Many contemporaries are convinced that in the past historians paid little attention to such an event as the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Briefly, but as accessible as possible, we will discuss this episode in the history of Russia. After all, he, like any war, in any case will leave a mark on the history of the state.
Let's try to analyze such an event as the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878, briefly, but as clearly as possible. First of all, for ordinary readers.
Russian-Turkish War 1877–1878 (briefly)
The main opponents of this armed conflict were the Russian and Ottoman Empires.
Many important events took place during it. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 (briefly described in this article) left a mark on the history of almost all participating countries.
Abkhazian, Dagestanian and Chechen rebels, as well as the Polish Legion, were on the side of Porta (an acceptable name for the history of the Ottoman Empire).
Russia, in turn, was supported by the Balkans.
Causes of the Russian-Turkish war
Firstturn, we will analyze the main causes of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878 (briefly).
The main reason for starting the war was a significant increase in national consciousness in some Balkan countries.
This kind of public sentiment was associated with the April Uprising in Bulgaria. The cruelty and ruthlessness with which the Bulgarian rebellion was suppressed forced some European countries (especially the Russian Empire) to show sympathy for the Christians in Turkey.
Another reason for the outbreak of hostilities was the defeat of Serbia in the Serbian-Montenegrin-Turkish war, as well as the failed Constantinople Conference.
The course of the war
Next, I propose to consider the course of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878 (briefly).
On April 24, 1877, the Russian Empire officially declared war on Porte. After the solemn parade in Chisinau, Archbishop Pavel read out the manifesto of Emperor Alexander II at a prayer service, which spoke of the beginning of hostilities against the Ottoman Empire.
In order to avoid the intervention of European states, the war had to be carried out "quickly" - in one company.
In May of the same year, the troops of the Russian Empire were introduced into the territory of the Romanian state.
Romanian troops, in turn, began to take an active part in the conflict on the side of Russia and its allies only three months after this event.
The militarythe reform carried out at that time by Emperor Alexander II.
The Russian troops included about 700 thousand people. The Ottoman Empire had about 281 thousand people. Despite the significant numerical superiority of the Russians, the possession and equipping of the army with modern weapons was a significant advantage of the Turks.
It is worth noting that the Russian Empire intended to spend the entire war on land. The fact is that the Black Sea was completely under the control of the Turks, and Russia was allowed to build its ships in this sea only in 1871. Naturally, it was impossible to raise a strong flotilla in such a short time.
This armed conflict was fought in two directions: in Asia and Europe.
European Theater of Operations
As we mentioned above, with the outbreak of the war, Russian troops were brought into Romania. This was done to eliminate the Danube fleet of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the Danube crossings.
The river flotilla of the Turks could not resist the actions of enemy sailors, and soon the Dnieper was forced by Russian troops. This was the first significant step towards Constantinople.
The next stage in the advance of the Russian troops was the siege of Plevna, which began on July 20, 1877.
Despite the fact that the Turks were able to briefly delay the Russian troops and get time to strengthen Istanbul and Edirne, they could not change the course of the war. Due to the inept actions of the military command of the Ottoman Empire, Plevna 10December capitulated.
After this event, the active Russian army, which at that time numbered about 314 thousand soldiers, was preparing to go on the offensive again.
At the same time, Serbia resumes hostilities against the Porte.
December 23, 1877, a raid through the Balkans is carried out by a Russian detachment, which at that moment was under the command of General Romeiko-Gurko, thanks to which Sofia was occupied.
On December 27-28, there was a battle at Sheinovo, in which the troops of the Southern Detachment participated. The result of this battle was the encirclement and defeat of the 30,000th Turkish army.
On January 8, the troops of the Russian Empire, without any resistance, took one of the key points of the Turkish army - the city of Edirne.
Asian theater of operations
The main tasks of the Asian direction of the war were to ensure the security of their own borders, as well as the desire of the leadership of the Russian Empire to break the focus of the Turks exclusively on the European theater of operations.
The origin of the Caucasian company is considered to be the Abkhazian rebellion that took place in May 1877.
About the same time, Russian troops leave the city of Sukhum. It was only in August that he was brought back.
During the operations in Transcaucasia, Russian troops captured many citadels, garrisons and fortresses: Bayazit, Ardagan, etc.
In the second half of the summer of 1877, hostilities were temporarily "frozen" for the reason that both sides were inwaiting for reinforcements to arrive.
Starting in September, the Russians adopted siege tactics. So, for example, the city of Kars was taken, which opened the victorious path to Erzerum. However, his capture did not take place due to the conclusion of the San Stefano peace treaty.
The conditions of this truce, in addition to Austria and England, were also dissatisfied with Serbia and Romania. It was believed that their merits in the war were not appreciated. This was the beginning of the birth of a new - Berlin - Congress.
Results of the Russian-Turkish war
The final stage will sum up the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878 (briefly).
The borders of the Russian Empire expanded: more specifically, Bessarabia, which was lost during the Crimean War, re-entered it.
In exchange for helping the Ottoman Empire defend itself against the Russians in the Caucasus, England deployed its troops on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Russian-Turkish War 1877–1878 (briefly reviewed by us in this article) played a big role in international relations.
It gave rise to a gradual move away from the confrontation between the Russian Empire and Great Britain, for the reason that the countries began to focus more on their own interests (for example, Russia was interested in the Black Sea, and England was interested in Egypt).
Historians and the Russo-Turkish War 1877–1878. Briefly, in general terms, we characterize the event
Despitethe fact that this war is not considered as a particularly significant event in the history of the Russian state, a considerable number of historians have been studying it. The most famous researchers, whose contribution was noted as the most significant, are L. I. Rovnyakova, O. V. Orlik, F. T. Konstantinova, E. P. Lvov, etc.
They studied the biographies of the participating commanders and military leaders, significant events, summed up the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878, briefly described in the presented publication. Naturally, all this was not in vain.
Economist A. P. Pogrebinsky believed that the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878, which briefly and quickly ended with the victory of the Russian Empire and its allies, had a huge impact primarily on the economy. The accession of Bessarabia played an important role in this.
According to the Soviet politician Nikolai Belyaev, this military conflict was unfair, carrying an aggressive nature. This statement, according to its author, is relevant both in relation to the Russian Empire and in relation to the Port.
It can also be said that the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878, briefly described in this article, first of all showed the success of the military reform of Alexander II, both organizationally and technically.
