
1877-1878
The war between the Russian Empire and its allied Balkan states on the one hand and the Ottoman Empire on the other. It was caused primarily by the rise of nationalist sentiment in the Balkans. The brutality with which the April Uprising in Bulgaria was suppressed aroused sympathy for the plight of Christians in the Ottoman Empire in Europe and especially in Russia. Attempts to improve the situation of Christians by peaceful means were thwarted by the stubborn reluctance of the Turks to make concessions to Europe (see: Constantinople Conference), and in April 1877 Russia declared war on Turkey.
During the ensuing hostilities, the Russian army managed, taking advantage of the passivity of the Turks, to successfully cross the Danube, capture the Shipka Pass and, after a five-month siege, force the best Turkish army of Osman Pasha to capitulate in Plevna. The subsequent raid through the Balkans, during which the Russian army defeated the last Turkish units blocking the road to Constantinople, led to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. At the Berlin Congress held in the summer of 1878, the Treaty of Berlin was signed, which recorded the return to Russia of the southern part of Bessarabia and the annexation of Kars, Ardahan and Batum. Bulgarian independence was restored; the territories of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania increased, and the Turkish
Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire
Ottoman Empire
Russian- Turkish war (1787-1791) - a war between the Russian Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, on the one hand, and the Ottoman Empire, on the other. The Illustrious Porte planned in this war to regain the lands that had gone to Russian Empire during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, as well as Crimea annexed to the Russian Empire in 1783. The war ended with the victory of the Russian Empire and the conclusion of the Peace of Jassy. In pre-revolutionary historiography, this war was called Potemkin: in honor of the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops.
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✪ Russian-Turkish War (1787 - 1791)
✪ Russian-Turkish war (1787-1791)
✪ Foreign policy under Catherine II.
✪ Russian-Turkish War 1787-1791.
✪ Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 (narrated by historian Oleg Alpeev)
Subtitles
Background
End of the Crimean Khanate
Protectorate of Eastern Georgia
1788 Campaign
Siege of Khotyn
Naval siege of Ochakov
Assault on Ochakov
Meanwhile, Potemkin moved forward extremely slowly and only around August 20 approached Bendery, where he attracted a significant part of the Russian troops located in Moldova.
Then the vizier again went on the offensive, thinking to take advantage of the weakening of Russian forces in the principality. Having gathered up to 100 thousand troops, at the end of August he crossed the Danube and moved to the Rymnik River, but here on September 11 he suffered a complete defeat from the troops of Suvorov and the Prince of Coburg. Earlier, on September 7, another Turkish detachment was defeated on the Salcha River by Prince Repnin. The Rymnik victory was so decisive that the allies could cross the Danube without hindrance; but Potemkin, satisfied with it, continued to stand at Bendery and only ordered Gudovich to take possession of the fortifications of Khadzhibey and Akkerman. When this was accomplished, Bendery finally surrendered on November 3, ending the campaign.
This was met with sharp hostility by Turkey, which for almost three centuries reigned supreme in the Black Sea. After the loss of Crimea, the Turks compared their state to a house whose door was ripped off its hinges. Sultan Selim III began to actively prepare for a new war. His army was reorganized with the help of Western European instructors, the power of the main fortresses was strengthened, and a strong fleet was recreated. Turkey's desire for revenge was supported by European powers: England, Prussia, Sweden, France. Each of them pursued its own interests in the upcoming Russian-Turkish conflict. England thereby tried to get even with Catherine II for her Declaration of Armed Neutrality (1780). Prussia sought to weaken Russian influence in Poland. The Sultan's ally, France, also sought this. Sweden dreamed of taking away lost lands from Russia, weakened by the war. Relying on the support of these powers, Selim III in 1787 began to demand the return of Crimea, recognition of Georgia as his vassal, and inspection of Russian merchant ships passing through the Black Sea straits. Having received a refusal, on August 13 he declared war on Russia (the 6th in a row). This time Russia was supported by Austria, which hoped to gain part of the Turkish possessions in the Balkans. The Allies dreamed of liberating southeastern Europe from the Turks and creating a “Greek Empire” there. Catherine II wanted to see her second grandson, Constantine, on her throne. In pre-war times, military reform was carried out in Russia under the leadership of the head of the Military Collegium, Prince Grigory Potemkin. The specialization of recruits increased, a new uniform that did not restrict movement was introduced: wide jackets and boots, warm trousers, helmets, wigs and braids were abolished. Soldiers' hair began to be cut. Officers were prohibited from beating recruits. Certain changes have also occurred in the structure of the armed forces - the number of rangers, dragoons, artillery units, etc. has increased.
Campaign of 1787. At the first stage of the war, Turkey intended to recapture the lands between the Dnieper and Bug from Russia, and then seize Crimea. In an effort to achieve strategic initiative and take advantage of the advantageous position of the attacking side, the Turks immediately took active action. They directed their first strike at the Kinburn fortress located at the entrance to the Dnieper estuary. On October 1, a 5,000-strong Turkish force landed here.
Battle of Kinburn (1787). The fortress on the Kinburn Spit was defended by a garrison led by General Alexander Suvorov (4 thousand people). With artillery fire, the Russians forced the Turkish fleet to retreat, and then quickly attacked the landing force itself. According to some reports, only 1.6 thousand people took part in the attack, which was led by Suvorov himself. He had too few troops to form a square, so Suvorov attacked in a deployed formation. Famous in this battle Russian commander, who personally led the soldiers into the attack, was wounded. The Turkish landing force was defeated and almost completely destroyed. Turkish losses amounted to 4.5 thousand people. The Russians lost about 450 people. This victory was the first major success Russian troops in this war. A special medal for distinction at Kinburn was issued for the participants in the battle. After the defeat at Kinburn, the Turks no longer took major active actions in 1787. This effectively ended the 1787 campaign.
Campaign of 1788. By the beginning of 1788, two armies were formed to fight Turkey: the Ekaterinoslav army under the command of Field Marshal Grigory Potemkin (82 thousand people) and the Ukrainian army under the command of Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev (37 thousand people). Potemkin had to take possession of Ochakov and go to the Danube. Rumyantsev - to assist the main forces from the Podolia region. In January, Austria entered the war against Turkey, sending a corps under the command of the Prince of Coburg (18 thousand people) to northern Moldova to communicate with the Russians. In the same year, Sweden entered the war against Russia in an alliance with Turkey. Russia had to fight on two fronts. The campaign of 1788 began only in the summer and was limited mainly to the capture of the fortresses of Khotyn and Ochakov.
Capture of Khotin and Ochakov (1788). The first to start the campaign were the Austrians, who besieged Khotyn in the spring. However, the siege was unsuccessful. In July, Rumyantsev crossed the Dniester with his troops and sent General Saltykov’s corps to help the Prince of Coburg. On September 4, 1788, Khotyn capitulated. By winter, Rumyantsev occupied the northern part of Moldova and positioned his army in the Iasi-Chisinau region. The main events of this campaign unfolded around the Ochakov fortress, which was besieged by Potemkin’s 80,000-strong army in July. The fortress was defended by a 15,000-strong Turkish garrison under the command of Hassan Pasha. Before the start of the siege, the Russian rowing flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral Nassau-Siegen (50 ships) fought twice (June 17 and 27) in the Dnieper estuary with the Turkish fleet under the command of Hasan el-Ghasi (43 ships). During fierce battles, the Turks, despite the support of Ochakov's coastal batteries, suffered a heavy defeat. They lost 15 ships and retreated. This contributed to the beginning of the siege of Ochakov. After the defeat of the Turkish ships in the Dnieper estuary, the fortress was blocked. Despite the significant number of his troops, Potemkin acted passively, and the siege dragged on for 5 months. Only the onset of winter cold pushed the field marshal to active action. Moreover, the soldiers themselves, who lived in dugouts and were afraid of freezing in the bare steppe, asked the commander to quickly launch an attack. Finally, at the beginning of winter, Potemkin decided to attack. December 6, 1788, at 23 degrees below zero, 15,000 strike force went to attack the Ochakov fortifications. Both sides fought with extreme ferocity. Having overcome the ditch and rampart, the Russians burst into the city, where stubborn fighting continued. Up to two-thirds of the Turkish garrison died in the battle. 4.5 thousand people were captured. The Russians lost about 3 thousand people during the attack. During the battle, M.I. Kutuzov received the second severe wound to the head. In honor of this victory, a gold cross “For Service and Bravery” was issued for the officers participating in the battle, and for lower ranks a special silver medal with the inscription “For the courage shown during the capture of Ochakov” was issued.
Battle of Fedonisi (1788). The campaign of 1788 was also marked by the first major victory of the Black Sea Fleet on the high seas. On July 3, 1788, near the island of Fidonisi (now Zmeiny), a Russian squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Voinovich (2 battleships, 10 frigates) fought with the Turkish fleet under the command of Hasan Pasha (17 battleships, 8 frigates), which went to Ochakov. Decisive role The vanguard of the Russian squadron, led by the commander of the battleship "St. Paul" Fyodor Ushakov, played in the battle. He approached the lead Turkish ships, but instead of the boarding they expected, he opened fire at point-blank range. The Turks lost 2 frigates, other ships (including the flagship) were damaged. Hassan Pasha had to retreat to the Bosphorus, refusing to help the besieged garrison of Ochakov. It is noteworthy that the Russians did not have a single killed in this battle.
Campaign of 1789. According to the plan drawn up by Potemkin, his main army (80 thousand people) in 1789 was intended to capture the Bendery fortress. Rumyantsev, with an army of 35,000, was given the task, together with the corps of the Prince of Coburg, to advance to the Danube, where the main forces of the Turks were located. In April, Rumyantsev repelled an attack on Moldova by three Turkish detachments (from 10 to 20 thousand people each). This marked the end of the activities of the illustrious commander. Due to the intrigues of Potemkin, who was in St. Petersburg, Rumyantsev was removed from the leadership of the army. And soon both armies were merged into one Southern one under the command of Potemkin himself. He began to perform his duties only in July, when he returned from St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, the Turkish command, taking advantage of the inactivity of the Russian army, decided to carry out a new offensive in Moldova and defeat the Allied forces piecemeal.
Battle of Focsani (1789). The Turks intended to strike the first blow against the Austrian corps of the Prince of Coburg (12 thousand people) stationed at Ajud in Romania. The army of Osman Pasha, almost three times stronger (30 thousand people), opposed him. The prince turned for help to General Suvorov, who with his division (over 5 thousand people) was in the town of Byrlad (60 km from the Austrians). There were no other Allied troops in the area. Suvorov's division made a quick transition to Ajud (60 km in 28 hours). Having united, the allies went on the offensive and moved to the village of Focsani, where Osman Pasha’s camp was located. On July 20, the Russian-Austrian detachment drove the Turkish vanguard back across the Putna River, then crossed it and on July 21 attacked Osman Pasha’s camp. Having repelled the attacks of the Turkish cavalry, the Russian-Austrian troops, after a short artillery barrage from both sides, broke into the Turkish camp. After a stubborn battle, the Turks fled. Some of them took refuge in the monastery, which was stormed two hours later. Osman's army was defeated. Its losses amounted to 1.6 thousand people. The Allies lost 400 people.
Battle of Rymnik (1789). However, after the victory at Focsani, Potemkin did not take active actions and pulled all the main Russian forces to the Bendery fortress, which he besieged in August. In September, only the division of General Suvorov (7 thousand people) and the corps of the Prince of Coburg (18 thousand people) continued to be located west of the Prut. Taking advantage of the passivity of the Russian commander-in-chief, the Turks decided to carry out a general offensive against Moldova. For this purpose, a 100,000-strong army was concentrated near Brailov under the command of Yusuf Pasha. It was supposed to destroy the Allied forces west of the Prut, and then build on its success. To disorient the Russians, one of the Turkish detachments was sent east of the Prut, to the Ryabaya Mogila. On September 7, it was defeated on the Salchi River by the division of General Nikolai Repnin. He pursued the Turks to Izmail, and then turned back. Meanwhile, the main army of Yusuf Pasha moved against the corps of the Prince of Coburg, which was located at Focshan, who again sent a request for help to Birlad, to Suvorov. In 2.5 days, Suvorov walked about 100 km along roads washed out by autumn rains and united with the Austrians. Coburg proposed a defensive plan of action, but the Russian commander insisted on an immediate offensive. Having taken command of the allied forces, Suvorov moved them forward. On the evening of September 10, they launched an offensive and, having covered 14 km, crossed the Rymna River unnoticed by the Turks. Turkish troops were located in three camps between the Rymna and Rymnik rivers. They did not expect the allies to appear so quickly. Suvorov's plan was to defeat these forces piecemeal. At the beginning of the battle on September 11, the Russians, advancing on the right flank, attacked the Turkish camp of Targo-Kukli. Having captured it after a fierce battle, they moved around the Kayata forest to the main camp of Yusuf Pasha. Austrian units were advancing to the left. They repelled the attack of a 15,000-strong Turkish cavalry detachment that was trying to cut off the Russians and Austrians from each other. Having repelled a number of attacks by Turkish troops, by 3 o'clock the allies united to storm the main fortified Turkish camp near the Kryngu-Meilor forest. Suvorov, assessing the Turkish positions as insufficiently fortified, decided to attack them with cavalry, followed by infantry. After the cavalry broke through the Turkish positions, a brutal battle began. Then the infantry arrived, whose bayonet strike put the Janissaries to flight. Without slowing down the pace of the onslaught, the allied troops began to pursue the retreating troops and followed them into the third camp at Martinesti. The Turkish army turned into unorganized crowds that no longer resisted and only fled. The battle of Rymnik lasted 12 hours and ended with the complete defeat of the Turkish army. The Turks lost up to 20 thousand people. killed, drowned, wounded and captured. Most simply ran away. After gathering at Machin (beyond the Danube), Yusuf Pasha counted only 15 thousand people in the ranks of his army. The Allied damage in the battle of Rymnik amounted to at least 1 thousand people. This battle became the largest victory of the allied forces in the campaign of 1789. For it, Suvorov received the title of Count of Rymniksky. After the Rymnik defeat, the Turkish command made no more serious attempts to attack on the left bank of the Danube until the end of the war. The corps of the Prince of Coburg strengthened itself in Wallachia and occupied Bucharest. However, Potemkin did not take advantage of this victory and did not send additional forces to Suvorov to develop his success. The field marshal continued to besiege Bendery with an army of 80,000. The garrison of this fortress capitulated on November 3. In fact, the fate of the entire campaign of 1789 between the Dniester and the Danube was decided by only one-fourth of all allied forces, while two-thirds sat passively under the walls of Bendery.
Campaign of 1790. In 1790, Potemkin was ordered to take active measures to persuade Selim III to peace. However, the Russian commander-in-chief continued to act slowly and sluggishly. A skilled politician, courtier and administrator, Potemkin turned out to be a mediocre commander. Moreover, he was torn between the theater of military operations and the court in St. Petersburg, where by that time he began to lose his former influence. In the spring and summer there was a calm in the Danube theater of military operations. After the defeat at Rymnik, the Turks did not take active action here. The Turkish command tried to achieve success on other fronts and primarily in the Caucasus. But the 40,000-strong army of Batal Pasha, which landed at Anapa and had the goal of going to Kabarda, was defeated in the Kuban in September by the corps of General Gudovich. Attempts by the Turks to land troops in the Crimea and achieve supremacy at sea were thwarted by the Black Sea Fleet. The famous naval commander Fedor Ushakov distinguished himself here, defeating the Turkish fleet in Kerch Strait and off the island of Tendra.
Battle of Kerch (1790). On July 8, 1790, a naval battle took place in the Kerch Strait between the Russian fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Ushakov (10 battleships, 6 frigates and 18 auxiliary vessels) and the Turkish squadron under the command of Kapudan Pasha Hussein (10 battleships, 8 frigates and 36 auxiliary vessels). The Turkish squadron entered the strait to land troops in Crimea. Here she was met by the Russian fleet. The Turks, using a fair wind and superiority in artillery, decisively attacked the Russian squadron. However, Ushakov, skillfully maneuvering, managed to take an advantageous position and inflicted damage on the Turkish squadron with well-aimed fire from short distances. With the onset of darkness, Hussein's ships left the strait without completing their task.
Tendra (1790). A new battle between Rear Admiral Ushakov (10 battleships, 6 frigates and 21 auxiliary vessels) with Kapudan Pasha Hussein (14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 auxiliary vessels) took place in the north-west of the Black Sea near Tendra Island (now Tendra Spit) August 28-29, 1790 In August, Ushakov received an order to free the mouth of the Danube, which was controlled by the Turkish fleet, for Russian ships. Ushakov discovered Turkish ships near Tendra Island and attacked them on the move, without changing the marching formation to a linear one. During the two-day battle, the Russians captured 1 battleship and sank the other two. The Turkish fleet left the area and hastily retreated to the Bosphorus. Now the Danube mouth was controlled by the Russian fleet, which significantly complicated the supply of Turkish fortresses on the Danube.
Capture of Ishmael (1790). Meanwhile on land things were happening important events . In September 1790, Austria, which was experiencing serious foreign policy difficulties (it was threatened by Prussian aggression and the separation of its rebel Belgian provinces), withdrew from the war. At the same time, Russia ended the war with Sweden. This allowed the Russian leadership to focus all their attention on the Danube. At the end of October, Potemkin's Southern Army finally opened the Danube campaign. The Russians captured Kiliya, Isakcha, and Tulcha, but were unable to take Izmail, whose siege dragged on. Izmail represented the most powerful fortress on the left bank of the Danube. After 1774, it was rebuilt by French and German engineers according to the latest requirements of serf art. The main fortress rampart, 6 km long, surrounded the city on three sides. The southern side was protected by a river. The height of the rampart with earthen and stone bastions reached 6-8 m. In front of them stretched a ditch 12 m wide and up to 10 m deep. In some places there was water up to 2 m deep. The fortress was defended by a 35,000-strong garrison led by Mehmet Pasha. The Russian army near Izmail numbered 31 thousand people. Having failed to take Izmail, Potemkin entrusted the siege to Suvorov, ordering him to decide for himself whether to take the fortress or retreat. On December 2, Suvorov arrived under the walls of the fortress. He spoke out in favor of the assault and began intensively preparing for it. First of all, the new commander ordered the production of 30 ladders and a thousand fascines to fill the ditch (40 ladders and 2 thousand fascines were made). The main attention was paid to the training of troops. Near his camp, Suvorov ordered to dig a ditch and build a rampart similar to the Izmail one. The scarecrows on the rampart depicted Turks. Every night the troops were trained in the actions necessary during the assault. Having overcome the ditch and rampart, the soldiers stabbed the effigies with bayonets. On December 7, Suvorov sent the commandant of the fortress an offer to surrender: “24 hours to think - freedom. My first shot - bondage. Assault - death.” Mehmet Pasha, confident in the impregnability of his fortifications, arrogantly replied that the sky would sooner fall to the ground and the Danube would flow backwards than Ishmael would fall. Then, on December 11, 1790, after two days of artillery preparation, the Russians stormed this powerful fortress in nine columns. Before the assault, Suvorov addressed the troops with the words: “Brave warriors! Bring to mind all our victories on this day and prove that nothing can resist the power of Russian weapons... The Russian army besieged Ishmael twice and retreated twice; what remains for us is the third time either win or die with glory." Suvorov decided to storm the fortress in all places, including from the river. The attack began before dawn so that the troops could cross the ditch undetected in the dark and attack the rampart. The first to climb the rampart at 6 o'clock in the morning were the rangers from the 2nd column of General Lassi. Following this, the grenadiers of the 1st column of General Lvov captured the Khotyn Gate and opened the doors of the fortress to the cavalry. The greatest difficulties fell on the 3rd column of General Meknob. She stormed part of the northern bastion, where the depth of the ditch and the height of the rampart were so great that the 11-meter stairs were short. They had to be tied two together under fire. The 6th column of General Mikhail Kutuzov had to fight a difficult battle. She could not break through the dense fire and lay down. The Turks took advantage of this and launched a counterattack. Then Suvorov sent Kutuzov an order appointing him commandant of Izmail. Inspired by trust, the general personally led the infantry into the attack and captured the Izmail fortifications. While the troops stormed the rampart, landing units under the command of General de Ribas landed in the city from the south side. At sunrise, the Russians were already on the walls and began to push the Turks into the inner part of the city. The fiercest battles took place there. Inside Izmail there were many stone buildings, each of which was a mini-fortress. The Turks defended themselves desperately, constantly counterattacking. There were battles for almost every house. Several thousand horses, rushing out of the burning stables, raced through the streets and increased the chaos. To support the attackers, Suvorov threw all his reserves into the battle for the city, as well as 20 light guns to clear the streets of the defenders with grapeshot. By two o'clock in the afternoon, the Russians, having repelled several fierce counterattacks by large Turkish detachments, finally made their way to the city center. By 4 o'clock the battle was over. Ishmael fell. This was the most brutal battle of the Russian-Turkish war. Russian losses amounted to 4 thousand killed and 6 thousand wounded. Of the 650 officers who went on the assault, more than half were wounded or killed. The Turks lost 26 thousand killed. The remaining 9 thousand people, including the wounded, were captured. Only one person managed to escape. Slightly wounded, he fell into the water and swam across the Danube on a log. Russians were buried outside the city according to church rite. There were too many Turkish corpses. An order was given to throw them into the Danube in order to quickly clear the city, where epidemics could begin. Teams of prisoners did this for 6 days. In honor of the victory, a special gold cross “For excellent courage” was issued to the officers participating in the assault, and the lower ranks received a special silver medal with the inscription “For excellent courage in the capture of Izmail.”
Campaign of 1791. The fall of Ishmael did not persuade the Sultan to peace, so Catherine demanded that Potemkin continue active actions. However, the famous favorite was more concerned about the problems of losing his influence at court. In February 1791, Potemkin went to St. Petersburg to clarify the palace situation, and surrendered the army to General Nikolai Repnin. The new commander acted actively. Already in April, with the forces of the detachments of generals Kutuzov and Golitsyn, he carried out a successful search on the right bank of the Danube, in the Dobrudzha region. At the beginning of June, General Kutuzov again crossed the Danube in the Izmail area and on the 4th defeated a large Turkish detachment at Babadag.
Battle of Machin (1791). Meanwhile, the main forces of General Repnin (30 thousand people) crossed the river at Galati. The Turkish army under the command of Yusuf Pasha (80 thousand people) was moving towards them, which intended to throw the Russians into the Danube. Soon Repnin was joined by Kutuzov's detachment. On June 26, near the city of Machina, a battle took place between Repnin’s army and the army of Yusuf Pasha. Repnin acted actively and offensively, immediately attacking the Turkish army. The success of the battle was decided by a bold attack on the left flank of the detachment under the command of General Kutuzov. Having lost 4 thousand people, the army of Yusuf Pasha retreated in confusion. The damage to the Russians amounted to about 1 thousand people. The defeat at Machin forced Turkey to begin peace negotiations. However, the Turkish side delayed them in the hope of the success of their fleet. These hopes were dispelled by Admiral Ushakov, who had the honor of putting a victorious end to this war.
Battle of Kaliakria (1791). July 31, 1791 near Cape Kaliakria ( Black Sea coast Bulgaria) a naval battle took place between the Russian squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Ushakov (16 battleships, 2 frigates) and the Turkish fleet under the command of Kapudan Pasha Hussein (18 battleships, 17 frigates). The Turkish fleet stood at Kaliakria under the protection of coastal batteries. Nevertheless, Ushakov decided to attack the Turks using a bold and unconventional technique. He sent his ships between the shore and the Turkish squadron, and then, with well-aimed fire, disrupted its battle formation. Hussein's fleet was pushed back into the open sea. Unable to withstand the accurate fire of Russian artillerymen, the Turkish ships avoided the battle and began a disorderly retreat towards the Bosporus. The ensuing darkness and the raging storm prevented Ushakov from completely defeating the Turkish fleet. Fearing an attack by the Russian fleet on Constantinople, Sultan Selim III hastened to conclude peace.
Peace of Jassy (1791). European powers did not come to the aid of Turkey, nor of its ally Sweden. At that time, the French Revolution broke out (1789), which shifted the attention of world diplomacy from the Bosporus to the banks of the Seine. Peace with Turkey was concluded on December 29, 1791 in the city of Iasi. Turkey recognized the annexation of Crimea to Russia, and also ceded to it its possessions between the Bug and the Dniester, where the construction of the port of Odessa soon began. As you can see, nothing came of the “Greek project,” but Russia’s natural goals were fulfilled. Its borders reached the southern limits of the East European Plain. The steppe expanses - hotbeds of raids - soon became areas of trade and agriculture. The losses of the Russian army in this war amounted to 55 thousand people. (killed and wounded). Even more died from disease.
Shefov N.A. The most famous wars and battles of Russia M. "Veche", 2000.
"From Ancient Rus' to the Russian Empire." Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.
Russian-Turkish War 1768-1774
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1. Russian-Turkish contradictions in the Black Sea region; 2. Turkey’s dissatisfaction with the growing influence of Russia in Poland; 3. incitement of Turkey to war by Austria and France, who are not interested in the strengthening of Russia in Europe |
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| Dates and hostilities |
Fighting |
Warlords |
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Russian troops occupied Azov, Taganrog, Khotin, Iasi |
P. Rumyantsev, V. Dolgorukov, G. Spiridov (naval commander) |
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Victories of the Russian army on the Prut River, Larga, defeat of the Turkish fleet in Chesme Bay. |
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Destruction Turkish troops under Kozludzha |
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Results of the war |
1. 1774 Kyuchuk - Kaina Dzhir peace; 2. Russia received the right to build a fleet in the Black Sea; 3. free passage of Russian ships through the Black Sea straits - the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles; 4. Crimea gained independence from Turkey; 5. the lands between the mouths of the Dnieper and the Southern Bug went to Russia; 6. Kerch and Yenikale (Crimea) went to Russia; 7. The territories of Kuban and Kabarda came under Russian control |
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Russian-Turkish War 1787-1791
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Causes of the war |
1. Russia’s desire to consolidate its influence in the Black Sea; 2. Turkey’s disagreement with the annexation of Crimea to Russia; 3. Turkey’s disagreement with the establishment Russian protectorate over Eastern Georgia |
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| Dates and hostilities |
date |
Progress of hostilities |
Warlords |
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1787 |
The defeat of the Turkish landing at the Kinburn fortress |
A. Suvorov, G. Potemkin |
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1788 |
Capture of the Ochakov fortress |
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1789 |
Defeat of the Turks on the Rymnik River |
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1790 |
A fall Turkish fortress Ishmael |
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1791 |
Naval battle of the Russian and Turkish fleets at Cape Kaliarkia |
F. Ushakov |
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1. 1791 - Treaty of Jassy; 2. confirmation of the annexation of Crimea and the protectorate over Eastern Georgia to Russia; 3. Russia received the lands between the Dniester and the Southern Bug; 4. withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldova, Wallachia and Bessarabia |
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2. 2nd Russian-Turkish War
Preparing for war with Turkey, Catherine managed to negotiate a military alliance with Austria. This was a major foreign policy success because the problems that had to be solved became much simpler. Austria could field quite large forces, and thus Turkey was, as it were, doomed in advance to a very serious shock. The Turks went to war quite openly, and if Catherine’s journey took place at the end of spring, then in the fall the Turks in the form of an ultimatum demanded that the Russians withdraw their troops from Bessarabia, and then demanded the return of Crimea and declared war.
We have already said that Russia always needs a boost. In 1787, no special events happened. Moreover: the Russian fleet, then commanded by Voinovich, was scattered during the storm. Some ships were very badly damaged; one of them was driven by the wind straight into the Bosphorus and, naturally, was captured by the Turks. Potemkin experienced the failure incredibly painfully, fell into a state of (41) severe blues, wrote about his utter despair to Catherine, and she encouraged him. She didn’t pay much attention to the melancholy of the “magnificent prince of Taurida,” knowing full well that it would pass and everything would gradually fall into place.
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