Russian- turkish war 1828-1829
After Congress of Vienna(1814–1815) Russia returned to the resolution of the “Balkan issue”, which did not lose its relevance as a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1806–1813. Seeing the weakness of his opponent, Alexander I even put forward the idea of granting independence to Orthodox Serbia. The Turks, counting on the help of England and Austria, showed intransigence and demanded that Sukhum and several other fortresses in the Caucasus be returned to them.
In 1821, a national liberation uprising broke out in Greece, which was brutally suppressed by the Turkish authorities. Russia strongly advocated an end to violence against Christians and appealed to European countries with a proposal to exert joint pressure on the Ottoman Empire. However, European states, fearing a sharp increase in Russian influence in the Balkans, did not show much interest in the fate of the Greeks.
In 1824, Alexander I came up with an initiative to grant autonomy to Greece, but received a decisive refusal. Moreover, Turkey landed a large punitive corps in Greece.
Nicholas I continued the policy of his older brother. In 1826, Russia spoke out for the creation of an anti-Turkish coalition of European states. He planned to bring Great Britain and France to his side. The Tsar sent an ultimatum to the Turkish Sultan Mahmud II, in which he demanded the full restoration of the autonomy of Serbia and the Danube principalities. Nicholas II reported this to the British envoy - Duke A.U. Wellington (the winner at Waterloo) and said that now, if England does not support him, he will be against Turkey alone. Of course, Great Britain could not allow such important questions decided without her participation. France soon joined the coalition. It is worth noting that the creation of the Russian-Anglo-French alliance, designed to support the "rebellious" Greeks in their struggle against the "legitimate authority" of the Turkish sultan, was a serious blow to the legitimist principles of the sacred alliance.
On September 25, 1826, Turkey accepted the terms of the ultimatum of Nicholas I and signed a convention in Akkerman, in which it affirmed the autonomy of the Danube principalities and Serbia, and also recognized Russia as the right of patronage to the Slavic and Orthodox peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. However, on the Greek issue, Mahmud II did not want to back down. In April 1827, the Greek National Assembly elected in absentia the Russian diplomat I. Kapodistrias head of state, who was not slow to turn to Nicholas I for help.
On October 20, 1827, the Anglo-French-Russian squadron under the command of British Admiral E. Codrington defeated the Turkish fleet in Navarino harbor. The Russian cruiser "Azov", whose captain was M.P. Lazarev, and his assistants P.S. Nakhimov, V.I. Istomin and V.A. Kornilov are the future heroes of the Crimean War.
After this victory, Great Britain and France announced that they were abandoning further military action against Turkey. Moreover, British diplomats pushed Mahmud II to aggravate the conflict with Russia.
On April 14, 1828, Nicholas I declared war on the Ottoman Empire. There were two fronts: the Balkan and the Caucasian. On the Balkan Peninsula, a 100,000-strong Russian army under the command of P.Kh. Wittgenstein was occupied by the Danube principalities (Moldavia, Wallachia and Dobrudja). After that, the Russians began to prepare an offensive against Varna and Shumla. The number of Turkish garrisons in these fortresses significantly exceeded the number of Russian troops besieging them. The siege of Shumla was unsuccessful. Varna was captured at the end of September 1828, after a long siege. The military operation dragged on. In the Caucasus, the corps of General I.F. Paskevich blocked Anapa, and then moved to the Kars fortress. In the summer he managed to win back Ardahan, Bayazet and Poti from the Turks. By the beginning of the 1829 campaign, Russia's relations with Britain and Austria had deteriorated significantly. The danger of their interference in the war on the side of Turkey increased. It was necessary to hasten the end of the war. In 1829, the command of the Balkan army was entrusted to General I.I. Diebitsch. He activated offensive actions... In the battle near the village. Kulevcha (May 1829) Diebitsch defeated the 40,000-strong Turkish army, and in June captured the fortress of Silistria, after which he crossed the Balkan Mountains and captured Adrianople. At the same time, Paskevich occupied Erzurum.
August 20, 1829 to General I.I. Diebitsu received Turkish representatives with a proposal for peace negotiations. On September 2, the Adrianople Peace Treaty was signed. Under its terms, Russia acquired a part of the Danube delta and eastern Armenia, and the Black Sea coast from the mouth of the Kuban to Poti also passed to it. Freedom of merchant shipping through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles was established in peacetime. Greece received full autonomy, and in 1830 became independent state... The autonomy of Serbia, Wallachia and Moldavia was confirmed. Turkey pledged to pay an indemnity (30 million gold). Attempts by England to achieve a softening of the conditions of the Adrianople peace were resolutely rejected.
As a result of the war, Russia's prestige in the Balkans increased. In 1833, Nicholas I assisted the Ottoman Empire in the fight against the rebellious ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali. In June of this year, the commander of the Russian troops, A.F. Orlov, on behalf of the Russian Empire, signed a friendly agreement with the Sultan (for a period of 8 years), which went down in history as the Unkar-Iskelesi Treaty. Russia guaranteed the security of Turkey, and Turkey, in turn, pledged to close the Black Sea straits to all foreign (except for Russian) warships. The stormy indignation of the European powers forced Russia to go to the signing of the London Convention in 1840 and remove its fleet from the Bosphorus.
Russian-Turkish war 1828-1829
During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, one of the main directions of Russian diplomacy was the Eastern question - relations with the Ottoman Empire and the solution of international problems associated with its ever-increasing weakening. Within this direction great importance played the problems associated with the Black Sea straits the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles and the expansion of the influence of the Russian Empire among Slavic peoples Balkan Peninsula. Russia sought to achieve free passage of merchant and, possibly, warships through the straits, since this was the only gateway for the export of Black Sea grain, which was needed European countries... In addition, since the time of Catherine Great Russia was considered the main patroness of the Orthodox Slavic peoples, oppressed by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1821, an uprising against the Turkish yoke broke out in Greece. For several years, the rebels fought with varying degrees of success with the troops of the Turkish Sultan. Finally, in 1827, the National Assembly of Greeks adopted a Greek constitution and declared the country's independence from the Turkish sultan. Gathered in London, representatives of Britain, France and Russia addressed Istanbul with a note on the recognition of the new state. However, the sultan refused and ordered the combined Turkish-Tunisian-Egyptian fleet to land troops on the Greek coast. The Muslims who arrived at the landing site staged a brutal massacre of the Greek population. In response, the European countries introduced a united Anglo-Russian-French squadron into the Mediterranean Sea, which on October 20 (November 1), 1827, defeated the Sultan's fleet in the Navarino Bay. The flagship of the Russian naval forces, the battleship "Azov" under the command of Captain 1st Rank MP Lazarev, distinguished himself in the battle. During a fierce artillery duel, the Azov sank a Turkish flagship and inflicted a lot of damage on other ships. Under the command of Lieutenant PS Nakhimov and Warrant Officer V.A.Kornilov, the Azov sailors managed to extinguish fires and conduct aimed fire at the enemy.
For this battle "Azov" was awarded the stern St. George flag. For the first time in the history of the Russian fleet, the ship became a guards ship. Its commander was promoted to rear admiral. Lieutenant Nakhimov, who received the rank of lieutenant commander after the battle, was awarded the order St. George 4th degree.
However, British and French diplomats were concerned that this victory would strengthen Russia's position in the Black Sea straits. They made it clear to the Turkish ruler that their countries would remain neutral in the event of a possible Russian-Turkish conflict. Having received this information, Sultan Mahmud II declared himself the defender of Islam and began to strengthen the coastline of the Black Sea fortresses. Seeing such active preparations, the Russian emperor declared war on Turkey.
In theaters of military operations, Russia had a 95,000th Danube army under the command of General Count P. Kh. Wittgenstein and a 25,000th Separate Caucasian Corps under the command of General IF Paskevich. Against these forces, the Ottoman Empire put up an army with a total strength of up to 200 thousand people. (150 thousand on the Danube and 50 thousand in the Caucasus). The Danube army was tasked with occupying Moldavia, Wallachia and Dobrudja, as well as capturing the fortresses of Shumla and Varna.
On May 7, 1828, Wittgenstein's Danube army crossed the Prut River and began fighting... Under his leadership, the fortresses of Isakchi, Machin and Brailov were taken. At the same time, a sea expedition was carried out to the Caucasian coast in the Anapa region. But Wittgenstein's advancement in the Danube theater soon slowed sharply. Russian troops were unable to take the fortresses of Varna and Shumla and began a long siege. It soon became clear that the siege of Varna, due to the weakness of our forces in her, did not promise success; diseases were raging in the troops stationed near Shumla. Horses fell in mass from lack of food; meanwhile, the audacity of the Turkish partisans increased.
At this time, the enemy, having concentrated more than 25 thousand at Viddin and Kalafat, strengthened the garrisons of the fortresses of Rakhiv and Nikopol. Thus, the Turks everywhere had an advantage in forces, but, fortunately, did not take advantage of this. Meanwhile, in mid-August, the Guards Corps began to approach the Lower Danube, followed by the 2nd Infantry Corps. The latter was ordered to replace the siege detachment at Silistria, which was then pulled under Shumla; the guard is directed to Varna. For the proceeds of this fortress, 30 thousand people came from the Kamchik River. Turkish corps of Omer-Vrione. Several unsuccessful attacks followed from both sides, and when on September 29 Varna surrendered, Omer began to hastily retreat, pursued by a detachment of Prince Eugene of Württemberg, and headed for Aydos, where the vizier's troops had previously withdrawn.
Meanwhile Count Wittgenstein continued to stand at Shumla; he had only about 15 thousand troops left for the allocation of reinforcements to Varna and to other detachments; but in the 20th of September the 6th corps approached him. Silistria continued to hold out, since the 2nd corps, lacking siege artillery, could not take decisive action.
On February 9, 1829, the Imperial Rescript was given to Wittgenstein, in which the tsar thanked the field marshal for 40 years of service and accepted his resignation.
In the new campaign, the Danube army was led by General of Infantry I.I.Dibich. His appointment radically changed the situation in the theater of operations.
On June 19, 1829, the fortress of Silistria surrendered, and Diebitsch began to prepare the army for the march to the Balkans, which began on July 2, 1829. Moreover, Count Diebitsch had the lot to fight not only with the Turks, but also with an equally dangerous enemy - the plague, strongly weakened his army.
The renowned Prussian Field Marshal Moltke noted: “Leaving aside the material weakening of the armed forces, the commander-in-chief must recognize extraordinary willpower, so that, amid the struggle against such horrific and widespread disasters, he does not lose sight of the great goal that could be achieved by adhering to an invariably decisive and swift image action. In our (i.e., Moltke's) opinion, history can pronounce the following verdict in favor of Count Diebitsch's actions in the Turkish campaign: having weak forces, he did only what seemed absolutely necessary to achieve the goal of the war. He began a siege of the fortress and won a victory in the open field, which opened him access to the heart of the enemy monarchy. He found himself here with one ghost of the army, but he was preceded by the glory of invincibility. Russia owes the happy outcome of the war to the bold and at the same time cautious course of action by Count Diebitsch. "
In six marches, having simultaneously won an important victory at Slivna, the Russian army passed 120 miles and already on August 7 found itself under the walls of Adrianople, which had not seen Russian squads since the time of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav. The next day, Adrianople surrendered.
In the same year, the Black Sea Fleet covered its banners with unfading glory. On May 14 (26), 1829, returning from a reconnaissance voyage, the 18-gun brig "Mercury" under the command of Lieutenant-Commander AI Kazarsky was suddenly attacked by two Turkish battleships. One of the battleships was armed with 100 cannons, the other - 74. Kazarsky gathered the officers of the "Mercury" for a council that unanimously accepted only decision- to fight. For three hours, skillfully maneuvering, "Mercury" fought artillery battles with Turkish ships. In the smoke and flames, Kazarsky placed his brig between the Turkish ships. Being lighter in design, the Russian boat at full speed passed between the Turks, who, seeing nothing because of the smoke, began to shoot at each other, thinking that they were firing at the "Mercury".
The heroic deed of the "Mercury" brig was highly appreciated. He was awarded the St. George Banner. Later, a monument was erected in Sevastopol. On a granite pedestal there is a small bronze ship with the inscription “Kazarsky. For posterity as an example. "
On September 2 (14), 1829, a peace treaty was signed between Russia and Turkey in Adrianople. The Russian Empire included the eastern coast of the Black Sea with the cities of Anapa and Sukhum, as well as the Danube River delta. The principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were granted autonomy, and during the reforms, Russian troops remained in them. The Ottoman Empire also agreed to the terms of the London Treaty of 1827 granting autonomy to Greece. In addition, she pledged to pay Russia an indemnity of 1.5 million Dutch chervonets within 18 months.
From the book The Truth About Nicholas I. The Swindled Emperor the author Tyurin AlexanderThe Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 According to the treaty signed on October 24 (November 5), 1813 in the Karabakh village of Polistan (Gulistan), Persia recognized the transfer of Georgian lands to Russia (which, however, had not been in possession for a long time), and also abandoned the Baku ,
From the book The Truth About Nicholas I. The Swindled Emperor the author Tyurin AlexanderThe Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 The beginning of the war Despite the fact that in the Navarino battle against Turkey were naval forces three countries, hardened hatred of the Ports fell upon Russia alone. After the battle, the Turkish government sent out to the heads of the Pashalyks
From the book World History. Volume 4. Recent history by Yeager OscarCHAPTER THREE Eastern question. The uprising in Greece 1821-1830 The Russo-Turkish War of 1828 and the Peace in Adrianople in 1829 The Eastern Question. The Situation of Turkey We have repeatedly pointed out that the so-called "Eastern question" in newspaper language is dragging on, with various changes.
From the book The Whole Truth About Ukraine [Who Benefits from the Split of the Country?] the author Prokopenko Igor StanislavovichRussian-Turkish War In the 13th century, the first Mongols appeared on the Crimean land, and soon the peninsula was conquered by the Golden Horde. In 1441, with the creation of the Crimean Khanate, a short period of independence began. But literally a few decades later, in 1478, Crimean
From the book History of the Russian Army. Volume two the author Zayonchkovsky Andrey MedardovichRussian-Turkish War of 1828-1829 Pavel Markovich Andrianov, Lieutenant Colonel of the General
From the book of Epics. Historical songs. Ballads the author author unknownSongs about the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829 The Turkish sultan writes a letter Writes, writes the Turkish Sultan To our white king: “I will ruin you in ruin, I will rise to Moscow, I will put my soldiers All over stone Moscow, Staff officers in merchant houses, Himself I will, sultan
From the book Textbook of Russian History the author Platonov Sergei Fedorovich§ 136. The Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1791 and the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790 The annexation of the Crimea and large military preparations on the Black Sea coast were directly dependent on the "Greek project", which Empress Catherine and her collaborator were fond of in those years
From the book The Great Battles of the Russian Sailing Fleet the author Chernyshev AlexanderWar with Turkey 1828-1829 Russia's help to the Greek people, who rebelled against Turkish rule, led to an aggravation of relations between Russia and Turkey. After the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Navarino on October 8, 1827, the Turkish sultan announced the dissolution
From the book St. George's Cavaliers under the St. Andrew's Flag. Russian admirals - holders of the Order of St. George I and II degrees the author Skritsky Nikolay VladimirovichRussian-Turkish War of 1828-1829 The war broke out as a consequence of the Battle of Navarino in 1827, during which the Anglo-French-Russian squadron defeated the Turkish fleet in order to stop the extermination of the Greeks who opposed Turkish rule... October 8, 1827
From the book History of Georgia (from ancient times to the present day) author Vachnadze Merab§2. The Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 and the annexation of South Georgia (Samtskhe-Javakheti) to Russia In contrast to the Russo-Iranian war, the Russo-Turkish war was not only a consequence of an acute confrontation in the Transcaucasus. The interests of Russia and Turkey collided in the Balkan
author Kopylov N.A.The Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1823 The most successful period in Diebitsch’s career was the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829, which raised him to the pinnacle of military glory. In 1828, Russia decided to help the Orthodox Greeks in their war for national independence and 2
From the book Leaders of the Empire author Kopylov N.A.The Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, one of the main directions of Russian diplomacy was the Eastern question - relations with the Ottoman Empire and the solution of international problems associated with its ever-increasing weakening. Within this
From the book Stories the author Trenev Vitaly KonstantinovichBRIG "MERCURY" (Russian-Turkish War of 1829) The frigate "Standart", the brig "Orpheus" and the eighteen-gun brig "Mercury" were sent to the Bosphorus from the squadron of battleships of Admiral Greig, stationed at Sisopol. The task of these patrol ships was to monitor the movements
author Vorobiev MN4. 1st Russo-Turkish War The war began, but they did not have to fight right away, because the troops were far away. Then there were no trains, no vehicles, the troops had to go on foot, they had to be collected from different points of the vast country, and the Turks also swayed
From the book Russian history. Part II author Vorobiev MN2. 2nd Russo-Turkish War Preparing for a war with Turkey, Catherine was able to negotiate a military alliance with Austria. It was a major foreign policy success, because the problems that had to be solved became much easier. Austria could exhibit quite
From the book Russia and the formation of Serbian statehood. 1812-1856 the author Kudryavtseva Elena Petrovna4. Serbia and the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829. Treaty of Adrianople of 1829 In April 1828 the Russian government the "Manifesto on the war with Turkey" was adopted, in which the Porta was accused of non-compliance with the Akkerman convention. At the same time, European governments were
He moved with the Russian army to the Crimea. With a frontal attack, he captured the fortifications of Perekop, went deep into the peninsula, took Khazleiv (Evpatoria), destroyed the khan's capital Bakhchisarai and Akmechet (Simferopol). However, the Crimean Khan, constantly evading decisive battles with the Russians, managed to save his army from extermination. At the end of the summer, Minich returned from Crimea to Ukraine. In the same year, General Leontyev, acting against the Turks from the other side, took Kinburn (a fortress near the mouth of the Dnieper), and Lassi - Azov.
Russian-Turkish War 1735-1739. Map
In the spring of 1737, Minich moved to Ochakov, a fortress covering the exits to the Black Sea from the Southern Bug and the Dnieper. Due to his inept actions, the capture of Ochakov cost the Russian troops quite large losses (although they were still many times less than the Turkish ones). Even more soldiers and Cossacks (up to 16 thousand) died due to unsanitary conditions: the German Minich cared little about the health and nutrition of the Russian soldiers. Due to the huge loss of soldiers, Minich stopped the campaign of 1737 immediately after the capture of Ochakov. General Lassi, operating in 1737 east of Minich, broke through to the Crimea and dispersed detachments across the peninsula that destroyed up to 1000 Tatar villages.
Through the fault of Minich, the military campaign of 1738 ended in vain: the Russian army, aiming at Moldavia, did not dare to cross the Dniester, as there was a large Turkish army on the other side of the river.
In March 1739, Minich crossed the Dniester at the head of the Russian army. Due to his mediocrity, he immediately fell into an almost hopeless encirclement near the village of Stavuchany. But thanks to the heroism of the soldiers who unexpectedly attacked the enemy in a half-passable place, Stavuchansk battle(the first clash of the Russians with the Turks in the open field) ended in a brilliant victory. Huge troops of the Sultan and Crimean Khan fled in panic, and Minikh, taking advantage of this, took the strong fortress Khotin located nearby.
In September 1739 the Russian army entered the Moldavian principality. Minikh forced his boyars to sign an agreement on the transfer of Moldova to Russian citizenship. But on the very crest of the successes, the news came that the Russian allies, the Austrians, were ending the war against the Turks. Upon learning of this, Empress Anna Ioannovna also decided to graduate. The Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739 ended with the Peace of Belgrade (1739).
Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774 - briefly
This Russo-Turkish war began in the winter of 1768-69. Golitsyn's Russian army crossed the Dniester, took the Khotin fortress and entered Yassy. Almost all of Moldova swore allegiance to Catherine II.
The young empress and her favorites, the Orlov brothers, made bold plans, intending already during this Russian-Turkish war to expel Muslims from the Balkan Peninsula. The Orlovs proposed sending out agents to rouse the Balkan Christians for a general uprising against the Turks and to move Russian squadrons to the Aegean Sea to support it.
In the summer of 1769, the fleets of Spiridov and Elfinston sailed from Kronstadt to the Mediterranean. Arriving on the shores of Greece, they instigated a revolt against the Turks in Morea (Peloponnese), but it did not reach the force that Catherine II had counted on, and was soon suppressed. However, the Russian admirals soon won a dizzying naval victory. Attacking the Turkish fleet, they drove it into the Chesme Bay (Asia Minor) and completely destroyed it, sending incendiary fire ships to the crowded enemy ships (Chesme battle, June 1770). By the end of 1770, the Russian squadron captured up to 20 islands of the Aegean archipelago.
Russian-Turkish War 1768-1774. Map
In the land theater of war, the Russian army of Rumyantsev, operating in Moldova, in the summer of 1770 utterly defeated the forces of the Turks in the battles of Larga and Cahul. These victories gave the whole Wallachia into the hands of the Russians with powerful Ottoman strongholds along the left bank of the Danube (Izmail, Kiliya, Akkerman, Brailov, Bucharest). There were no Turkish troops north of the Danube.
In 1771, the army of V. Dolgoruky, defeating the horde of Khan Selim-Girey at Perekop, occupied the entire Crimea, placed garrisons in its main fortresses and placed Sahib-Girey on the khan's throne, who had sworn allegiance to the Russian empress. Orlov and Spiridov's squadron in 1771 made distant raids from Aegean to the shores of Syria, Palestine and Egypt, then subject to the Turks. The successes of the Russian armies were so brilliant that Catherine II hoped, as a result of this war, to finally annex Crimea and ensure independence from the Turks of Moldavia and Wallachia, which were to come under the influence of Russia.
But this was opposed by the Western European Franco-Austrian bloc hostile to the Russians, and the formal ally of Russia, the Prussian king Frederick II the Great, behaved treacherously. Taking advantage of the brilliant victories in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Catherine II was prevented by the simultaneous involvement of Russia in the Polish unrest. Frightening Austria with Russia, and Russia with Austria, Frederick II put forward a project according to which Catherine II was offered to abandon extensive seizures in the south in exchange for compensation from Polish lands. In the face of the strongest Western pressure, the Russian empress had to accept this plan. It was realized in the form of the First Partition of Poland (1772).
Peter Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky
The Ottoman sultan, however, wanted to get out of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768 without any losses at all and did not agree to recognize not only the annexation of Crimea to Russia, but even its independence. Peace negotiations between Turkey and Russia in Focsani (July-August 1772) and Bucharest (late 1772 - early 1773) ended in vain, and Catherine II ordered Rumyantsev to invade with an army across the Danube. In 1773 Rumyantsev made two trips across this river, and in the spring of 1774 - the third. Due to the small size of his army (at that time part of the Russian forces had to be withdrawn from the Turkish front to fight against Pugachev) Rumyantsev did not achieve anything outstanding in 1773. But in 1774 A. V. Suvorov with an 8-thousandth corps utterly defeated 40 thousand Turks at Kozludzha. With this, he brought such horror to the enemy that when the Russians headed for the strong fortress of Shumle, the Turks in panic rushed to flee from there.
The sultan then hastened to resume peace negotiations and signed the Kuchuk-Kainardzhiyskiy peace, which ended the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.
Russian-Turkish war 1787-1791 - briefly
Russian-Turkish war 1806-1812 - briefly
For details about it, see the article.
The brutal suppression of the Greek uprising of the 1820s by the Turks provoked a response from a number of European powers. Russia, one of the same faith with the Orthodox Greeks, acted most energetically; England and France joined it not without hesitation. In October 1827, the combined Anglo-Russian-French fleet utterly defeated the Egyptian squadron of Ibrahim, which helped the Turkish sultan suppress the rebellious Greece, in the battle of Navarino (near the southwestern coast of the Peloponnese).
Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829
The history of the Russian-Turkish wars goes back to the 17th century. At first, these were wars between the Moscow state and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Until the 18th century, the Crimean Khanate always stood on the side of the Ottoman Empire. From Russia the main reason wars, there was a desire to gain access to the Black Sea, and later - to establish itself in the Caucasus.
Causes of the war
The military conflict between the Russian and Ottoman empires in 1828 arose as a result of the fact that after the Battle of Navarino in October 1827, the Porta (the government of the Ottoman Empire) closed the Bosphorus, violating the Ackerman Convention. Akkerman Convention- the agreement between Russia and Turkey, concluded on October 7, 1826 in Ackerman (now it is the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky). Turkey recognized the border along the Danube and the transition to Russia of Sukhum, Redut-Kale and Anakria (Georgia). Within a year and a half, she pledged to pay off all the claims of Russian subjects, to grant Russian subjects the right to unhindered trade throughout Turkey, and to Russian merchant ships - the right to freely sail in Turkish waters and along the Danube. The autonomy of the Danube principalities and Serbia was guaranteed, the rulers of Moldova and Wallachia were to be appointed from local boyars and could not be removed without the consent of Russia.
But if we consider this conflict in a broader context, then it must be said that this war was caused by the fact that the Greek people began a struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire (back in 1821), and France and England began to help the Greeks. Russia at that time pursued a policy of non-intervention, although it was in an alliance with France and England. After the death of Alexander I and the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, Russia changed its attitude to the Greek problem, but at the same time, disagreements began between France, England and Russia on the issue of dividing the Ottoman Empire (carving up the skin of an unkilled bear). The Porta immediately announced that it was free from agreements with Russia. Russian ships were banned from entering the Bosphorus, and Turkey intended to hand over the war with Russia to Persia.
Porta moved its capital to Adrianople and fortified the Danube fortresses. Nicholas I at this time declared war on Porte, and she declared war on Russia.
The course of the war in 1828
J. Doe "Portrait of I. Paskevich"
On May 7, 1828, the Russian army under the command of P.Kh. Wittgenstein (95 thousand) and the Separate Caucasian Corps under the command of General I.F. Paskevich (25 thousand) crossed the Prut, occupied the Danube principalities and crossed the Danube on June 9. Isakcha, Machin and Brailov surrendered one after another. At the same time, a sea expedition to Anapa took place.
Then the advance of the Russian troops slowed down. Only on October 11, they were able to take Varna, but the siege of Shumla and Silistria ended in failure. At the same time, the attempts of the Turks to invade Wallachia were neutralized by the victory of the Russians at Baileshti (modern. Beileshti). In the Caucasus, in the summer of 1828, a decisive offensive was launched by IF Paskevich's corps: in June he captured Kars, in July Akhalkalaki, in August Akhaltsikh and Bayazet; the entire Bayazet Pashalyk (province of the Ottoman Empire) was occupied. In November, two Russian squadrons blockaded the Dardanelles.
The assault on the Kars fortress
Ya. Sukhodolsky "Storming the Kars Fortress"
June 23, 1828 occupies a special place in the history of the Russian-Turkish war. Before a small army fell impregnable fortress, who saw many times formidable conquerors at her walls, but never within her walls.
The siege of the fortress lasted for three days. And Kars bowed before the victors, the unattainable peaks of their towers. This is how it happened.
By the morning of June 23, Russian troops were standing under the fortress, they were under the general command of Major General Korolkov and Lieutenant General Prince Vadbolsky, Major General Muravyov, the Erivan Carabinier Regiment and the reserve Georgian Grenadier Regiment and the combined cavalry brigade.
With the first rays of the sun, a cannonade against the Turkish camp began from all the Russian batteries. In response to this, the strongest fire began from all tiers of the citadel. Sixteen Russian guns could hardly respond to this cannonade. “It is unlikely that during my entire service it happened to me to be in a stronger fire than on that day,” said Muravyov, a participant in Borodin, Leipzig and Paris.
When the batteries of the Turkish camp fell silent, part of the enemy infantry descended from the fortified height and began close combat. There was a hand-to-hand dump.
The Russian soldiers were led by Miklashevsky and Labintsev, their courage knew no bounds. Having defeated the enemy, the soldiers began to chase those fleeing to the camp up the mountain. It was very dangerous, but the officers were unable to stop the Russian soldiers. “Stop, brothers! Stop! - they shouted. - No further! This is just a fake attack! "
“It’s impossible, your honor,” one of the soldiers answered as he ran, “it’s not the first time for us to deal with an infidel. Until you crack his teeth, he cannot understand this very fake attack. "
The course of the war in 1829
In the spring of 1829 the Turks tried to take revenge and recapture Varna, but on June 11, the new Russian commander-in-chief I.I.Dibich defeated twice the forces of the great vizier Reshid Pasha near the village. Kulevcha. On June 30, Silistria surrendered, in early July the Russians crossed the Balkans, captured Burgas and Aidos (modern Aytos), defeated the Turks at Slivno (modern Sliven) and entered the Maritsa valley. On August 20, Adrianople surrendered. In the Caucasus, I.F.Paskevich in March and June 1829 repelled the attempts of the Turks to return Kars, Bayazet and Guria, on July 8 captured Erzurum, took possession of the entire Erzurum Pashalyk and went to Trabzon.
J. Doe "Portrait of I. Dibich"
Numerous defeats forced Sultan Mahmud II to enter into negotiations. But the Turks dragged them out in every possible way, hoping for the intervention of Austria. Then I.I.Dibich moved to Constantinople. The ambassadors of the Western powers recommended that Sultan Mahmud accept the Russian conditions. The Peace of Adrianople was concluded on September 14 : The Ottoman Empire ceded to Russia the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus from the mouth of the Kuban to Fort St. Nicholas, the Akhaltsikhe Pashalyk and the islands in the Danube Delta, granted autonomy to Moldova, Wallachia and Serbia, recognized the independence of Greece; The Bosphorus and Dardanelles were open to ships of all countries; Russia received the right to free trade throughout the Ottoman Empire.
The feat of the brig "Mercury"
I. Aivazovsky "Brig" Mercury "attacking two Turkish ships"
"Mercury"- 18-gun military brig of the Russian fleet. It was launched on May 19, 1820. In May 1829, during the Russian-Turkish war, the brig under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Alexander Ivanovich Kazarsky won an unequal battle with two Turkish battleships, for which he was awarded the stern St. George flag.
At the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829, the Black Sea Fleet continued its tight blockade of the Bosphorus. Detachments of Russian ships were constantly on duty at the entrance to the strait in order to timely detect any attempt by the Turkish fleet to go to sea. In May 1829, a detachment of ships under the command of Lieutenant Commander P. Ya. Sakhnovsky was assigned to cruise at the entrance to the Bosphorus. The detachment consisted of the 44-gun frigate "Standart", the 20-gun brig "Orpheus" and the 18-gun brig "Mercury" under the command of Lieutenant-Commander A. I. Kazarsky. The ships left Sizopol on May 12 and headed for the Bosphorus.
Early in the morning of May 14, a Turkish squadron appeared on the horizon, marching from the shores of Anatolia (the southern coast of the Black Sea) to the Bosphorus. “Mercury” drifted, and the frigate “Shtandart” and the brig “Orpheus” went to a rapprochement with the enemy to determine the composition of the Turkish squadron. They counted 18 ships, including 6 battleships and 2 frigates. The Turks found the Russian ships and rushed in pursuit. Sakhnovsky ordered each ship to leave the pursuit independently. "Standard" and "Orpheus" set all sails and quickly disappeared over the horizon. “Mercury” was also leaving in full sail, but two Turkish ships began to catch up with him. These were 110-gun and 74-gun ships. The rest of the Turkish ships drifted, watching the admirals hunt the small Russian brig.
At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the wind died down and the chase stopped. Kazarsky ordered to move with the oars. But half an hour later the wind rose again, and the chase resumed. Soon the Turks opened fire from running guns (guns designed to fire straight ahead). Kazarsky invited the officers to the military council. The situation was extremely difficult. In terms of the number of guns, the two Turkish ships outnumbered the Mercury by 10 times, and by the weight of the side salvo - 30 times. Lieutenant of the Corps of Naval Navigators I.P. Prokofiev proposed to fight. The Council unanimously decided to fight to the last resort, and then to fall off one of the Turkish ships and blow up both ships. Encouraged by this decision of the officers, Kazarsky turned to the sailors with an appeal not to shame the honor of the Andreevsky flag. All as one declared that they would be faithful to their duty and oath to the end.
The team quickly prepared for battle. Kazarsky was already an experienced naval officer. For his distinction in the capture of Anapa, he was early promoted to lieutenant-captain, and then again committed a heroic deed during the siege of Varna, for which he was awarded a golden saber with the inscription "For bravery!" and was appointed commander of the brig "Mercury". As a true naval officer, he knew perfectly well the strengths and weaknesses of his ship. It was strong and had good seaworthiness, but because of the low draft it was slow-moving. In this situation, only the maneuver and accuracy of the gunners could save him.
For half an hour, using oars and sails, the "Mercury" avoided the enemy's side volleys. But then the Turks nevertheless managed to bypass it from two sides, and each of the Turkish ships fired two side salvoes on the brig. A hail of cannonballs, knipples (two cannonballs connected by a chain or a rod, are used to disable the ship's rigging) and brandskugels (incendiary shells) rained down on it. After that, the Turks offered to surrender and drift. The brig responded with a salvo of carronade (a short cast-iron cannon) and friendly fire from his rifles. Kazarsky was wounded in the head, but continued to lead the battle. He perfectly understood that his main task was to deprive the Turkish ships of the course, and ordered the gunners to aim at the rigging and spars of the Turkish ships.
I. Aivazovsky "Brig" Mercury "after the victory over the Turkish ships goes towards the Russian squadron"
This tactic of the Russian brig was completely justified: several cannonballs from the "Mercury" damaged the rigging and mainmast of one ship, and it went out of order. And the other continued to attack with even greater persistence. For an hour, he beat the brig with hard longitudinal volleys. Then Kazarsky decided on a desperate maneuver. The brig abruptly changed course and went to a rapprochement with the Turkish ship. Panic broke out on the Turkish ship: the Turks decided that the Russians would blow up both ships. Having approached the shortest distance, Kazarsky allowed his gunners to hit the gear of the Turkish ship with maximum accuracy. The risk was very high, because the Turks could now shoot at point-blank range at the "Mercury" from their huge guns. But our gunners killed several yards, and the sails began to fall on the deck, the Turkish ship could not maneuver. "Mercury" fired another volley at him and began to leave. And "Standart" and "Orpheus" on the same day with flags at half-mast arrived in Sizopol. They reported on the appearance of the Turkish fleet and the death of the "Mercury". Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral A.S. Greig ordered to go to sea immediately to cut off the way to the Bosphorus for the Turkish fleet. The next day the Russian squadron on the way to the Bosphorus met the brig "Mercury". The appearance of the ship spoke for itself, but the wounded brig proudly went to join its squadron. Kazarsky boarded the flagship and reported on the heroic actions of the officers and crew. Vice-Admiral A.S. Greig, in a detailed report to Emperor Nicholas I, emphasized that the crew of the brig made "A feat to which there is no such thing in the annals of the maritime powers"... After that, the "Mercury" continued on its way to Sevastopol, where a solemn welcome awaited him.
For this battle Kazarsky was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank, awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and was promoted to aide-de-camp. All the officers of the brig were promoted in ranks and awarded orders, and the sailors were decorated with insignia of the military order. All officers and sailors were given a double salary for life. The officers were allowed to include in their coats of arms the image of a pistol that was prepared for the explosion of the ship. In honor of the feat of the crew of “Mercury, a commemorative medal was cast. The brig was the second of the Russian ships to receive the commemorative St. George flag and pennant. The news of the unprecedented victory of our small patrol ship over the two strongest ships of the Turkish fleet quickly spread all over Russia. Kazarsky became a national hero.
A.I. Kazarsky
Further history of "Mercury"
"Mercury" served in the Black Sea Fleet until November 9, 1857. After that, three ships alternately bore the name "Memory of Mercury", receiving and transmitting the St. George flag. Kazarsky died suddenly in 1833 in Nikolaev, when he was less than 36 years old. There is reason to believe that he was poisoned by thieving port officials in order to hide the traces of his crimes. On next year a monument to one of the first heroes of the city was erected on the Michmansky Boulevard of Sevastopol. The initiative to install it was made by the commander of the Black Sea squadron, M.P. Lazarev. The famous architect A.P. Bryullov became the author of the project. On the granite pedestal of the monument there is a very short but meaningful inscription: “To Kazarsky. For posterity as an example ”.
Monument to A.I. Kazarsky
Outcome of the war
On September 14, 1829, the two sides signed Adrianople peace, as a result of which Russia passed most of the eastern coast of the Black Sea (including the cities of Anapa, Sudzhuk-Kale, Sukhum) and the Danube delta.
The Ottoman Empire recognized the transition to Russia of Georgia, Imeretia, Mingrelia, Guria, as well as the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates (transferred by Iran through the Turkmanchay world).
Turkey reaffirmed its obligations under the Akkerman Convention of 1826 to respect the autonomy of Serbia.
Moldavia and Wallachia were granted autonomy, and Russian troops remained in the Danube principalities at the time of the reforms.
Turkey also agreed to the terms of the London Treaty of 1827 granting autonomy to Greece.
Turkey pledged to pay Russia an indemnity of 1.5 million Dutch chervonets within 18 months.
Medal for participation in the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829
Campaign of 1829
Chapter XX. Final actions of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29
The news of the world, under the Shumla. - Appointment of Krasovsky with the supreme vizier. - Burial of the body of Prince Madatov in Shumla. - Inspections of troops and festivities in the Russian and Turkish camps. - Replenishment of the army. - Delivery of the Zhurzhi fortress to the Russians. Troops march from Adrianople. - Benefit to the poor from Count Diebitsch, when speaking from Adrianople. - Feelings of residents for the Russian troops. - Works of scientists. - Classes of the Geodetic Detachment. - Meeting in Constantinople of Count Orlov with the Sultan.
Having described the brilliant exploits of Russian arms during the campaign of 1829, we consider it not superfluous to mention the most remarkable cases that followed after the conclusion of the peace, before the appearance of the headquarters from Adrianople.
From among the corps commanders who acted separately from the main army, the news of the conclusion of peace was first received by General Krasovsky, who was observing Shumlu. Immediately upon receiving this joyful news, early in the morning of September 5, Krasovsky, accompanied by a small retinue, went to Shumla to notify the Supreme Vizier of this important event. State Councilor Pisani was sent ahead to warn of Krasovsky's visit. The people and the army crowded on the road, and with an expression of the liveliest joy they repeated to each of the Russians the word: profit, which in Turkish means peace.
A mile from the city gates, called Temir-Kapisi, Krasovsky was met by officials sent by the vizier to accompany the Russian general. The vizier and Hussein Pasha were together in the camp. On either side of the opulent tent, trimmed with brocade sofas and the finest carpets, were lined up two shabura (battalions) of regular infantry, with drummers and musicians in between. Many spectators and officers from the retinue of both Turkish dignitaries surrounded their headquarters. The vizier and Hussein Pasha could not hide the joy that the news of peace produced in them. The meeting lasted about an hour. Both sides parted very amicably with assurances of mutual respect. Half an hour after his meeting with Krasovsky, the vizier received news of peace from the Turkish plenipotentiaries from Adrianople.
Upon his return to the camp, General Krasovsky immediately sent out orders to all the individual detachment chiefs of the corps to stop hostilities.
The next day, at four o'clock in the afternoon, according to the preliminary intercourse of General Krasovsky with the vizier, the body of the late Prince Madatov was buried in the Greek monastery of St. George, located in Shumla. The details of this burial are remarkable. As a sign of respect for the memory of the glorious warrior, the Supreme Vizier and Hussein Pasha opened the gates of the impregnable Shumla to his remains. His coffin from the camp to the Shumlinskaya church was carried alternately by all the officers of the third infantry corps. At the gates of the fortress, the sad procession stopped: church singing was heard, and cannon shots were given the last military honor to the valiant general.
When the funeral procession entered Shumla, a platoon of hussars of the Prince of the Orange Regiment with trumpeters accompanied Madatov's coffin to the cemetery, along with crowds of residents attracted by a new spectacle for them - a magnificent Christian burial and the appearance of Russians inside the fortress, where an armed enemy had never penetrated. The very roofs of the houses were covered by the people; even women, forgetting the strict custom of the East, threw back the covers, curious to see the unprecedented phenomenon of Russians in Shumla. Quietly, silently, the audience watched the gloomy solemnity of the ceremony, listening to the sad sound of the trumpets. Thus, the Turks took the ashes of the Russian general Madatov into the walls of their fortress - it was, as it were, a guarantee of reconciliation.
On September 8, all the troops of the 3rd corps brought to the Almighty on the plain between the Sultan's redoubt and the Bokludzha river a thanksgiving prayer for the granting of a glorious world to Russia. In the ranks were 18 infantry battalions, 24 cavalry squadrons, foot and horse artillery and two Cossack regiments.
At the end of the prayer service and saluting firing, the Supreme Vizier and Seraskir Hussein, invited by General Krasovsky, arrived at the troops, accompanied by a large retinue, no less than one thousand five hundred people. As the Turkish dignitaries approached the left flank of our troops, General Krasovsky received the vizier with the surrender of military honor, as followed by the commander-in-chief of the allied power, after which the entire corps passed by the vizier twice in a ceremonial march and lined up in front of the fortress. Wanting to show the vizier some of the movements in battle formation, the general moved out of the third line the Jaeger Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division with four light guns and two Cossack regiments; made with them several formations and a retreat movement; after that the troops went to the camp with music and songs.
The arrangement of our troops, the cleanliness of their clothes, orderly order and silence during the ceremonial march, the correctness and speed in the formations, and the excellent condition of the cavalry horses, all this together produced a lively surprise in the supreme vizier and in other military leaders who were with him, having settled in them the very high opinion of the perfection of the Russian army. The vizier himself, in flattering expressions, thanked General Krasovsky and the army for giving him the pleasure of seeing for the first time to what extent the military structure could be brought to bear.
On the 9th, the Supreme Vizier and Seraskir Hussein again arrived at the Russian camp with the most important officials, wanting to see our infantry and cavalry training. General Krasovsky ordered the withdrawal of one battalion of the Penza regiment, the hussar prince of the Orange regiment and 8 guns of the horse-battery of the 19th company. After rifle receptions, turns and firing, the battalion, at the command of the general, produced various and most difficult formations; all movements were performed with such accuracy and precision that it was difficult to cook, how, after a two-year war, the regiment to which the battalion belonged could retain the excellent appearance and perfection that amazed the Turks.
The cavalry and especially the artillery exercises, carried out in turn, delighted the Supreme Vizier and Hussein with the extraordinary speed of all movements with the strictest observance of correctness and accuracy. The Vizier repeatedly repeated that it seemed to him impossible that any army could be brought to greater perfection. At the end of the training, the Supreme Vizier and Hussein were treated to breakfast and soft drinks in Krasovsky's tent, and after spending some time in a friendly conversation with the Russian general, they returned to Shumla. Their retinue was also treated to other tents. The Turks enjoyed eating European-style food with great pleasure; from the drinks they especially liked the champagne, which out of decency was called the old sherbet in our country.
On the 11th, at the suggestion of the Supreme Vizier, Krasovsky with the generals and most of the officers of the corps entrusted to him was present at the training of the regular Turkish troops stationed in Shumla. Two battalions (taburs) of infantry, with two light guns for each, carried by people on shoulder straps, performed in turn almost all of the battalion exercises quite correctly and without errors, but slowly and awkwardly, while shooting from guns and guns was skillful and agile.
After the infantry training, the irregular cavalry, Delhi, showed the skill in throwing the jerite at a gallop and really showed the extraordinary dexterity and evasion of these desperate horsemen. The Supreme Vizier, wishing to express a special sign of his good disposition towards the Russians, took a personal part in this list, and being himself a famous rider, he showed exemplary dexterity and skill in the leadership of one of the Delibachi parties.
In Adrianople, at the request of the authorized Ports, the mediators of the concluded peace, to see the Russian troops, Count Dibich was also inspected, for which 8 infantry battalions, 3 artillery companies and one hussar regiment were appointed. This detachment was commanded by Lieutenant General Prince Gorchakov 2nd. And here the Turkish ambassadors could not marvel at the harmony of the movements of the Russian troops and the vigorous appearance of the soldiers after their two-year campaign.
After the cessation of hostilities, the first concern of the commander-in-chief was to equip the army with the reserves that had arrived and prepare the troops for the return to Russia. At the end of October, Major General Loshkarev, who was with a detachment in front of the Zhurzhey fortress, reported to Count Dibich that, according to the terms of a peaceful treatise, Kuchuk-Akhmet Pasha, who commanded there, cleared this fortress, surrendered it to the Russians, than from the Turkish government and the condition was fulfilled, obliging us uniformly to leave Adrianople. By the coming late autumn time, Count Diebitsch ordered all our troops, which were not yet placed in winter quarters, to follow to their winter locations, and he himself set out from Adrianople with the main apartment on the way back to Russia.
On the eve of the speech, the commander-in-chief sent a significant amount to the Adrianople Kaimakan Pasha for distribution to the poor. The next day, the most respectable inhabitants of Adrianople came to Count Dibich, expressing their gratitude for the generous treatment of the Russian troops, and in conclusion, they presented the plight of many families, which prompted the count to make a new manual.
At the very departure from Adrianople, Count Diebitsch said to General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, who was with him: “We must say goodbye to the hall (in Eski Sarai), where the peace was signed,” and they went there together. Glancing around the vast hall, Count Diebitsch, according to the rite of our church, put on the sign of the cross, and, after a moment's reflection, said: "Travelers will come here for a long time." Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky answered him: "The hall and the entire Eski-Saray will collapse, - history will remain." In these few words, we recognize the eloquent writer of everyday life of the exploits of Russian weapons. “I really wished,” Diebitsch added, “to sign peace on August 30, the day long celebrated by Russia, but the negotiations were not brought to an end, and I made peace on September 2, also a memorable day when 17 years before this Kutuzov ceded Moscow. What a tremendous change has taken place in our position since then! Then we gave away Moscow, and now in several transitions from Constantinople! " - Leaving the Eski-Sarai hall, Count Dibich ordered to remove from the wall and take into memory one of the numerous boards with the sayings of Alkoran. On this board was written in golden letters: "Everything in the world is vanity!"
After that, Count Diebitsch got on a horse and, accompanied by generals Berg, Obruchev, and Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, slowly left Adrianople, with which the brilliant memories of his military career were associated.
The inhabitants of the villages through which our troops passed, returning to Russia, greeted them with cordiality and regretted parting with their victors, remembering that under their protection they enjoyed freedom and inviolability of property; while they often happened to endure oppression from their fellow citizens. The stay of the Russian troops in the Balkans will probably be remembered for a long time by the native inhabitants. Not a single important complaint reached the commander-in-chief. Respect for religious rituals and payment in cash for all needs, taken from the inhabitants, our troops earned their full power of attorney; not only Bulgars, but also Muslims returned to their homes and continued their usual activities.
Once, while riding on horseback, to the outskirts of Adrianople, Count Diebitsch, passing by a Turkish cemetery, noticed that many tombstones were scattered in different sides... The count ordered General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, who was accompanying him, to dress up a team and a Turkish official with her to put the cemetery in order. And to the remark made by Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky that Napoleon did not act like that in Russia: he defiled and destroyed our churches, and we put sentries to mosques and fix Turkish cemeteries. “We learned how to fight from Alexander,” objected Graf Diebitsch. For the greater reassurance of the residents, the commander-in-chief ordered the issuance of security sheets. At the same time, wanting to inform everyone about the places that were under the protection of Russian weapons, Count Diebitsch ordered that in such villages a white banner be displayed on the elder's house, after which the inhabitants of that village, with all their property and fields, were considered inviolable. This measure, not violated by any hostile act on the part of the Russians, instilled in the inhabitants a great power of attorney to the security sheets - and they came in droves to Adrianople to receive these sheets. Often the general on duty had to sign several dozen such sheets a day. After the conclusion of peace, scientists and artists found shelter in Adrianople. Yy. Seger and Dezarno, who arrived beyond the Balkans, by the Highest permission, were engaged, the former - with archaeological research, and the latter - with the removal of views from places glorified by the recent victories of the Russians. Seger's works are published on French with engravings. Dezarneau's works have earned the approval of art lovers.
Before the start of the war, a geodetic detachment was formed under the army under the command of the General Staff of Colonel Ditmars. This detachment, in which there were about twenty officers (of the general staff and the corps of topographers), and a hundred topographers, was divided into two half companies. Each half-company had a special astronomical department, that is, two officers with several topographers and a full set of instruments needed both for determining latitude, longitude and deviation of the magnetic needle, and for barometric leveling. The first half company was supposed, following the army, to remove maps from the areas as our troops occupied them; the second was appointed for similar work in the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia.
Due to the speed of the army's movement and the vastness of the space occupied in 1828, the first half company could not follow the troops, but was mainly engaged in surveying the areas in the northern part of Bulgaria. Therefore, a special topographic detachment was formed at the headquarters under the command of the General Staff of the Guards Captain Baron der Hoven. This detachment continued its actions until the return of the main apartment to Russia (1830). The geodetic detachment was engaged in filming in Bulgaria until the final abandonment of this country by our troops, and in the principalities until 1833.
The detachment of Baron Hoven has removed a map of a significant part of Rumelia. Colonel Ditmars' geodetic detachment carried out the following works:
1) Completely removed maps of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, also part of Bulgaria. The directions of the connecting roads and communication routes were filmed with instruments; the spaces between the routes were replenished by eye.
2) Astronomically determined the latitude and longitude of all cities, fortresses and many other places in both principalities and in Bulgaria to Shumla and the Balkans.
3) Barometrically determined the elevation above the Black Sea in many places: a) Along the ridge of the Carpathian Mountains from the northern tip of Moldova to the Danube; b) in Moldova, Wallachia and Bessarabia; c) in Bulgaria to Ruschuk and Shumla; d) along the Balkan ridge from the sea to Shumla; e) along the course of the Danube River from Chernets to the confluence with the sea.
4) Determined the deviation of the magnetic needle in different locations principalities, also Bessarabia and Bulgaria.
5) Moreover, one of the officers of the detachment, Lieutenant Vronchenko, sent to the main apartment in the fall of 1829, astronomically determined the latitude and longitude of all cities in Rumelia, lying from the Balkans and the Black Sea to the south and west. Slivno, Karnabag, Demotka, Chorlu, Visa and Saray were the borderline of these observations. Another officer of the guards headquarters, Essen, made the same definitions of the most significant cities in Serbia.
The difficulties and obstacles with which our surveyors had to fight were innumerable. Even in the principalities, where, however, there were more amenities of life, in 1829 the plague raged heavily, and in 1830 cholera; not to mention the Moldavian fever, which did not spare anyone and anywhere. In Bulgaria, from the very beginning, the warriors abandoned by the inhabitants, tenants, exhausted from illness, wandered as in the desert, without any shelter and shelter, without any other food, except for a meager supply of rusks. In Rumelia, a country more or less populated almost everywhere, the severity of autumn and winter was felt by everyone. Despite all the obstacles and difficulties, the work of the surveyors went actively and successfully; - everyone worked to the last opportunity.
It would be superfluous to calculate here the successes of the memorable campaign of 1829 and the benefits brought about by this war in general; the above manifesto and the attached copies of the memorable Adrianople peace serve the best explanation of this. The most decisive and glorious feat of the 1829 campaign in European Turkey is, without a doubt, the passage through the Balkans. Ever since 1811, the unforgettable Kutuzov intended to invade Rumelia, but the idea set forth in the letter of this experienced leader to the Emperor Alexander was realized only in the successes of Dibich.
Kutuzov's instructions were as follows:
“Divide the entire army into three corps, which should not be concerned with having intercourse with each other, but each corps on its own should dispose by its actions according to the circumstances, to overcome all obstacles that might meet. 2) The first, or left corps, of 25,000 people should follow through Pravody, and after crossing the ridge of the Balkan Mountains, turn to Adrianople. This passage, at a known location, is the most convenient, for in two marches it will be possible to pass large gorges. By this movement Shumla and Chalykavak with their strong gorges will be bypassed. 3) The second, or middle corps, also of 25,000 people, should be located in front of Shumla on the roads from Silistria and Razgrad. If, due to the large number of garrison in Shumla, he will not be able to attack it, then he must carefully observe the enemy who was in it, so that, without losing time, follow the Turks, as soon as the roundabout movement of the first corps forces them to hasten to Adrianople. 4) The third, or right corps, up to 10 thousand people, although it cannot contribute to the main enterprise, however, showing a view of an attack from Nikopol, through Sofia, on the great Adrianople road, will bring considerable benefit in that it will detain those Turkish corps, which without this could follow to Adrianople. 5) Acting against the Turks with such rather strong corps, it is safe to go into the most courageous enterprises, even without having any communication with each other. The Turks, by their very nature, are not able to be so active as to suppress such separate parts by the speed of movement of the combined forces. Any unexpected or new action always brings them into such confusion that one cannot even imagine what mistakes they will fall into and how great our success will be. For this reason, against the Turks should not act with the bulk of forces in aggregate, as against the European troops. Against them, success does not depend on the crowd, but on the quickness and vigilance of the commanding general. Field Marshal Count Rumyantsev, who knew the Turks so well, used to say: if they managed to defeat our corps, which consisted of 25,000 people, then the 50,000-strong would have had the same fate. The main difficulty in this campaign will be the provision of the first corps. To avert this, you must have with you a large supply of crackers and use all possible benefits from the land.
Whether Count Dibich knew about this opinion of Kutuzov, for which we have no positive evidence, or the plan of his campaign of 1829 was inspired by the same considerations under certain circumstances, be that as it may, but in Kutuzov's assumptions we see an exact similarity of the principles that led Count Dibich. His army operated in three separate corps; he himself walked with the main column near Pravod to the Balkans; the corps of General Krasovsky stood near Shumla, and the army of General Kiselev kept the enemy in fear from Sofia. The thought of one great leader found in another a happy performer, according to the fate of the craft, with the lot of battles and peoples.
Meanwhile, one part of the Russian troops was returning to the Fatherland, and the other settled in winter quarters in Bulgaria and Moldavia, until the final fulfillment of the conditions of the Adrianople peace, Adjutant General Count Orlov went from Adrianople to Constantinople to personally hand over the Emperor's letter to the Sultan.
On November 23, the Sultan appointed an audience. At 9 o'clock in the morning, Count Orlov went to Ramis-Chiflik, accompanied by State Councilor Franchini, who was a translator, and two officers of the General Staff, Captain Kotsebue and the Pavlograd hussar regiment, Lieutenant Bakhmetev. The entire convoy of Count Orlov consisted of one hussar and one Cossack. Upon arrival in Ramis-Chiflik, where the Sultan was staying, Count Orlov was met by the Sultan's aide-de-camp, Avai Bey, who was waiting for him at the main entrance. The soldiers lined up along the road gave the count a military honor. Officers of various ranks and all kinds of weapons were crowded on the way. Entering the rooms of the seligdar-agha (the Sultan's sword-bearer), the count found Reis-Efendi there. After the first mutual greetings, the Turkish dignitary announced that the Porta considered it the duty of ordering the commanders in Adrianople to provide any allowance to the sick Russian soldiers who remained in this city, and completely placed at the disposal of the Russian barracks, in which the hospital was located. Count Orlov replied that the Sovereign Emperor would be very pleased to see his desire warned, and all that remained was to thank the Sultan's ministers. This explanation was interrupted by the Sultan's adjutant, Akhmet-bey, sent from His Highness to invite the count, and after that Reis-Efendi led him into the reception room. Count Orlov, bowing to the Ottoman Padishah in a European way, approached his throne, shaded with a canopy, and presented a letter from his Monarch. Reis-Efendi accepted the paper and, kneeling down, handed it over to the Sultan. When His Highness accepted the letter of the Sovereign Emperor, Count Orlov said that His Majesty, commanding him to hand the letter to His Highness as a guarantee of His affectionate feelings, made it his duty and verbally testify to His Majesty's desire for the eternal continuation of the peace concluded in Adrianople. Count Orlov added that after the restoration of the alliance between the two peoples, the Sovereign Emperor wants to enter into relations with the Sultan of personal affection based on mutual trust, and that such a friendly intention is one of the main goals of this embassy. The Sultan replied through reis-effendi that he gratefully accepts the Emperor's letter and the friendly feelings expressed in it, that after the conclusion of the peace, he does not cease to care about its preservation, and that the strictest fulfillment of all the conditions of the treatise will henceforth be the subject of his most sincere efforts. Count Orlov then presented to the Sultan what happy consequences for both peoples should be expected from this personal power of attorney between the Sovereigns, to which the Sultan replied that he had shown the Russian Emperor the best proof of his location by sending him to St. St. Petersburg Extraordinary Embassy. Count Orlov, having assured the Sultan that the appointment of Galil Pasha would be very pleasant to the Emperor, then expressed his gratitude for the excellent reception shown to him within the Turkish borders, and especially in Ramis-Chiflik, among, so to speak, the children of the Sultan, regular troops, them created by ourselves.
The Sultan, who at the beginning of the audience was important and gloomy, gradually revived, and said, among other things, to Mr. Franchini that he personally remembered him, and then entered into a conversation with Count Orlov directly, without the help of Reis Effendi. Taking advantage of this and wishing to turn the thought of the Sultan to a subject pleasant for him, Count Orlov again mentioned the regular Turkish troops, praised their good bearing and quick gains... The Sultan, gladly accepting the flattering review, added for his part that the count, he hoped, would be pleased with the flight effendi. After these words, which ended the audience, which lasted about an hour, Count Orlov bowed to the Sultan. After leaving the audience-hall, he again went to the rooms of the seligdar; he was followed there by Reis Effendi, Mustafa Bey, the private secretary and favorite of the Sultan, and almost all of the Sultan's adjutants. Here rais-effendi announced the desire of the Sultan that the count, before his departure, took one of the Sultan's horses, already saddled, which His Highness would give to the count as a testimony of his special favor to him. Count Orlov, having explained his gratitude for this new sign flattering attention of the Sultan, left Ramis-Chiflik about noon; on his departure, the same honors were given to him as he was received.
By describing the embassy of the Adjutant General Count Orlov, we conclude the story of the events of 1828 and 1829. Russia, with the triumph of its weapons, which shone menacingly before the gates of Constantinople, acquired a glorious world, and in all likelihood, one can hope that Russia's friendly relations with Turkey, established on the basis of solid and beneficial for our Fatherland, will not waver for a long time. History on its tablets will forever keep the memory of the fact that the banners of Emperor Nicholas fluttered victoriously under the walls of the Ottoman capital.
But when the triumph of magnanimity in the victor is higher than all the glory of victories, then undoubtedly one of the most brilliant pages in the history of our fatherland will be the one that will convey to centuries that, three and a half years after the Peace of Adrianople, the Russian Emperor, with his powerful participation, saved Turkey from the threatened danger of invasion. the troops of the outraged Egyptian Pasha. The Sultan did not hesitate to call for the help of his magnanimous victor, the Russian detachment entered the shore of the Bosphorus, and Count Orlov again appeared in Constantinople. His mere appearance protected the Sultan and averted the scourge of a bloody war from Turkey. The monument, erected on the shores of the Bosphorus at the behest of the Sultan, in honor of the Russian troops, will announce this to the most distant offspring.
Notes (edit)
Subsequently, at the request of the wife of the late Prince Madatov, his body, with the permission of the Sovereign Emperor, was transported to St. Petersburg and now rests in the Alexander Lavra.
