Palmistry 

Russian Turkish war 1768 1774 treaty. Russian-Turkish war (1768-1774). Russia's further successes

Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774

1. Russian-Turkish contradictions in the Black Sea region;

2. Turkey's dissatisfaction with the growing influence of Russia in Poland;

3. Turkey's incitement to war by Austria and France, not interested in the strengthening of Russia in Europe

Dates and hostilities

fighting

Warlords

Russian troops occupied Azov, Taganrog, Khotin, Iasi

P. Rumyantsev,

V. Dolgorukov,

G. Spiridov (naval commander)

The victories of the Russian army on the Prut River, Larga, the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Chesme Bay.

The defeat of Turkish troops at Kozludzha

The results of the war

1. 1774 Kyuchuk - Kaina Djir world;

2. Russia received the right to build a fleet on the Black Sea;

3. free passage of Russian ships through the Black Sea straits - the Bosporus and the Dardanelles;

4. Crimea gained independence from Turkey;

5. the lands between the mouths of the Dnieper and the Southern Bug were ceded to Russia;

6. Kerch, Yenikale (Crimea) went to Russia;

7. The territories of Kuban and Kabarda came under the control of Russia

Russian-Turkish war 1787-1791

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 of a Russian protectorate over Eastern Georgia

Dates and hostilities

the date

The course of hostilities

Warlords

1787

The defeat of the Turkish landing at the Kinburn fortress

A. Suvorov,

G. Potemkin

1788

Capture of the Ochakov fortress

1789

Defeat of the Turks on the Rymnik River

1790

The fall of the Turkish fortress of Izmail

1791

Naval battle of the Russian and Turkish fleets at Cape Kaliarkia

F. Ushakov

1. 1791 - Jassy peace treaty;

2. confirmation of the annexation of Crimea to Russia and a protectorate over Eastern Georgia;

3. Russia ceded the lands between the Dniester and the Southern Bug;

4. withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldova, Wallachia and Bessarabia

This choice was opposed by the French, who had their own candidate for the throne of the Commonwealth - Stanislav Leshchinsky. Having been defeated by Russia and Austria on the Polish question, French diplomacy began to make efforts to quarrel these rivals with Turkey. The French ambassador in Istanbul, Villeneuve, made a big deal of petty misunderstandings between the Russians and the Ottomans. An ally of the Ottoman Sultan, the Crimean Khan, soon defiantly led his troops through the Russian possessions in Transcaucasia, to the theater of the war between the Turks and the Persians. This case overflowed the patience of the Russian government. Seeing that the French intrigues in Istanbul did not stop, the head of Russian diplomacy Osterman demanded immediate negotiations with representatives of the Turkish vizier. The vizier did not send his representatives to these negotiations - and the St. Petersburg government declared war on the Port, which went from 1735 to 1739.

Russian-Turkish war 1735-1739. Map

Causes of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774

The main reason for the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was again the struggle of the European powers for influence in Poland. After the death of King Augustus III, Russia arranged for him to be chosen as the successor of his client. Stanislav Poniatowski. Since the Catholic party that dominated among the Poles persecuted Orthodox and Protestants, Russian troops were brought into the Commonwealth with the consent of Stanislav Poniatowski. They began to defend the persecuted religious dissidents. The French, dissatisfied with all this (in alliance with whom the Austrians now acted) helped part of the Polish magnates create a political union - the Bar Confederation - for armed resistance to Russia.

France and the Confederates turned to the Turkish Sultan for help. At the suggestion of the French agent Toley, the Poles, hostile to Russia, promised in exchange for support to cede to the Turks the western part of Ukraine - Volhynia and Podolia. Unable to resist such a tempting offer, the Sultan decided to go to war with Russia.

An accidental border incident helped the Turks to expose themselves as an unfairly offended side. To resist the violence of the gentry, the Ukrainian population created detachments Gaidamakov . Pursuing the enemy after one skirmish near the Turkish border, the Gaidamaks were carried away to Ottoman territory and ravaged the town of Balta there. Empress Catherine II, bound by Polish events, did not want a war with the Turks. She ordered to seize and severely punish the perpetrators of the pogrom of Balta. But the sultan, encouraged by the French, did not want to hear any excuses and declared war on Russia, which lasted from 1768 to 1774.

Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. Map

Causes of the Russo-Turkish War 1787-1791

It was impossible to achieve stable security of the southern borders of Russia without the elimination of predatory Crimean Khanate, whose raids over the previous few centuries cost the Slavs about 4-5 million people killed and taken into slavery. The annexation of the Crimea was one of the main goals of Russia in the war against the Turks of 1768-1774, however, due to the intervention of the Western powers, it could not be achieved at that time. According to the Kuchuk-Kaynardzhiysky peace of 1774, Crimea, previously a vassal of Turkey, received complete independence from it, but did not become part of Russia.

In the independent Crimea, a continuous struggle between the "Russian" and "Turkish" parties immediately began. Khans began to rise and fall almost every year. It became clear that Crimea's "independence" would not last long - it would either have to return under the rule of the Sultan, or submit to Russia. Completing the work that had been thwarted by hostile Europe in 1774, Catherine II in 1783 announced the inclusion of the Crimean Khanate into the Russian Empire. At the same time, Georgia, ravaged by neighboring Muslims, voluntarily became a Russian vassal.

Russian-Turkish war 1787-1791. Storming Ochakov, 1788. Painting by Y. Sukhodolsky, 1853

Causes of the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812

After several heavy defeats suffered by Russia, the Turks decided to keep peace with her. In December 1798, the Sultan concluded a close alliance treaty with Emperor Paul, according to which Russia even became something of a patron power of Turkey. The port passed to the position of a Russian semi-vassal. The Ottoman state participated on the side of Russia in the Second Coalition against revolutionary France (see Suvorov's Italian and Swiss campaigns). The Russian fleet received the right of free passage through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.

However, the power of the Sultan over the provinces of his vast empire had weakened by that time. Several semi-independent pashas rose up in the Balkans, who arbitrarily oppressed and robbed the local Slavs. The violence of the Janissaries in Serbia caused an uprising in 1804 led by Karageorgia. The Serbs expelled the Turks from their land. Fanatical Muslims in Istanbul began to accuse Russia of secretly supporting the Serbian movement.

Russian-Turkish war 1806-1812. Naval battle at Athos, 1807. Painting by A. Bogolyubov, 1853

The beginning of the war. Battle of Chesma (1770)

By the second half of the 18th century, those times when Europeans associated the name of the Turks with the end of the world had long since passed. However, the power of Turkey, or the Ottoman Porte, did not yet seem illusory to Europe. Having ceded the sea to the Europeans, the Turks continued to be formidable opponents on land. This was all the more strange in that European military art had stepped far ahead, and the mode of action of the Turkish army had not changed much over the past three centuries. The Turks immediately brought into battle a huge mass of troops. Their first blow was terrible, but if the enemy managed to withstand it, then the battle was usually lost by the Turks. Turkish troops easily panicked, and their numerical superiority turned against them, making it difficult to reorganize battle formations and repel an enemy counterattack. The Turks preferred to attack with large concentrations of cavalry. The most combat-ready part of the infantry was the regular detachments of the Janissaries, which were formed by forcibly recruiting boys and youths in the Christian parts of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish artillery was not inferior in quality to European, but the Turks lagged behind in the organization of artillery.

The first successful tactics of a field battle against the Turks was discovered at the beginning of the 18th century by Eugene of Savoy. The Austrian Generalissimo at first sought to withstand the first onslaught of the Turks, building his troops in huge squares and protecting them with slingshots. If successful on the battlefield, he moved on to the siege of Turkish fortresses.

The Russian army for a long time could not successfully resist the Turks: the Turkish campaigns ended ingloriously during the time of Sophia, Peter I suffered a catastrophe on the banks of the Prut. Only Field Marshal Munnich, a student of the Prince of Savoy, managed to grope for a real course of action in the war with them. The Stavuchan victory, the capture of Khotyn, the occupation of Moldavia were feats that were original and brilliant for those times. However, Munnich adhered to purely defensive tactics. Slow movements of troops built in clumsy divisional squares, long sieges of fortresses, as well as the name of a foreigner and unbearable pride prevented Minich from winning decisive victories.

The war declared to Russia by Turkey in 1768 led to fundamental changes in the actions of the Russian army. The Russians, under Golitsyn and Rumyantsev, spent the first year of the war as timidly as before, trying mainly to prevent a Turkish invasion. But the year 1770 deafened both the Turks and the Russians with the thunder of unheard-of victories. Rumyantsev's military talent suddenly showed itself in full splendor. He decided to destroy the slingshots, which instilled timidity in the soldiers, and attack the cavalry masses of the Turks with small, mobile squares. The success of this tactic was overwhelming. The 38,000-strong Russian army defeated 80,000 Turks at Larga, and then crushed the 150,000-strong army of the Grand Vizier on the Kagul River. The battle of Cahul was the largest victory of the European army over the Turks in the history of their military conflicts.

Rumyantsev informed Catherine of this victory: “May I be allowed, most merciful sovereign, the real thing is to liken the deeds of the ancient Romans, which Your Imperial Majesty ordered me to imitate: isn’t this what Your Imperial Majesty’s army is doing now when it doesn’t ask how great the enemy is, but just looking for where he is.

Unfortunately, such glorious victories did not lead to the end of the war. Rumyantsev's military merits, undeniable in the field of tactics, somehow strangely disappeared when it came to strategy. Here he was still in captivity of outdated views. Instead of pursuing the Turks and building on their success, Rumyantsev engaged in the "correct" siege of Turkish fortresses, dispersed his forces and lost time, allowing the Turks to recover from their defeats. His caution extended to the point that he often did not give precise instructions to subordinates in order to have an apology in case of failure. Seeking glory, Rumyantsev was afraid of infamy, and spent the year 1771 in indecisive, sluggish actions.

The empress herself showed much more decisiveness. She developed amazing energy in herself, worked like a real chief of the general staff, went into details of military preparations, drew up plans and instructions, hurried with all her might to build the Azov flotilla and frigates for the Black Sea, sent her agents to all corners and nooks and crannies of the Turkish Empire in search of , where to arrange a mess, a conspiracy or an uprising, she raised the kings of Imereti and Georgian against the Turks and at every step she ran into her unpreparedness for war: having decided to send a sea expedition to the shores of the Morea, she asked her ambassador in London to send her a map of the Mediterranean Sea and the Archipelago; trying to raise Transcaucasia, she was perplexed where Tiflis was located - whether on the Caspian, Black Sea coast or inland. Her thoughts were dispersed by the Orlov brothers, who only knew how to decide, and not think. At one of the first meetings of the council, which gathered on matters of war under the chairmanship of the Empress, Grigory Orlov proposed sending an expedition to the Mediterranean Sea. A little later, his brother Alexei, who was recovering in Italy, also indicated the direct goal of the expedition: if you go, then go to Constantinople and free all Orthodox from the heavy yoke, and infidel Mohammedans, according to the word of Peter the Great, drive empty and sandy into the field and into the steppes. to their former dwellings. He himself volunteered to be the leader of the uprising of Turkish Christians.

It was necessary to have a lot of faith in providence, V.O. writes ironically. Klyuchevsky, in order to send a fleet to bypass almost all of Europe, which Catherine herself recognized four years ago as worthless. And he was quick to justify the review. As soon as the squadron, sailing from Kronstadt (July 1769) under the command of Spiridov, entered the open sea, one ship of the latest construction turned out to be unfit for further navigation. The Russian ambassadors in Denmark and England, who inspected the passing squadron, were struck by the ignorance of the officers, the lack of good sailors, the many sick people and the despondency of the entire crew.

The squadron moved slowly. Catherine lost her temper with impatience and asked Spiridov for God's sake not to linger, to gather spiritual strength and not to shame her in front of the whole world. Of the 15 large and small ships of the squadron, only 8 reached the Mediterranean Sea. When A. Orlov examined them in Livorno, his hair stood on end, and his heart bled: no provisions, no money, no doctors, no knowledgeable officers. With an insignificant detachment, he quickly raised Morea against the Turks, but failed at the arrival of the Turkish army and left the Greeks to their fate, annoyed that Themistocles did not find them. Connecting with another Russian squadron that had approached meanwhile, Orlov chased the Turkish fleet and in the Chios Strait near the fortress of Chesma overtook an armada twice as large as the Russians. The daredevil was frightened when he saw "this structure", and in desperation attacked him.



After a four-hour battle, when, following the Russian "Evstafiy", the Turkish flagship, set on fire by it, took off into the air, the Turks took refuge in the Chesme Bay. A day later (June 26, 1770), on a moonlit night, the Russians launched fireships, and by morning the Turkish fleet crowded in the bay was burned. Shortly before that, Catherine wrote to one of her ambassadors: "If God wills, you will see miracles." And, notes Klyuchevsky, a miracle happened: a fleet was found in the Archipelago, worse than the Russian one. “If we hadn’t dealt with the Turks, we would have been easily crushed,” A. Orlov wrote.

The successes of Russian weapons turned France, Austria and Sweden against Russia. Catherine II entered into negotiations with the Sultan, but Turkey, having fully recovered from the shock, showed intransigence. “If, under a peace treaty, the independence of the Tatars [of Crimea] or navigation on the Black Sea is not retained, then it can be truly said that with all the victories, we have not won a penny over the Turks,” Catherine expressed her opinion to the Russian envoy in Constantinople, “I will be the first to say that such a world would be as shameful as the Prut and Belgrade ones in terms of circumstances.”

The year 1772 passed in fruitless negotiations, and in March 1773 hostilities resumed.

Arrival in the army of Suvorov

Suvorov in the winter of 1772 received an order to inspect the Russian-Swedish border "with a note of political circumstances." As he expected, there was no serious military threat from Sweden. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, he managed to get Catherine II to appoint him to the Moldavian army. On April 4, the Military Collegium determined: to send Major General Suvorov to the 1st Army, giving him the highest grant of 2 thousand rubles for the road. Four days later, having received a travel passport, Suvorov left for the Rumyantsev army.

In the first days of May he was already in Iasi. Rumyantsev accepted him rather coldly, without showing any distinction (envy and arrogance were among Rumyantsev's bad qualities) and appointed Suvorov to the corps of Lieutenant General Count Saltykov, located near the Negoeshtsky monastery.

The arrival of Suvorov in Moldova coincided with the beginning of active operations against the Turks. Rumyantsev, back in February, received an order from the Empress to go beyond the Danube, defeat the vizier and occupy the region as far as the Balkans. Rumyantsev did not comply with this order - he had only about 50 thousand people with whom he had to guard a cordon line 750 miles long, as well as the Wallachian and Moldavian principalities. Meanwhile, the Turkish forces in the Shumla region were growing and had already begun to disturb the Russian outposts on the Danube.

Battle of Turtukai

Rumyantsev developed a plan for conducting small-scale searches on the right bank of the Danube. The main one - the raid on Turtukai - was entrusted to Suvorov.

The Turtukay fortress covered the Danube crossing at the mouth of the Argesh River. The Danube is not wide here, and Turkish patrols often crossed to the Russian coast themselves.

Suvorov immediately found himself in his native, offensive element. He prepared 17 boats for the crossing of his 600 people. Since the mouth of the Argesh was being shot through by Turkish artillery, he gave the order to covertly deliver ships on carts. At the same time, he asked Saltykov for infantry for reinforcements.

On the evening of May 7, Suvorov once again inspected the crossing and went to bed at outposts not far from the coast. Before dawn, he was awakened by gunshots and loud cries of "Alla, Alla!" - This Turkish detachment attacked the Cossacks. Jumping to his feet, Alexander Vasilyevich saw the galloping Turks not far from him. He barely had time to gallop after the Cossacks.

With the help of the infantry, the Turks were driven back. One of the prisoners testified that the Turtukay garrison reached 4 thousand people.

On the morning of May 8, carts with boats and reinforcements arrived. Saltykov sent cavalry. Suvorov is perplexed: why does he need her? Nevertheless, he appoints a crossing on the night of May 9 and sits down to write the disposition: the infantry is transported in boats, the cavalry - by swimming; the attack is carried out with two squares, the arrows disturb the enemy, the reserve does not reinforce unnecessarily; repulse Turkish raids offensively; the details depend on the circumstances and the skill of the commanders; Turtukai to burn and destroy; allocate four people from each corporal to take booty, the rest should not be distracted by robbery; spare wives, children and inhabitants very much, do not touch mosques and spiritual ones, so that the enemy spares Christian churches; God help!

Suvorov is worried about the lack of infantry in his detachment. He writes one after another several notes to Saltykov, where he insistently repeats: “Alas, there are few infantry; the carabinieri is extremely, but what should they do on the other side? ”; “It seems to me that there are few infantry, and hardly more than 500.” In the last note, he assures Saltykov that "everything will be fine, as [if] God favors" and adds: "But there seems to be little infantry." Suvorov needs a resounding success, so he does not want to rely on one surprise. The notes do not reflect wavering will, but the mature deliberation of his actions.

In the evening, Alexander Vasilievich once again traveled around the coast and himself placed the battery.

With the onset of night, the Russians began to cross. The Turks opened fire, but in the dark they could not do much harm. The Russians lined up in a square and hit with bayonets. The attack was carried out fervently, the officers were the first to ascend the enemy batteries. The excitement was so great that no prisoners were taken. Suvorov was in one of the squares. An exploding Turkish cannon wounded him in his right leg and side, and he, bleeding, was forced to fight off a janissary that had jumped on him. Help arrived in time and recaptured him. Three Turkish camps near the city and Turtukay itself were quickly taken, at four o'clock in the morning it was all over. The city was mined and blown up, 700 local Christians were transported to the Russian coast. The losses of the Turks reached 1500 people; the Russians wounded about 200, there were few killed, mostly they were drowned during the crossing.

Even before dawn, while his leg and side were being bandaged, Suvorov sent short notes to Saltykov and Rumyantsev with a notice of success. “Your Excellency, we won,” he wrote to Saltykov, “thank God, glory to you.” He apparently liked the second part of the phrase for its rhythm, and in a note to Rumyantsev he played a joke:

Thank God, thank you
Turtukai is taken, and I am there.

Returning to his shore, Suvorov built a square and served a prayer service. The soldiers generously provided the priests with looted gold and silver.

On the same day, after resting, Alexander Vasilyevich takes up a detailed report to Saltykov. In it, he firmly defines the price of victory: “Everything here rejoiced great ... Indeed, yesterday we were veni, vade, vince (distorted“ veni, vidi, vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” - S.Ts.), and I'm so first-rate. I will continue to serve Your Excellency, I am an ingenuous person. Only, father, let's hurry up the second class (that is, the Order of St. George II degree. - Auth.) ”. Two days later, he repeats in the same naive tone: “Do not leave, Your Excellency, my dear comrades, and for God's sake do not forget me either. It seems that I really deserved the St. George's second class; no matter how cold I am towards myself, it seems to me too. My chest and broken side hurt me a lot, my head seems to be swollen; forgive me that I will go to Bucharest for a day or two to take a steam bath ... "

The Suvorov victory looked even more impressive against the background of the failure of the rest of the searches, in one of which the Turks killed 200 Russian soldiers and officers and captured Prince Repnin. Alexander Vasilyevich received the award he asked for.

There was a period of inactivity, and the Turks restored the fortifications of Turtukai. Suvorov was powerless to do anything against this and dispelled his anguish by zealous preparation of the troops. Unfortunately, before he had time to recover from his wound, he fell ill with a local fever. Violent paroxysms were repeated every other day, and on June 4 Suvorov requested to Bucharest for treatment. But the next day he received Rumyantsev's order for a new search on Turtukai. Alexander Vasilievich immediately felt better, which he immediately reported to Saltykov, hoping to lead the case. However, on June 7, a sharp aggravation of the disease occurred, and Suvorov was forced to entrust the command of the operation to Prince Meshchersky. Still, Alexander Vasilyevich personally made a “good disposition” and appointed a search on the night of June 8, relying on the officers replacing him to repeat his dashing raid a month ago. What was his indignation when he learned that the search had failed: the Russians caught the Turks on their guard and returned. Enraged, Suvorov left for Bucharest without talking to anyone. On the same day, he wrote Saltykov an acquittal letter: everything was ready - both the flotilla and the disposition, “it’s disgusting to talk about the rest; Your Excellency guess, but let it be between us; I'm a stranger, I don't want to make enemies here." The vagueness of expressions in the official report is due to the fact that one of the main culprits of the failure - Colonel Baturin - was friendly with Suvorov, which forced Alexander Vasilyevich to restrain himself in expressions. But in a private letter the next day, Suvorov gives vent to his feelings: “G.B. [Baturin] the cause of everything; everyone freaked out. Can there be such a colonel in the Russian army? Wouldn't it be better to be a governor, even a senator? What a shame! Everyone was shy, the faces are not the same. For God's sake, Your Excellency, burn the letter. Again, I remind you that I don’t want an enemy here and I’d rather give up everything than wish to have one ... My God, when I think what a meanness this is, my veins are torn!

Suvorov suffers from a fever, from shame for his subordinates and from fears that the need for a search may pass. On June 14, half-ill, he returns to Negoesti and schedules a new attack for the night of the 17th. The disposition is the same, but, given the previous failure, Suvorov orders "the rear ones to be stuffed into the front ones."

This time, about 2,500 people crossed to the Turkish coast. The battle was stubborn and lasted four hours. Almost all Russian officers were wounded. Two columns of Baturin again almost spoiled the whole thing, not supporting the attack in time. However, the rest of the troops acted perfectly, even recruits. Suvorov himself, due to another attack of fever, walked leaning on two Cossacks, and spoke so quietly that he kept an officer next to him, repeating orders after him. The victory gave him strength, and at the end of the battle, Alexander Vasilyevich mounted a horse.

Turtukai was destroyed for the second time. This time, the crossing of the Danube by other Russian detachments also ended in luck. Rumyantsev laid siege to Silistria. Suvorov did not send his detachment with a flotilla to reinforce Saltykov, but asked back to Negoeshti: “Order, Your Excellency, that I, with all my handful, turn to Negoeshti; it is not great ... Believe me, your Excellency is not of great use to us, and even more so to me, I need to recover; consumption will come - I will not be fit. Apparently, he was on the verge of exhaustion. Saltykov allowed not to take part in the offensive, especially since soon the Russian troops, who had crossed to the Turkish coast, again began to gather at the crossings. For a broad offensive, Rumyantsev did not have enough strength. General Weisman was assigned to cover the retreat. On June 22, at Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi, the 5,000-strong Weisman detachment inflicted a complete defeat on the 20,000-strong Turkish army. Weisman himself, standing in the front line of the square, received a mortal wound in the chest. As he fell, he only managed to say, "Don't tell people." Weisman was one of the most capable generals in the Russian army and a favorite of the soldiers. Their rage at the loss of their beloved commander surpassed all measure: the Russians not only did not take prisoners in this battle, but also killed those who had already surrendered before the death of Weisman. Weisman's military talent was of the same kind as Suvorov's, and Alexander Vasilyevich, not being personally acquainted with Weisman, felt this very well. His grief was sincere. “So I was left alone,” he wrote, having received confirmation of the death of the young general.

By the beginning of August, the balance at the front had been restored.

Weisman's death made Rumyantsev take a closer look at Suvorov. The commander-in-chief decided to withdraw Alexander Vasilyevich from direct subordination to Saltykov and give him the opportunity to act independently. This was the beginning of a long-term friendship between the two commanders, which continued until the death of Rumyantsev. Both of them, by the way, were very hostile to possible rivals in military glory, did not stain their relationship either with intrigues or envious squabbles.

The release of Suvorov from the command of Saltykov had another reason. Their relationship seemed to be good only in appearance, but in reality it was very strained. The inactive nature of the chief evoked open ridicule from Suvorov, who compared the three generals - Kamensky, Saltykov and himself with the look of a simpleton: “Kamensky knows military affairs, but it does not know him; Suvorov does not know military affairs, but it knows him, but Saltykov is neither familiar with military affairs, nor is he himself known to him. Saltykov himself was glad to get rid of the subordinate with whom his eyes were pricked. So, Kamensky shrugged his shoulders with an innocent look: “I don’t know which of the two of them is the boss in Negoyesti.”

Immediately on the call of Rumyantsev, Suvorov could not leave - he slipped on the wet stairs of the Negoeshtsky monastery and, falling on his back, badly crashed. He was barely breathing and was taken to Bucharest, where he spent two weeks.

Battle of Girsovo

After Suvorov's recovery, Rumyantsev entrusted him with a very important task: a search in the Girsovo region - the only point on the other side of the Danube, which was held by the Russians and which had already been attacked twice by the Turks. Rumyantsev did not constrain Suvorov with detailed instructions, but reported to Catherine II: “I entrusted the important post of Girsov to Suvorov, who confirms his readiness and ability for any business.” Generals Ungarn and Miloradovich were ordered to support Suvorov.

Suvorov did not have to look for the Turks. On the night of September 3, he was informed that the Turkish cavalry appeared 20 versts from Girsov. The Cossacks were ordered to lure her closer under the fire of Russian redoubts. Suvorov from the front trench (an auxiliary field fortification, a 4-corner trench with bastions at the corners) watched the actions of the Turks. The Turkish cavalry really randomly pursued the Cossacks at first, but when the latter cleared the field, the Janissaries, sitting behind the riders, dismounted, unexpectedly lined up in three rows in the European manner and moved forward. Suvorov realized that the Turks were demonstrating the lessons learned from the French officers; he pointed out their maneuvers to his subordinates and laughed heartily.

The Russian guns were camouflaged in the bastions, so Suvorov ordered the gunners not to reveal themselves until the last minute. The Turks had already approached the forward redoubt, and still no one answered their fire. They calmly surrounded the trench from all sides and suddenly attacked it so swiftly that Suvorov barely managed to get inside the fortification. Shotgun salvos cut their first ranks and threw them into confusion. The grenadiers hit with bayonets from the trench, on the other hand, Miloradovich's brigade pressed on the Turks.

For some time the Turks held on very stubbornly, but then turned into a disorderly flight. The hussars and Cossacks pursued them for 30 versts, until the horses were exhausted.

The Girsov case cost the 10,000-strong Turkish detachment 1,500 killed; Russian losses amounted to 200 soldiers and officers. The battle ended the 1773 campaign.

Beginning of the 1774 campaign

In February 1774, Suvorov received a rescript from Catherine II on promotion to lieutenant general. The limits of his independence have expanded even wider, and Rumyantsev entrusts him with joint actions with Lieutenant-General Kamensky on the other side of the Danube. Repnin's division was, at the first request of Alexander Vasilyevich, to go to his aid. Rumyantsev left Suvorov and Kamensky to act at their discretion, not directly subordinating one to the other.

The Turks were also preparing for action. Sultan Abdul-Hamid, who took the throne instead of his recently deceased brother, although he preferred to spend time in harem pleasures, called on the faithful to crush the infidels and ordered the Grand Vizier to go on the offensive.

The 1774 campaign opened in May. On the 28th, Kamensky moved towards Bazardzhik. Suvorov was supposed to cover his movement, but due to the delay in replenishment, he was able to speak only on May 30. In order to make up time, he did not move along the agreed road, but along the shortest one, which turned out to be extremely bad. At the same time, hoping to quickly reach the designated point, Suvorov did not warn Kamensky about changing his route. Kamensky was amazed, losing sight of Suvorov's troops, and immediately reported to Rumyantsev, but he evasively replied that Kamensky himself had the opportunity to force Suvorov to obey. Rumyantsev was cunning: Kamensky did not have such an opportunity precisely because of the strange gentleness of the commander in chief, who allowed dual command in this operation; Suvorov, condemning dual command as a pernicious thing in general, in this case willingly took advantage of this circumstance.

On June 2, Kamensky, after a successful business, occupied Bazardzhik and stopped in it, waiting for Suvorov to approach. Without waiting, on May 9 he advanced to the village of Yushenli to attack Shumla. Only here did Kamensky receive news of Suvorov's approach, thus spending 10 days in obscurity.

During these movements, the vizier, still not knowing about the Russian offensive, ordered the effendi Abdul-Razak and the Janissary Agha with 40 thousand people to go to Girsa. The Turks set out from Shumla to Kozludzhi on the day when Kamensky left Bazardzhik.

Battle of Kozludzhi

On June 9, Turks and Russians entered the forest in the Kozludzha region from different sides and began to approach each other, unaware of each other. Suvorov, having connected with Kamensky, postponed his explanations until another time and immediately left for reconnaissance. On the way, he learned about the attack of the Cossacks on Turkish outposts. The Cossacks were driven back, but took several prisoners. Suvorov reinforced the Cossacks with cavalry, and he himself moved behind them with infantry. We had to go along narrow paths, in complete uncertainty about the location of the enemy. Suddenly, from behind the trees and bushes, the cavalry, driven forward by the Albanians, appeared. The riders crashed into the Russian infantry and mixed up its orders; panic began, turning into a flight. The Albanians, in order to increase the horror among the Russians, cut off the heads of the prisoners in front of their eyes. Suvorov could not do anything, and he himself barely escaped the spags who attacked him (cavalry units recruited by the Turks from the inhabitants of North Africa). “In this battle,” he said, “I was captured and pursued by the Turks for a very long time. Knowing the Turkish language, I myself heard their agreement among themselves not to shoot at me and cut me down, but to try to take me alive: they found out that it was me. With this intention, they overtook me several times so close that they almost grabbed my jacket with their hands; but with each of their attacks, my horse, like an arrow, rushed forward, and the Turks chasing me suddenly lagged behind by several fathoms. So I was saved!

The brigade of Prince Mochebelov, who arrived in time, drove off the Albanians. Suvorov again led the troops forward. There was a terrible stuffiness in the forest. Suvorov troops arrived at Kozludzhi after a tiring night march, the horses were not fed, many soldiers fell dead from heat stroke and exhaustion.

Thus, Suvorov walked 9 miles, from time to time fighting off the Turks, and finally left the forest. At that moment, as if taking pity on the Russians, a downpour poured down, refreshing the exhausted people and horses. The downpour badly damaged the Turks, wetting their long clothes and, most importantly, the cartridges and gunpowder that the Turks kept in their pockets.

8 thousand Russians came out of the forest into the clearing, without artillery.

The Turkish army, built on the heights in front of the camp, opened fire. Suvorov quickly built troops in a square in two lines and sent rangers ahead. The Turks repulsed them and attacked the square several times, upsetting some of them, but the Russians, reinforced by a second line, continued to move forward.

The Turks were gradually drawn to the camp, the approach to which was covered by a hollow. Suvorov placed 10 guns in time opposite the camp and, after a short bombardment, attacked with the cavalry in front. Russian fire and the sight of Cossack lava with peaks at the ready filled the Turks with horror. There was complete chaos in the camp, the Janissaries chopped off the lines from the artillery horses and shot at their riders in order to get a horse for themselves. Several shots were fired even at Abdul-Razak, who was trying to stop the fugitives.


Battle of Kozludzhi June 9, 1774 Engraving of Buddeus from a drawing by Schubert. 1795

By sunset, the camp with trophies was in the hands of Suvorov. The persecution of the Turks continued until night. Thus, the Suvorov soldiers spent the whole day on the march, under fire and in hand-to-hand combat; Suvorov himself did not get off his horse all this time.

Official documents about the battle of Kozludzhi are inconsistent and contradictory, including those coming from Suvorov himself. In his autobiography, he gives a somewhat comical explanation for this: “I am not responsible for the report, below [and also] for my report, in the weakness of my health I am not responsible.” But the state of health, as we have seen, allowed Suvorov to endure the terrible exertion of his forces; the paper confusion was due to the fact that the battle was a complete improvisation on both sides, entirely determined by the "tactics of circumstances", accompanied by incredible turmoil, and was completely inconsistent with Kamensky. In addition, Suvorov did not want to admit that he was on the verge of defeat several times, and only his usual decisiveness helped to rectify the situation. Fortunately, this time nothing suffered from the clash between Suvorov and Kamensky, except for the service-hierarchical principle. Kamensky managed to swallow the insult silently and in the report to Rumyantsev praised the actions of everyone, and Suvorov in particular. But from now on, they began to treat each other with hostility that grew over the years. The strength of this enmity can be judged by the fact that in 1799 the son of Kamensky, having fallen under the command of Suvorov in Italy, doubted a good reception, however, in vain.

Kyuchuk-Kainarji world

This stupid victory had stupid consequences. At the military council, it was decided to wait for the delivery of food and until then not to go to Shumla. This was all the more surprising since the vizier in Shumla had only about a thousand people after the battle at Kozludzha. Suvorov and Kamensky spent six days inactive. Rumyantsev was dissatisfied: "Not days but hours, but also moments in this position of the road." In 1792, Alexander Vasilyevich, recalling this episode, justified himself: "Kamensky prevented me from transferring the theater of war through Shumla to the Balkans." Suvorov himself had few troops, and they were exhausted. Obviously, Kamensky not only did not want to follow him, but also demanded obedience, and Suvorov, apparently feeling guilty for his past "amateur activity", did not insist. They couldn't stay together any longer. Rumyantsev again subordinated Suvorov to Saltykov, and he left for Bucharest.

The battle of Kozludzhi was the last in this war. Turkey entered into negotiations with Russia, which Rumyantsev conducted quite tolerably. On July 10, the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty was signed. Russia received Kinburn, Azov, Kerch, free navigation on the Black Sea and 4.5 million rubles in indemnity. The independence of the Crimean Khanate from the Ottoman Empire was proclaimed, which significantly weakened Turkey's position in the Northern Black Sea region.


Map of the Russian Empire showing territorial acquisitions under the Kyuchuk-Kainarji Treaty (highlighted in red).

240 years ago, on July 21, 1774, at the village of Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhi, a peace treaty was concluded between the Russian and Ottoman empires, which ended the first Turkish war of Empress Catherine II. The Treaty of 1774 decided the fate of the Crimean Khanate (this state entity gained independence from the Porte and soon became part of Russia) and began the process of annexing the territory of the Northern Black Sea region (Novorossia) to Russia, which was completed in 1812 with the annexation of Bessarabia. At the same time, the decline of the Ottoman Empire began and gradually the strengthening of Russia's positions in the Balkan Peninsula.

Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774

The Kyuchuk-Kaynarji peace treaty was the result of the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. This war was the result of the European big game - the opposition of the alliance of northern states (Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden and Poland) with the support of England with France and Austria. One of the fronts of this war passed through Poland. After the death of the Polish king August III in 1763, with the support of Russia, Stanislav Poniatowski was elevated to the throne. However, the Bar Confederation, which focused on Austria and France, entered against him and the Russian troops.

The Confederates, supported by France, turned to the Ottoman Empire for help. The bribes of the Poles to the Ottoman dignitaries, the cession of Volhynia and Podolia in the event that Turkey takes the side of the Bar Confederation and the pressure of France, led to the fact that Istanbul agreed to join against Russia. The port considered that the moment had come to restore a number of lost positions in the Northern Black Sea region.

The reason for the war was a border incident in the village of Balta (modern Odessa region). During the fighting against the Bar Confederation, a detachment of kolia (Orthodox rebels in the Western Russian lands who fought against the Polish yoke), pursuing the confederates, entered Balta, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. At the local level, the conflict was settled rather quickly; there were many similar border incidents at that time. However, it was this incident in Istanbul that was decided to be used as a pretext for war. Russian ambassador Alexei Obreskov was thrown into the Seven-Tower Castle.

Porta accused Russia of violating previous agreements. So, earlier Russia promised not to interfere in the affairs of the Commonwealth and not to send its troops into the Polish lands. Russia was also accused of building border fortresses against Turkey, ruining the Balta, and placing an "unworthy" person on the Polish throne. On September 25, 1768, Sultan Mustafa III declared war on the Russian state. Autumn and winter passed in preparation for war.

The Ottoman command planned to put up 600 thousand. army for war with Russia. The main forces of the army were to pass from the Danube to Poland and join the Polish confederates. Then the Polish-Turkish troops were to move on Kyiv and Smolensk. The enemies of Russia hoped to restore the Commonwealth within the borders of the 17th century, creating a powerful buffer state between Europe and Russia. The second Turkish army aimed at Azov and Taganrog, here it was supposed to be supported by the Crimean Tatars, and from the sea by the Ottoman fleet. In addition, part of the forces were allocated to suppress the uprising of Christians in Montenegro and Herzegovina. Thus, the plans of the enemies of Russia were very grandiose. With the hands of Turkey, the West hoped to squeeze the Russians out of Poland and the Azov-Black Sea region and even capture Kyiv and Smolensk.

The Russian Empire fielded three armies. The 1st Army under the command of Golitsyn (80 thousand soldiers) was to concentrate in the Kyiv region and conduct offensive operations against the main enemy forces. The 2nd Army under the command of the Governor-General of Little Russia Rumyantsev (40 thousand bayonets and sabers) gathered at Bakhmut and received the task of defending the southern borders of Russia. The 3rd Army under the command of Olitz (15 thousand people) gathered at Brod and played a supporting role.

1769 The fighting itself was opened at the beginning of 1769. 10 thousand the Turkish-Tatar corps invaded Little Russia from the Crimea. However, Rumyantsev repulsed this blow and himself sent a punitive detachment to the Crimea, and also reinforced the garrisons of Azov and Taganrog. By the summer, Rumyantsev had transferred his main forces to Elizavetgrad, but he could not advance further, as the troops gathered slowly, and he had only 30 thousand people (including 10 thousand poorly armed Cossacks). While the Crimean Khan stood on the Dniester with 100 thousand. the Turkish-Tatar army and 30 thousand Crimean Tatars threatened a new blow from Perekop. But, Rumyantsev, spreading rumors about the movement of a strong Russian army to Podolia, changed the situation in his favor. Rumors about the offensive of the Rumyantsev army confused the calculations of the Ottoman command, which abandoned the original plan of the offensive. The center of hostilities has shifted to the Dniester.

Initially, fighting in the Danube region was sluggish. Moldavia rebelled against the Porte, its ruler fled. The Archbishop of Jassy asked to take Moldavia into Russian citizenship. But, 45 thousand. Golitsyn's army (it was not possible to bring the army to the planned size), instead of immediately occupying Iasi, moved to Khotyn. He could not take a strong fortress, having lost time and feeling a shortage of provisions, the prince withdrew his troops beyond the Dniester. As a result, the strategic initiative was lost and the Ottomans were allowed to put down the rebellion in Bessarabia.

The Turks also showed no initiative. Grand Vizier with 200,000 army crossed the Danube and moved to Bessarabia. The Turkish-Tatar troops spent a whole month until mid-June aimlessly stood on the Prut. The Ottoman command offered the Poles to launch an offensive in Poland together. But, the Poles, not wanting to see hordes of Ottomans and Tatars in their lands, offered the Turkish army to oppose Rumyantsev to Novorossia. Directing a barrier against Golitsyn.

The vizier accepted this plan. 60,000 troops were sent to Khotyn. auxiliary army, and the main forces were going to strike at Elizavetgrad. But this campaign failed. Rumyantsev's strong army confused the Ottomans, and the vizier did not dare to force the Dniester, returning back to the Prut in the Ryabaya Mogila tract. To strengthen Khotin, the vizier sent the seraskir Moldavanchi Pasha.

Golitsyn again decided to move towards Khotin. It was a dangerous maneuver. Golitsyn was moving away from Rumyantsev's army and could not help her. If there had been a more decisive and enterprising commander in place of the vizier, then the huge Turkish army could have struck at Kyiv and tried to defeat Rumyantsev's army. On June 24, Golitsyn crossed the Dniester, overturned the Turkish-Tatar army near the village of Pashkivtsi and blocked Khotyn. But, the arrival of the army of the Seraskir Moldavanchi and the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray forced Golitsyn to lift the siege and retreat across the Dniester. It must be said that Golitsyn was a fan of the school of mobile warfare, which believed that in war the main thing was maneuver, and not a decisive battle. Therefore, Golitsyn believed that his task was completed - he distracted the enemy from Novorossia.

The lack of initiative of the vizier and his theft (he stole 25 million piastres allocated for supplying the army) forced the sultan to change him to Moldavanchi Pasha. The new commander-in-chief received an order to cross the Dniester and occupy Podolia. However, the Turkish offensive ended in failure. At the end of August, 80 thousand. the Turkish-Tatar army crossed the river, but was thrown by Golitsyn's troops into the Dniester. And 12 thousand. the Turkish detachment, which was sent across the Dniester for foraging on September 5, was completely destroyed by Russian troops.

Defeats, lack of food and fodder, theft of the command completely demoralized the Turkish army. Almost the entire army fled to their homes. Moldavian Pasha in Iasi almost killed his own, he barely escaped. Only about 5,000 soldiers remained at Ryaba Mogila, the rest deserted. Only a strong garrison remained in Bendery, small detachments in the Danube fortresses and the Crimean Tatar horde in Causeni. Devlet Giray soon also disbanded his troops.

But, the Russian command did not take advantage of the complete collapse of the Ottoman army. Golitsyn only took Khotyn without a fight - 163 guns became Russian trophies. However, soon again (for the third time) retreated behind the Dniester. Catherine II, dissatisfied with such passivity, replaced Golitsyn with Rumyantsev. The 2nd Russian Army was led by Pyotr Panin.

Rumyantsev, taking into account the fact that the main forces of the Ottomans had gone beyond the Danube, the detachments of the Confederates did not pose a threat, and the approach of winter, postponed the resumption of hostilities until the spring of next year. The main Russian forces were located between the Dniester, Bug and Zbruch. 17 thousand the vanguard (Moldavian Corps), under the command of General Shtofeln, was advanced beyond the Dniester and the Prut - to Moldova. Shtofeln was also entrusted with the administration of Moldova. Rumyantsev brought the troops into order. The regiments were united into brigades, and the brigades into divisions. Artillery control was decentralized - artillery companies were transferred to divisions. In winter, exercises were conducted, special attention was paid to horse attacks and speed of movement.

Shtofeln's vanguard in November captured all of Moldavia up to Galati and most of Wallachia, captured two rulers. The fighting continued throughout the winter. Turkish-Tatar troops. Taking advantage of the small number of the Moldavian corps and the dispersion of its forces, they tried to defeat the Russian forward forces. However, they were beaten everywhere. The enemy was defeated at Focsani, at Zhurzhi and at Bucharest. Russian troops took Brailov.

The 2nd Russian Army unsuccessfully tried to attack the Crimea, but the campaign failed (due to drought). The siege of Bendery also failed. And due to the lack of siege artillery, the idea of ​​​​sieging the fortress had to be abandoned. Russian troops in the Caucasian direction acted successfully. Detachments of General Medem and Totleben forced the Kabardians and residents of the upper reaches of the Kuban to recognize Russian authority.


D. Khodovetsky. "Battle of Cahul"

1770. The collapse of the army and the successes of the Russian troops had a demoralizing effect on the Ottomans and especially their allies - the Crimean Tatars. However, the Ottoman Sultan was not going to retreat. Regardless of the cost, he formed a new army. The Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey, who did not show zeal in this war, was replaced by Kaplan-Girey. The Tatars had to prepare for a campaign from Causeni to Iasi in order to defeat the Moldavian corps before the main Russian forces approached and capture Moldavia and Wallachia.

The Russian plan of wars was drawn up by Rumyantsev, who obtained from the Empress the non-interference of St. Petersburg in his orders. He considered his main task to be the destruction of the main enemy forces. The 1st Army was to attack the enemy and prevent the Ottomans from crossing the Danube. The 2nd Army received the task of defending Little Russia and taking Bendery. The 3rd Army was disbanded, it became part of the 1st Army. In addition, the Russian squadron under the command of Orlov was supposed to support the uprising of the Greeks in the Sea and the Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea and threaten Constantinople, tying up the forces of the Turkish fleet. Shtofeln was ordered to clear Wallachia and concentrate forces for the defense of Eastern Moldavia, before the approach of the main forces.

Rumyantsev, having received news of the impending enemy offensive and the critical situation of the Moldavian Corps, spoke before the army was completed. The Russian commander had 32 thousand people - 10 infantry and 4 cavalry brigades. The brigades were consolidated into three divisions under the command of Olitz, Plemyannikov and Bruce. The plague raging in Moldavia forced Rumyantsev to stay in Northern Moldavia.

But, the deterioration of the situation - a significant part of the Moldavian Corps and Shtofeln himself died from the plague, forced Rumyantsev to continue the offensive. Prince Repnin led the remnants of the Russian avant-garde on the Prut near the Pockmarked Grave and from May 20 fought off attacks of 70,000. hordes of Kaplan Giray. On the night of June 17, Rumyantsev, by a roundabout maneuver, forced the superior forces of the Turkish-Tatar army to retreat. On June 24-26, the Russian squadron under the command of Orlov and Spiridov destroyed the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Chesma.

Rumyantsev did not wait for the army of the Crimean Khan to join the army of the vizier. On July 7 (18), 1770, Rumyantsev's army defeated 80,000 soldiers. Turkish-Tatar army under the command of Kaplan Giray in the battle of Larga. Smaller in number, but superior to the enemy in morale, organization and skill, the Russian army utterly defeated the enemy. The enemy fled in panic. Russian trophies were 33 guns.

On July 21 (August 1), 1770, Rumyantsev defeated the vizier on the Kagul River. Vizier Moldavanchi had under his command 150 thousand. army, including 50 thousand. selected infantry, with 350 guns, and planned to crush the Russian troops. Rumyantsev had 17,000 men under arms. The Russian commander was ahead of the enemy and he himself struck at the Turkish-Tatar horde. The Russian army overturned the entire enemy horde with three divisional squares. The vizier and the Crimean Khan fled, 200 guns were captured. Only the Janissaries valiantly counterattacked the division of General Plemyannikov, and almost turned the tide of the battle. But, Rumyantsev personally rushed into battle and shouted “stop, guys!” saved the situation. This decisive battle ended with the defeat of the brave Janissaries. After the victory, the Russian troops pursued the enemy and, at the crossing over the Danube and near Kartal, finished off the frustrated enemy army. The remaining Turkish artillery park was captured - 150 guns, Izmail was taken. Moldavanchi, after crossing the Danube, was able to collect only 10 thousand soldiers. The rest fled.

The campaign of 1770 ended with the complete victory of the Russian armed forces. If Rumyantsev had reserves, it was possible to cross the Danube and put a winning point in the war, forcing the Sultan to capitulate. However, Rumyantsev had only one wartime division, and the plague raged beyond the Danube. Therefore, the commander limited himself to strengthening the situation in the Danubian principalities and capturing enemy fortresses. In August they took Kiliya, in early November - Brailov. This ended the campaign.

The 2nd Russian Army also fought successfully. On September 16, after a brutal assault, Russian troops took Bendery. Of the 18 thousand. 5 thousand people died in the Turkish garrison, another 11 thousand were taken prisoner, the rest fled. Russian troops lost 2.5 thousand people killed and wounded. 348 guns were captured in the fortress. Ackerman was soon captured as well.


I. Aivazovsky. "Chesme battle"

1771. The strategic initiative completely passed to the Russian army. In the campaign of 1771, the main role was assigned to the 2nd Army, whose number was brought up to 70 thousand people. She was supposed to capture the Crimea. This was facilitated by the fact that the replacement of the Crimean Khan by Porta prepared discord between the Turks and the Crimean Tatars. In addition, major defeats demoralized the Crimeans. Their allies, the Budzhak and Edisan hordes, who roamed between the lower reaches of the Dniester and the Bug, fell away from Turkey.

The 1st Army went over to the strategic defense. 35 thousand Rumyantsev's army needed to defend a huge front along the Danube (500 miles). In February, the Olitsa division took the Zhurzhu fortress. The Turkish garrison was exterminated - out of 10 thousand people, 8 thousand soldiers were killed or drowned. 82 guns were captured in the fortress. Russian troops lost about 1 thousand people.

Meanwhile, the Ottoman sultan, not wanting to surrender and not losing hope for a turning point in the war (in this he was supported by the Western powers), formed a new army. The new vizier Musin-Oglu reorganized the army with the help of French military specialists. Only regular forces were left in the army and their number was increased to 160 thousand people. The Turkish army was concentrated in the Danube fortresses, and from May 1771, it began to make raids into Wallachia, trying to push back the Russian troops. These attempts continued until late autumn, but were not successful. The Turkish army was unable to realize its numerical advantage.

In addition, in October, the Ottomans were demoralized by the Weisman raid. Having crossed the Lower Danube, the Weisman detachment marched in a brilliant raid along the Dobruja, capturing all the Turkish fortresses: Tulcha, Isakcha, Babadag and Machin. He instilled such fear in the Ottomans that the vizier (who had 25 thousand troops against 4 thousand soldiers of Weisman) fled to Bazardzhik and expressed his readiness to begin peace negotiations.

The campaign of the 2nd Army under the command of Prince Dolgorukov was crowned with complete success. In June, Perekop was taken, after which the Russian troops occupied Kafa and Gyozlev. The Azov Flotilla played an important role in this campaign. The Crimean Khanate declared independence from Turkey and came under the protectorate of Russia. Leaving a few garrison, the Russian army left the Crimean peninsula.

1772-1773 The successes of the Russian began to greatly disturb the Western powers, they began to exert political and diplomatic pressure on Russia. The first partition of the Commonwealth in 1772 allowed Russia to settle its differences with Austria and Prussia.

There was a lull on the fronts. For almost the whole of 1772 and the beginning of 1773, peace negotiations with the Ottomans were going on in Focsani and Bucharest. However, the Porte did not want to give up the Crimea. France was behind Turkey, which incited the Ottomans not to yield to the Russians, so the war continued.

Empress Catherine demanded decisive action, but Rumyantsev, bound by a lack of strength, limited himself to a series of raids. Weisman made a raid on Karasu and Suvorov made two searches for Turtukai. In June, Rumyantsev tried to attack Silistria (it was defended by a 30,000-strong garrison), but after receiving news of the movement of the Turkish army to his rear, he retreated beyond the Danube. Weisman defeated the Turks at Kainardzhi, but he himself fell in this battle (5 thousand Russians against 20 thousand Ottomans, five thousand Turks were exterminated). The death of the "Russian Achilles" saddened the entire army. Alexander Suvorov, who was friends with him, wrote: "Weisman is gone, I was left alone ...".

1774. Rumyantsev, despite the lack of troops and other problems, decided to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy and reach the Balkans. His 50 thousand. he divided the army into 4 corps (detachment). The main role was to be played by the corps of Kamensky and Suvorov, each with 10,000 bayonets and cavalry. They received the task of advancing on Shumla and defeating the vizier's army. The Repnin Corps was their reserve. Saltykov's corps operated in the Silistrian direction. Rumyantsev's corps formed a general reserve.

At the end of April, detachments of Suvorov and Kamensky crossed the Danube and cleared Dobruja from the Turks. On June 9 (20) the united Russian corps defeated 40,000 troops. the army of Hadji-Abdur-Rezak. Then the Russian troops blocked Shumla. Rumyantsev crossed the Danube, and sent Saltykov to Ruschuk. The Russian cavalry moved beyond the Balkans, spreading horror and panic everywhere. The Turkish front collapsed again.

The vizier, seeing the impossibility of further struggle and foreseeing a catastrophe, asked for a truce. But Rumyantsev refused him, saying that he was ready to talk only about the world. The vizier submitted to the will of the great Russian commander.


Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky (1725 -1796)

On July 10 (July 21), the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty was signed. On behalf of Russia, the treaty was signed by Lieutenant-General Prince Nikolai Repnin, and on behalf of the Ottoman Empire, by the custodian of the Sultan's monogram Nitaji-Rasmi-Ahmed and Foreign Minister Ibrahim Munib. The Crimean Khanate gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. The annexation of Crimea to Russia was now a matter of time. Greater and Lesser Kabarda retreated to the Russian Empire. Russia held Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn, with the adjoining steppe between the Dnieper and the Bug.

Russian ships could freely navigate Turkish waters, enjoy the same benefits as French and British ships. Russia receives the right to have its own navy on the Black Sea and the right to pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

Turkey gave amnesty and freedom of religion to Balkan Christians. The Russian Empire recognized the right to protect and patronize Christians in the Danubian principalities. The amnesty also extended to Georgia and Mingrelia. The port also pledged to no longer take tribute from the Georgian lands by people (boys and girls). Russian subjects received the right to visit Jerusalem and other holy places without any payment. Turkey paid a military indemnity of 4.5 million rubles.

The treaty became tentative because it could not satisfy Turkey, which was thirsting for revenge, and its Western allies, who were urging the Ottomans to resume hostilities in order to force the Russians out of the Northern Black Sea region. Almost immediately, the Ottomans began to violate the terms of the peace agreement. The port did not allow Russian ships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, carried out subversive work in the Crimea and did not pay indemnity.

And for Russia, the agreement was only the first step in securing the Northern Black Sea region for it. It was necessary to continue the offensive in order to regain control of the Black (Russian) Sea.


Instrument of ratification to the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty with the personal signature of Catherine II

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By 1768, a situation had developed in which a war between Russia and Turkey was inevitable. The Russians wanted to get access to the Black Sea, while the Turks wanted to expand their empire at the expense of the Black Sea lands of Russia.

As a result, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 broke out. This war was started by the Turks suddenly. The Crimean Khan struck at the southern borders of Russia, and began to advance inland. At this time, large forces of the Turkish army were concentrated on the banks of the Dniester, preparing to make a campaign against Kyiv. In addition, Turkey involved in the war its huge fleet, which operated in the Black Sea. The power of the Turkish army was enormous. There were more Turks than Russians. In addition, the surprise attack factor played a huge role. Russia was not ready for war, as a result, in the early years of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. passed with a preponderance of the Ottoman Empire.

The Russian Empress understood that the army needed a hero, a man in whom the soldiers believed. As a result, Rumyantsev P.A., the hero of the Seven Years' War, took command of the Russian army. In September 1769, the Russian army, under the command of Rumyantsev, entered Iasi, Bucharest was later captured. The second grouping of Russian troops was sent to the Don, where they managed to capture the fortresses of Azov and Taganrog.

In July 1770, the first major battle of this war took place. It happened on the banks of the Larga River. Rumyantsev, whose army was several times smaller than the Turkish army, won a glorious victory, which forced the Ottomans to retreat. On 5 July another major victory was won, this time at sea. The Russian fleet, under the command of Spiridov and Orlov, circled Europe and entered the Chesme Bay, where the Turkish fleet was located. The Russians won an important naval victory.

Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774 continued, and in 1772 another significant event happened in it. From Poland, another Russian army was sent to Turkish soil, commanded by Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. This, still young, commander in 1773 immediately crossed the Danube River and captured the important Turkish fortress Turtukai. As a result of the successful military campaign of Suvorov, Rumyantsev, and also thanks to the victories of the Russian fleet, the Ottoman Empire suffered defeat after defeat and lost its power. The Turks could not resist for a long time, they needed a break. In 1774, Rumyantsev concluded a peace treaty with the Turks. It happened near the town of Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhi. According to the results of this peace treaty, Russia received the fortress of Kabarda in the Caucasus, as well as the fortresses of Kerch and Yenikale, which were located on the shores of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. In addition, the Ottoman Empire transferred to Russia the lands between the southern But and the Dnieper. On this Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. was finished.

Although a peace treaty was signed between Russia and Turkey, everyone understood that this was more a truce than a peace. Turkey needed a breather, as the Russian troops had inflicted one major defeat after another on the Ottomans during the last three years of the war. Russia needed peace to put down the peasant war led by Pugachev, which began in 1773.