300 years ago, an event took place that is not too pleasant for a Russian to remember: the Prut campaign of Peter I ended in a crushing failure.
The history of this campaign and today can serve as a warning against hats and rampant expansionism.
Two years earlier, the victory at Poltava had raised Russia to the rank of great powers. The Swedish king Karl XII with a handful of associates fled to Turkey and sat there, according to historians, not wanting to return to his homeland, where his popularity fell below zero.
Military experts have no doubt: if Peter, after Poltava, launched an offensive in Finland or landed on the Swedish coast, the Landtag would have deposed the king and made peace on the basis of recognition of all Russia's conquests in the Baltic.
However, the tsar, elated with success, decided that nothing was impossible for him now, and set out to solve the "southern issue" at the same time. As a result, Russia lost in the Black Sea region all the acquisitions of Peter's predecessors and the achievements of his two Azov campaigns, and the war with Sweden dragged on for another 10 years.
Gigantic plans
Peter was sometimes denied a sense of reality.
In 1716, he sent 6100 soldiers and Cossacks under the command of the captain of the Preobrazhensky regiment Bekovich-Cherkassky with the task of conquering the Khiva and Bukhara khanates, and at the same time digging a channel from the Caspian Sea to the Amu Darya (all members of the expedition were killed by many times superior forces Khivans).
A year later, he went to Paris to propose his daughter Elizabeth as a wife to Louis XV, as if he did not understand that the marriage of the King of France with the daughter of a former laundress and a soldier's slut could not be discussed under any circumstances.
Having barely completed the war with Sweden, he began to plot a naval expedition to establish a colony in Madagascar, although the Russian fleet had only eight ships capable of leaving the Baltic into the ocean.
"The gigantic plans ripened in the head of the Russian emperor!" - admired the Soviet writer Nikolai Pavlenko, although they should have spoken, rather, about the gigantic scale of adventurism.
Empty promises
The formal reason for the war was the presence of Charles XII on Turkish territory, although the fact that he was away from his country and army was beneficial to Russia.
The Turks were not going to listen to the king's advice, because they respected only real strength and pursued exclusively their own interests, and they did not want to fulfill Peter's demands for his expulsion for reasons of prestige.
Military historians point out that Charles XII, planning a campaign against Russia, which ended in defeat at Poltava, made a complete set of all conceivable strategic mistakes: he attacked with insufficient forces, without providing communications; underestimated the opponent; did not organize reconnaissance; pinned fantastic hopes on his allies, who did not even think to seriously help.
Surprisingly, two years later, Peter repeated all these mistakes, as they say, one to one.
He set out with insufficient forces on an ill-prepared campaign, not really knowing the situation, being sure of the weakness of the Turks and relying on the help of the Romanians, Serbs and Montenegrins.
As Romanian historian Armand Goshu points out, immediately after Poltava, "delegations of Moldavian and Wallachian boyars began to knock the thresholds of St. Petersburg, asking the tsar to be swallowed up by the Orthodox empire."
The Lords of Wallachia [modern Romania] and Moldavia, Konstantin Brynkovianu and Dmitry Cantemir, promised as soon as Russia came forward to announce their withdrawal from Turkish citizenship, send an army of 30,000 to help Peter and provide Russian troops with food.
According to them, it turned out that the terrain in Moldova is ideal for conducting hostilities, there will be no problems with water and food, and the Turks are incapable of combat and are terrified of the Russians.
Having heard these tales, Peter wrote to Sheremetyev: “The Lords write that as soon as our troops enter their lands, they will immediately unite with them and all their numerous people will induce an uprising against the Turks; looking at what the Serbs (from whom we have the same request and promise), also the Bulgarians and other Christian peoples will rise up against the Turks, and some will join our troops, others will rise up against the Turkish regions; in such circumstances, the vizier will not dare to cross the Danube, most of his troops will scatter, and perhaps a riot will be raised. "
When the war began, Brynkovianu pretended that what was happening did not concern him. Kantemir, however, appeared in the camp of Peter (his descendants became Russian nobles), but brought only five thousand irregular cavalry, armed with bows and pikes.
In fact, the situation was repeated two years ago, only in the role of Mazepa was Kantemir, and in the role of Charles XII - Peter.
It was in 1711 that a long tradition of reckless, often to the detriment of its own interests, Russian support for the Balkan Orthodox "brothers" was laid, who either did not ask at all to save them from anyone else, or did not rush into battle, hoping to rake in the heat with Russian hands. Ended
it, as you know, was the First World War and the death of the empire created by Peter.
Short Campaign
The Russian army consisted of 79,800 bayonets and sabers and about 10,000 Cossacks with 160 guns. Field Marshal Sheremetyev and seven generals, including Bruce and Repnin, who distinguished themselves at Poltava, went on a campaign with Peter.
On June 27 (June 16 according to the old style) we crossed the Dniester. Then I had to go the waterless steppe, with exhausting heat during the day and cold nights. Diseases began to mow down the army. Some soldiers, having seized the water, drank themselves to death, others shot themselves, unable to bear the torment.
On July 14, the army reached the Prut. On July 17, a review was held, at which 19 thousand people were missing, and about 14 thousand had to be left to protect communications.
“The soldiers were black with thirst and hunger. Dying people lay in multitudes along the way, and no one could help their neighbor or save him, since no one had anything, ”recalled Rasmus Erebo, secretary of the Danish envoy Yust Yul who accompanied Peter on the campaign.
An army under the command of Grand Vizier Baltadzhi Mehmed Pasha and Crimean Khan Devlet-Giray II, numbering 190 thousand people with 440 guns, came out to meet Peter.
After three days of fighting, the superior forces of the Turks on July 21 pressed the Russian army to the Prut and surrounded it with a half-ring of earthen fortifications and artillery batteries. Peter, according to Erebo's recollections, "ran up and down the camp, beat himself in the chest and could not utter a word." Death or captivity seemed inevitable.
Everything but slavery
The tsar sent a messenger to St. Petersburg with a letter to the Senate not to carry out any instructions that he might have to give while in captivity, and to the Turkish camp - a dodgy diplomat Pyotr Shafirov.
A note by Pyotr Shafirov has survived: "Bet with them on everything except shklafism [slavery]."
He was ready to concede to the Swedes the previously conquered coast of the Baltic, except for his beloved "paradise", Petersburg, and even Pskov.
Fortunately for Russia, the Turks did not even think about defending Swedish interests. But they had to return Azov to them, tear down the fortresses of Taganrog and Kamenny Zaton, abandon the maintenance of warships on the Azov and Black Seas, and those already built at the Voronezh shipyards at the cost of incredible efforts and many lives were either burned or transferred to Turkey for insignificant compensation.
Russia was forced to declare non-interference in the affairs of Right-Bank Ukraine. In addition, she lost the right to have a permanent embassy in Istanbul, which was considered a great humiliation in those days.
It was only under Catherine that Russia managed to restore its positions in the Black Sea region.
The only concession on the part of the Turks was the promise to expel Charles XII from the country.
The negotiations took less than two days. Already on July 23, the treaty was sealed, and at six in the evening of the same day, the Russian army moved back with guns and banners.
The next day, Charles XII rode to the Turkish camp, attacking the vizier with angry reproaches and accusations of corruption. The Swedish king persuaded Mehmed Pasha to give him 30 thousand soldiers and swore that in the evening he would bring Peter with a rope around his neck.
The losses of the Turks and Tatars during the short-lived campaign amounted to about eight thousand people. Russians killed 37 thousand, of which only five thousand in battle.
Bought world
Historians find a prosaic explanation for the quick conclusion and relatively easy conditions of the treaty for Russia: Peter simply bought off the Turks.
For bribes to the grand vizier, dignitaries and even secretaries, Shafirov received a huge amount of 150 thousand rubles at that time.
Already in November 1711, the grand vizier was removed from power for corruption and subsequently executed. They remembered him, including the relationship with the Russians.
Mehmed Pasha claimed that he did not take any money and that it was probably Shafirov who pocketed it.
It is hard to believe in the unselfishness of the vizier, but there could be some truth in his words. Shafirov was famous for his enchanting embezzlement, for which he was later also sentenced to death (cutting off the head at the last moment was replaced by exile) - however, for cases that had nothing to do with the Prut campaign.
Bendery defense
Among historical figures, two categories stand out sharply: the successful pragmatists, about whom, as they say, songs cannot be made up, and the brave romantic madmen.
The most famous among the Swedish kings, Charles XII, with his character, lifetime and posthumous fate, resembled Richard the Lionheart.
Having lost everything that is possible and having died senselessly at the age of 35 during the siege of an insignificant Norwegian fortress, he remained a hero in the eyes of his contemporaries and descendants, and his portraits hung in the aristocratic houses of Europe for a long time.
After the Peace of Prut, Charles XII was playing for two more years, categorically refusing to leave Turkey.
When the authorities finally sent a military command to expel the king from the house he occupied in Bendery, he raised bodyguards, ordered to distribute muskets to the footmen, and together with his people fired back from the window until the Turks set fire to the house.
Then Karl, a great master of a spectacular pose and a good mine with a bad game, declared that he could not wait a day, since urgent matters were calling him to Sweden, and, driving horses, rode home, in which he had not been for 14 years.
Order in memory of the defeat
There is a legend that Peter's wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, who accompanied her spouse on the Prut campaign, bribed the Turks with her jewelry.
According to the trustworthy recollections of the participants in the events, both Russians and foreigners, she did not make such a sacrifice, but she kept herself with dignity, although she was seven months pregnant.
Under Peter, doubting the story of the jewels was highly discouraged.
"In memory of her Majesty's being in the battle with the Turks near the Prut, where at such a dangerous time, not like a wife, but like a man was visible to everyone," Peter established the women's order of St. Catherine, which was considered second in value after the Order of Andrew the First-Called. On the obverse of the medal badge was the motto "For Love and Fatherland", and on back side: "By work is compared with a spouse." Until 1917, they were awarded to the grand duchesses and princesses, as well as the wives of the highest dignitaries of the empire, called "ladies of the cavalry".
The establishment of the order was the only positive result of the Prut campaign.
Everyone knows about Poltava in Russia, about the Prut campaign - mostly history lovers.
This is probably wrong. They are proud of victories, but learn from defeats.
The article briefly describes the chronology of events and the results of the Prut campaign of Peter I during the Russian-Turkish war of 1710-1713.
Background
The result of the Battle of Poltava in 1709 was the crushing defeat of the detachments of the Swedish army of Charles XII. The king who fled to the Ottoman Empire took refuge in the Bender fortress. For 2 years, Charles XII negotiated with the Turkish Sultan to start a war against Russia. The hike began in the summer of 1711.
Goals and balance of power
The battle took place on the territory of modern Moldova, the rulers of which promised every assistance. At that time, Moldova wanted to become a subject of the Russian state. Unification was hampered by the lack of common borders. Peter I saw the goal of the Prut campaign to raise the revolt of the Christian vassals of the Danube against the Ottoman Empire.
The forces of Russia and Turkey were unequal. According to historical information - about 86 thousand people. against 190 thousand, 120 guns against 440. Russian troops were losing.
The troops were led by Peter I himself, together with his closest associate Sheremetyev.
Chronology of events
Bypassing Kiev, the army of Peter I reached the territory of Poland. On June 27, 1711, the troops continued to move towards the Prut River. Due to the poor organization of the campaign, in particular the lack of provisions, the Russian troops suffered the first losses due to dehydration.
1.07 - reaching the eastern bank of the Prut River, Peter's troops were attacked by the Crimean Khanate (280 people were lost).
6.07 - completion of the crossing. Dmitry Cantemir, the ruler of Moldova, joined the Russians.
July 14 - in order to protect the garrison, Peter I left 9 thousand people in the city of Yassy.
18.07 - the first blow of the enemy. But, despite the numerical superiority, due to weak weapons and the lack of infantry, the Turkish side had to retreat.
07.19 - the beginning of the encirclement of the troops of Peter I.
07.20 - A blow from the Turkish troops resulted in over 700 killed and 1,000 wounded. The Turkish side lost about 8 thousand people.
21.07 - a massive artillery attack by Russian troops.
Outcomes
The Sultan's troops faced strong resistance. But due to the haste and ill-considered details of the campaign, the Ottoman Empire gained the upper hand. The losses of Peter's troops at the beginning of the battles reached 37 thousand, of which only 5 thousand died in battle. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Peter I decided to offer to conclude peace. According to some reports, Catherine I, the emperor's wife, collected all her jewelry, as well as the jewelry of the wives of generals and officers, as a gift to the Turkish vizier, in the hope of a positive response to the peace proposal with minimal losses. Peter himself was ready for any agreement, except for the surrender of St. Petersburg.
On July 22, an agreement was signed, including the following conditions:
1. The Azov fortress passed to Turkey.
2. Russia had to destroy the Taganrog fortress, which served as protection in the Black Sea.
3. Russia was deprived of the right to interfere in the activities of Poland and the Cossacks of Zaporozhye.
4. Charles XII received an unhindered home pass.
5. Sheremetyev had to remain hostages of the Ottoman Empire until the return of Charles XII to Sweden.
In turn, the Turkish side provided the Russian soldiers with sufficient provisions to return to their homeland.
One of the reasons for the acceptance of the peace agreement by Turkey was the fear of the Sultan of the strengthening of the role of Sweden as a result of the defeat of the Russians. The refusal of Charles XII to leave the Bender fortress led to new conflicts and the continuation of the war.
During the Northern War in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, Russia inflicted a crushing defeat on the Swedish army of King Charles 12. The Swedish army was practically destroyed, and Charles 12 fled to Turkey. There he hid in the Bendery fortress (on the territory of modern Pridnestrovie) and for 2 years incline the Sultan Ottoman Empire to the war with Russia.
As a result, in 1711 the Sultan declared war on Russia. But military action was inactive. The Turks did not want a large-scale war, and limited their participation only by sending their vassals - the Crimean Tatars - on regular raids across the territory of modern Ukraine and Moldova. Peter the Great also did not want an active war, he just wanted to raise a peasant uprising against the Ottomans.
Many historians argue that Peter himself is to blame for the declaration of war. Because after the Battle of Poltava, the Swedish army was almost completely destroyed, and the Russian tsar did not pursue Charles 12, allowing him to freely leave the territory of the state.
The pursuit began only 3 days after the end of the battle, when precious time had already been lost and it was impossible to catch up with the enemy. This mistake was worth the fact that Karl 12, during 2 years of his stay in Turkey, was able to turn the Turkish sultan against Russia.
The Russian army, as well as the Moldovan corps, took part in this military campaign from the Russian side. The total number of troops was about 86,000 people and 120 guns.
On the part of the Ottoman Empire, the army of the Turks and the army of the Crimean Khanate took part in the war. The total strength of the enemy army was about 190,000 people and 440 guns.
Peter the Great for the Prut campaign transferred the army through Kiev to the territory of Poland. On June 27, 1711, the Russian army, under the leadership of Peter the Great, as well as his closest associate Sheremetev, crossing the Dniester River, began its movement towards the Prut River. This campaign lasted less than a week, but the poor quality of its organization led to the fact that this transition (during which there were no battles with the enemy) cost the lives of many Russian soldiers. The reason was the lack of supplies. The soldiers died from basic dehydration.
On July 1, Sheremetev's troops approached the eastern bank of the Prut and here they were suddenly attacked by the cavalry of the Crimean Tatars. After a short battle, 280 Russian soldiers were killed. The raid was repelled.
On July 6, Peter the Great ordered to cross the Prut River. After crossing the river, the Moldavian ruler Dmitry Cantemir joined the Russian army.
On July 14, the army united again. In the city of Yassy, 9,000 soldiers remained to protect the garrison. The rest of the army continued to participate in the campaign.
On July 18, the first battle in this campaign began. At 14:00, the Turkish army struck in the rear of the Russian army. Despite the numerical superiority, the Turkish troops were forced to retreat, as their offensive was disorganized. They had no artillery, and the infantry was poorly armed.
On July 19, the Turks began to encircle the Russian army. In the middle of the day, the Turkish cavalry made a complete encirclement, but did not go into the attack. Peter the Great decided to go upstream of the river in order to find a more convenient place to take battle. The movement began at night.
On July 20, during the movement in the Russian army, a significant gap was formed, which the Turks immediately took advantage of and struck a blow on the wagon train, which was left without cover. After that, the pursuit of the main forces began. Peter the Great took up defensive positions near the village of Stanilesti and prepared for battle. By the evening, large forces of the Turkish army, Crimean Tatars and Zaporozhye Cossacks began to pull up here. The battle began. The Turks could not defeat the Russians, their attack was repulsed. The losses of the Russian army during this battle amounted to 750 people killed and more than a thousand wounded. Turkish losses were even more significant, amounting to about 8,000 killed and wounded.
On July 21, the army of the Ottoman Empire began a massive shelling of the positions of the Russian army. In between shelling, the Russian positions were attacked by cavalry and infantry. Despite the enormous superiority of their army, the Turks could not break the resistance of the Russians. Peter the Great, realizing the hopelessness of the position of his army, proposed to conclude peace with the Turks at a military council. As a result, Shafirov was sent to the Turks, who was given the broadest powers of an ambassador.
The wife of Peter the Great, Catherine, gave all her jewelry to pass them on to the Turkish Sultan, prompting him to conclude peace. This proves once again that the position of the Russian army in this war was so difficult. Peter the Great himself, sending his ambassador, told him to agree to any terms of peace except one - the loss of St. Petersburg is unacceptable.
The negotiations between the parties on the conclusion of peace lasted two days. As a result, Peter's ambassadors returned on 22 July. The requirements were as follows:
Russia pledges to hand over the Azov fortress to Turkey;
the Taganrog fortress, erected to protect the outlet to the Black Sea, must be destroyed;
complete rejection of political and military interference in the affairs of Poland and the Zaporozhye Cossacks;
free pass of King Charles 12 to Sweden.
General of the Russian army, Sheremetyev, remained hostage by the Ottoman Empire until Charles 12 passed through the territory of Russia.
The Prut campaign was completed with the signing of a peace treaty on July 23, 1711. The signing of the agreement took place at 18:00, after which the Russian army withdrew to the city of Yassy, and then returned to Moscow through Kiev. As for Charles 12, he opposed this peace agreement, insisting that the Ottoman Empire continue the war.
“You fought with them. We have seen their prowess too. If you want to fight with Russia, fight on your own, and we conclude a peace treaty ”(Baltaji Mohmed Pasha)
The signing of the peace between Russia and Turkey was of great political significance, for the Russian tsar, being threatened with the complete destruction of his army, was able to conclude peace with diplomatic convictions. But one very significant amendment needs to be made - the signing of such a peace became permissible only because of Turkey's interest. The Sultan understood that the destruction of the Russian army would contribute to the rise of Sweden, which was also unacceptable.
Russia lost in one day everything that it had won over the years. The loss of the Black Sea Fleet was especially painful.
I. International context of the Prut campaign
1. Background. The Azov campaigns and the Peace of Constantinople.
II. Causes and the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1710 - 1713
III. The course of hostilities. The Prut campaign of Peter the Great in 1711
1. Preparing the hike. Allies. The alignment of forces.
2. Prut campaign.
3. Battle of Stanilesti.
4. Signing of the Prut Peace Treaty.
Conclusion
Prut Hike. 1711
I. The international context of the Prut campaigns.
The Prut campaign of Peter I cannot be viewed outside the context of international relations of the late 17th - early 18th centuries, in particular, outside the context of the development of Russian-Turkish relations and the Russian-Turkish war of 1710-1713.
1. Background. Azov campaigns in 1695, 1696
The Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696 - the military campaigns of Russia against the Ottoman Empire; were undertaken by Peter I at the beginning of his reign and ended with the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. They can be considered the first significant accomplishment of the young king. These military companies were the first step towards solving one of the main tasks facing Russia at that time - gaining access to the sea.
The choice of the southern direction as the first target was due at that time to several main reasons:
· The war with the Ottoman Empire seemed to be an easier task than the conflict with Sweden, which closed the access to the Baltic Sea;
· The capture of Azov would make it possible to secure the southern regions of the country from the raids of the Crimean Tatars;
· Russia's allies in the anti-Turkish coalition (Rzeczpospolita, Austria and Venice) demanded that Peter I start military operations against Turkey.
The first Azov campaign in 1695. It was decided to strike not at the Crimean Tatars, as in the campaigns of Golitsyn, but at the Turkish fortress of Azov. The route of travel has also been changed: not through the desert steppes, but along the regions of the Volga and Don.
In the winter and spring of 1695, transport ships were built on the Don: plows, sea boats and rafts to deliver troops, ammunition, artillery and food from the deployment to Azov. This can be considered the beginning, albeit imperfect for solving military tasks at sea, but - the first Russian fleet.
In the spring of 1695, the army in 3 groups under the command of Golovin, Gordon and Lefort moved south. During the campaign, Peter combined the duties of the first bombardier and the actual leader of the entire campaign.
The Russian army recaptured two fortresses from the Turks, and at the end of June laid siege to Azov (a fortress at the mouth of the Don). Gordon stood against the southern side, Lefort to the left of him, Golovin, with whose detachment the Tsar was also - to the right. On July 2, troops under the command of Gordon began siege work. On July 5, they were joined by the corps of Golovin and Lefort. On July 14 and 16, the Russians managed to occupy the watchtowers - two stone towers on both banks of the Don, above the Azov, with iron chains stretched between them, which blocked the way out to the sea for river vessels. This was in fact the highest success of the campaign. Two assault attempts were made (August 5 and September 25), but the fortress was not taken. The siege was lifted on 20 October.
Second Azov campaign in 1696. Throughout the winter of 1696, the Russian army was preparing for a second campaign. In January, a large-scale construction of ships was launched at the Voronezh shipyards and in Preobrazhenskoye. Disassembled galleys built in Preobrazhensky were delivered to Voronezh, assembled there and launched. In addition, engineering specialists were invited from Austria. More than 25 thousand peasants and townspeople were mobilized from the immediate vicinity for the construction of the fleet. 2 large ships, 23 galleys and more than 1,300 plows, barges and small ships were built.
The command of the troops was also reorganized. Lefort was put at the head of the fleet, the ground forces were entrusted to Generalissimo Shein.
An imperial decree was issued, according to which the slaves who joined the army received freedom. The land army doubled, reaching 70,000 men. It also included Ukrainian and Don Cossacks and Kalmyk cavalry.
On May 16, Russian troops again laid siege to Azov. On 20 May, Cossacks in galleys at the mouth of the Don attacked a caravan of Turkish cargo ships. As a result, 2 galleys and 9 small ships were destroyed, and one small ship was captured. On May 27, the fleet entered the Sea of Azov and cut off the fortress from sources of supply by sea. The approaching Turkish military flotilla did not dare to join the battle.
On June 10 and June 24, sorties of the Turkish garrison were repulsed, reinforced by 60,000 Tatars camped south of Azov, across the Kagalnik River.
On July 16, the preparatory siege work was completed. On July 17, 1,500 Don and part of the Ukrainian Cossacks rushed into the fortress without permission and settled in two bastions. On July 19, after prolonged artillery shelling, the Azov garrison surrendered. On July 20, the Lyutikh fortress, located at the mouth of the northernmost branch of the Don, also surrendered.
Already by July 23, Peter approved a plan for new fortifications in the fortress, which by this time had been severely damaged as a result of artillery shelling. Azov did not have a convenient harbor for the basing of the navy. For this purpose, a more successful place was chosen - Taganrog was founded on July 27, 1696.
The value of the Azov campaigns. The Azov campaign demonstrated in practice the importance of artillery and the fleet for the conduct of war. The preparation of the campaigns clearly demonstrated Peter's organizational and strategic abilities. For the first time, such important qualities as his ability to draw conclusions from failures and to gather strength for a second strike were manifested.
Despite the success, at the end of the campaign, the incompleteness of the achieved results became obvious: without the capture of Crimea, or at least Kerch, an exit to the Black Sea was still impossible. To keep Azov, it was necessary to strengthen the fleet. It was necessary to continue building the fleet and provide the country with specialists capable of building modern sea vessels.
On October 20, 1696, the Boyar Duma proclaims "Sea ships will be ..." This date can be considered the birthday of the Russian regular navy. An extensive shipbuilding program is approved - 52 (later 77) ships; new duties are being introduced to finance it.
The war with Turkey is not over yet, and therefore, in order to better understand the balance of power, find allies in the war against Turkey and confirm the already existing alliance - the Holy League, finally, to strengthen the position of Russia, the "Great Embassy" was organized.
Following the results of the Azov campaigns between Russia and Turkey, on July 3 (July 14), 1700, Peace Treaty of Constantinople.
Russia received Azov with the adjacent territory and newly built fortresses (Taganrog, Pavlovsk, Mius) and was exempted from the annual payment of tribute to the Crimean Khan. The part of the Dnieper region occupied by Russian troops with small Turkish fortresses, which were subject to immediate destruction, returned to Turkey. The parties pledged not to build new fortifications in the border zone, to prevent armed raids. Turkey was supposed to free Russian prisoners, as well as grant Russia the right to diplomatic representation in Constantinople on an equal footing with other powers. The treaty ensured Turkey's neutrality at the beginning of the Northern War. The treaty concluded for 30 years was respected until November 1710, when the Sultan declared war on Russia.
II ... Russian-Turkish war 1710 - 1713 and the place of the Prut campaign in it.
1. Causes and the beginning of the war.
The Prut campaign was the most important military event of the Russian-Turkish war of 1710-1713.
After the defeat of the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the Turkish government confirmed a peace treaty with Russia. At the same time, the ruling circles of Turkey sought to take revenge for the losses under the Peace Treaty of Constantinople in 1700 and to move the border with Russia further from the Black Sea.
During the siege of Poltava in 1709, Charles XII was wounded in the leg during a night journey. The inflammation began. The king handed over the command to Field Marshal Renschild. But, although he himself was carried on a stretcher, Charles XII tried to command the battle. A cannonball smashed the stretcher, the king was put on a horse and hastily carried off to the camp. Bleeding began. While the wound was being bandaged, the news came that the battle was over, and most of the officers and soldiers surrendered.
“In captivity, in captivity between the Russians !? Oh, then it is better to die between the Turks! Forward!". In the evening of the same day, the remnants of the army moved to the Dnieper, but here they were overtaken by Menshikov with the dragoons. The king had to run on, leaving the remnants of the army behind. The Cossacks put his carriage on two interconnected boats. They transported them to the right bank and carried them through their winter quarters across the scorching, waterless steppe. The names of the tracts have been preserved: "Swedish Balka", "Swedish Tomb". At the Bug River they were again overtaken by Russian dragoons. 900 Swedes remained in captivity. The remaining 500 with their king managed to sail away. Here is everything that has survived from the best army in Europe.
The Turks greeted Charles XII with honor. They were escorted to Bendery, put on full allowance. From all sides his soldiers ran to Karl, scattered after the battle of Poltava. Poles came, Cossacks - only about 2 thousand. Karl set up a camp on the banks of the Dniester, fortified it. He bribed Turkish ministers, turning the khan against Russia. Charles was greatly supported by his attorney in Constantinople, Count Poniatowski. French historian Georges Oudart called the escape of Charles XII Peter's "irreparable mistake".
Realizing his mistake, Peter I entered into an agreement with Turkey to expel Charles XII from Turkish territory, but the mood at the Sultan's court changed - the Swedish king was allowed to stay and pose a threat to the southern border of Russia with the help of part of the Ukrainian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars.
Seeking the expulsion of Charles XII, Peter I began to threaten Turkey with war, but in response on November 20, 1710, the Sultan himself declared war on Russia.
The Crimean Khan Vassal of Turkey, Devlet-Girey, was ordered to prepare for the campaign. The Russian envoy Tolstoy was imprisoned in the Seven Towers Castle.
The real reason for the war was the capture of Azov by Russian troops in 1696 and the appearance of the Russian fleet in the Sea of Azov.
The outbreak of the war with Turkey dramatically complicated the position of Russia, since the war with Sweden was still ongoing.
The war on the part of Turkey, however, was initially limited to the winter raid of the Crimean Tatars, vassals of the Ottoman Empire, into Ukraine.
The war plan of the Russian command took into account the situation in the European possessions of Turkey. The peoples of the Balkan Peninsula, who were under the Turkish yoke, have long pinned their hopes for their liberation on the victorious war of Russia against Turkey. According to the Romanian historian Armand Grossu, "the delegations of Moldavian and Wallachian boyars pounded the thresholds of St. Petersburg, asking the tsar to be swallowed up by the Orthodox empire ..."
The leaders of the Serbs, as well as the rulers of Moldova and Wallachia, maintained ties with Russia. Therefore, the Russian command decided to wage an offensive war, hoping that in the Turkish provinces the population rebelling against the Turks would support the Russian army and supply food.
III ... The course of hostilities. The Prut campaign of Peter the Great.
1. Preparing the hike. Allies. The alignment of forces.
The enemy is Turkey, the Crimean Khanate.
Allies - Poland, Moldavia, Wallachia, Serbia.
In early January 1711, the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey invaded Russia and penetrated as far as Kharkov, but after several unsuccessful skirmishes with the Russians, he returned to Crimea.
On the other hand, the Budzhak Tatars and the Poles hostile to King Augustus, having crossed the Dniester at Bendery, devastated the country from Nemirov to Kiev; but attacked by the Russian detachments standing on the border, under the command of Sheremetev, they fled to Bessarabia.
This failure of the first actions against the Russians aroused the suspicion of the supreme vizier Baltaji Pasha against Devlet-Giray and the Moldovan ruler Kantemir, patronized by him.
The latter, fearing the intrigues of his enemy, Konstantin Brankovan (Brynkovianu), ruler of the Wallachian, and seeing how impatiently the entire Christian population awaited the arrival of the Russians, decided to go over to the side of the Russians.
Brankovan, who as early as 1709 established relations with Russia, feignedly followed his example. Brankovan promised to provide our army with abundant supplies of life, and, in addition, to support it with 30 thousand of his own troops and 20 thousand Serbs.
Peter I, having learned about the Tatars' raid and about the imprisonment of the ambassador, was not slow to set out on a campaign. January 18 1711 G., at a council convened by him, he expressed the opinion that it is most profitable to go directly to the Danube in order to prevent the enemy from invading Moldova.
It was not possible to draw the speech of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into the Turkish war. However, the Polish king Augustus set aside 30 thousand people for this campaign.
The Russian army considered in its ranks 30-40 thousand. Peter considered these forces more than sufficient. An agreement with the Orthodox Moldavian ruler Cantemir (according to which Moldova was given under the patronage of Russia) was signed on April 13; however, Kantemir himself still hesitated to openly take the side of the Russians and decided to do so only when Sheremetev, who approached the Dniester, sent a 4,000-strong auxiliary Russian detachment to Yassy. Moving forward, Sheremetev, with 15 thousand troops, on June 5 approached the village of Chechora, on the Prut River.
At the same time, the Turkish army was approaching Isakce and built a bridge over the Danube; but the grand vizier hesitated to cross, frightened by rumors about the large number of Russians and about the transition of the Moldovans to their side.
Kantemir, accompanied by several boyars, came to Sheremetev, who received him with all kinds of honors, and promulgated a manifesto, with which he called on the Moldovans to arm themselves. After 2 weeks, 17 colonels and 176 company commanders were already in the service, but the personnel of the Moldovan companies (100 people each), for the shortness of time, were not yet in full complement. Soon, however, some of the Moldovans betrayed the common cause: so the boyar Lupa, who was entrusted by Cantemir with the purchase of supplies for the Russian army, told Sheremetev false rumors about the Turks, and the Grand Vizier was encouraged to cross the Danube due to the small number of Russians and the lack of food they endured.
Peter I was still in Yaroslav (in Galicia), awaiting the arrival of the Polish auxiliary army, with which King August promised to join the Russians at the Prut. Indeed, 30 thousand Poles, under the command of General Sinyavsky, set out on a campaign; but, having reached the borders of Moldavia, they refused to go further, waiting for the solution between the Russians and the Turks. This also stopped the 12-thousandth detachment of Prince Dolgorukov Sr., which was supposed to act jointly with the Poles.
In his notes, Brigadier Moro de Brazet counted 79,800 in the Russian army before the start of the Prut campaign: 4 infantry divisions (generals Allart, Densberg, Repnin and Weide) 11,200 soldiers each, 6 separate regiments (including 2 guards and artillerymen) totaling 18 thousand, 2 cavalry divisions (generals Janus and Rennes) 8 thousand dragoons each, a separate dragoon regiment (2 thousand).
The staffing of the units is given, which, as a result of the transitions from Livonia to the Dniester, has significantly decreased. The artillery consisted of 60 heavy guns (4-12 pounders) and up to a hundred regimental guns (2-3 pounders) in divisions. The irregular cavalry numbered about 10 thousand Cossacks, which were joined by up to 6 thousand Moldovans.
The route of the Russian troops was a line from Kiev through the Soroki fortress (on the Dniester) to the Moldavian Yassy through the territory of friendly Poland (part of modern Ukraine) with the crossing of the Prut.
2. Prut campaign.
Finally, our main army, already very exhausted by the march from Riga to the Dniester, approached the theater of military operations. With a part of the troops less tired, Peter, June 20 , crossed the Dniester. At the military council he immediately assembled, a letter from Cantemir was read, begging for a possible hasty offensive and assuring that 30 thousand Russian and Moldovan troops were enough to stop the Turks.
Meanwhile, the news was received about the betrayal of Brankovan, who, frightened by the proximity of the Grand Vizier, retreated from the Russians, stopped supplying them with food and informed the enemy about their plans of action.
At first, Peter was perplexed about what to do, but nevertheless proposed to speed up the transitions, not waiting for reinforcements from Russia. All the generals were of the same opinion, with the exception of Gallard, who noticed that the Russian army was now in almost the same position as Charles XII was in when he entered Little Russia.
The tsar did not heed his reasonable arguments: the troops were moved forward and on June 24 arrived at Zagarancha, on the bank of the Prut, and then went down the left bank of the river to Chechora, where they united with Sheremetev's detachment. Peter, meanwhile, traveled to Iasi, where he received an enthusiastic welcome.
In addition to the troops that reached the Prut, in the southern regions of Russia there were at that time 2 more significant armies intended for operations against the Crimea and Ochakov. Large reinforcements could be drawn from them; but this was not done.
Inadvertently relying on the promises of imaginary allies, Peter went deep into Moldova, having only 30-40 thousand regular troops, about 9 thousand Cossacks and 7 thousand Moldovans, with 62 guns. Yes, and these troops were extremely tired, suffered a shortage of everything, and their movement was hampered by huge carts.
When crossing the Dniester, the troops were divided into 5 divisions, of which the 1st was commanded by Peter himself, the 2nd - General Veide, the 3rd - Prince Repnin, the 4th - General Gallard, the 5th - General Renzel; the dragoon corps of General Rennes, sent to destroy Turkish stores along the Dniester, could no longer join the main forces. Sultan Ahmed III, learning about the approach of the Russians and fearing a general uprising of all his Christian subjects, offered Peter peace, pledging to cede all the lands to the Danube; but these proposals were rejected, and the tsar sent General Rennes, with almost all his cavalry, and a detachment of infantry, under the command of Brigadier Krapotkin, to capture Brailov. After a 3-day siege, Brailov was taken, but a report about this was intercepted and delivered to the vizier, who, meanwhile, crossed the Danube with a huge army and quickly approached Iasi along the left bank of the Prut.
Learning about the offensive of the Turks, Peter moved his troops to the right bank of the Prut and divided them into 3 corps, moving at a distance of 2 miles one after the other. General Janus, who commanded the vanguard, was instructed to destroy the bridges built by the enemy across the Prut at Gura-Sarachia, but the Turks warned him and he, by order of Peter, retreated to Sheremetev's corps.
At dawn the next day ( July 8 ) the Turks followed our troops and drove their advance detachment (half of Moldavians) from the position they occupied near the Balta-Prutecului swamp. Since on that day the rear corps of Prince Repnin could not keep up with the connection with the other troops, Peter, during the night, retreated to get closer to him, and July 9 In the early morning, all our corps united near the village of Stanileshti, where they settled down in a huge rectangle, the rear face of which was covered by the river. This position was strengthened whenever possible.
3. Battle of Stanilesti.
At about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the army rested its extreme right flank on the Prut River and stopped for defense near the town of Stanilesti (about 75 km south of Yass). On the opposite eastern steep bank of the Prut, the Tatar cavalry and allied Zaporozhye Cossacks appeared.
Light artillery approached the Turks, which began to fire at the Russian positions. At 7 o'clock in the evening, the Janissaries attacked the location of the Allart and Janus divisions, which were moving forward somewhat according to the terrain. The Turks, repulsed by rifle and cannon fire, lay down behind a small hill. Under cover of gunpowder smoke, 80 grenadiers pelted them with grenades. The Turks counterattacked, but were stopped by rifle volleys on the line of slingshots.
The Polish general Poniatowski, a military adviser to the Turks, personally observed the battle:
« The Janissaries ... continued to advance without waiting for orders. Emitting wild screams, calling out to God by their custom with repeated shouts of "alla", "alla", they rushed to the enemy with sabers in their hands and, of course, would have broken through the front in this first powerful attack, if not for the slingshots that the enemy threw in front of them. At the same time, the strong fire almost point-blank not only cooled the ardor of the Janissaries, but also confused them and forced them to a hasty retreat. Kegaya (that is, the assistant to the grand vizier) and the chief of the janissaries cut the fugitives with sabers and tried to stop them and put them in order ».
Brigadier Moro de Brazet, who was not at all treated kindly in the Russian service, nevertheless left such a comment on the behavior of Peter I at a critical moment in the battle: “ I can testify that the king did not take care of himself any more, as did the bravest of his warriors. He was carried around everywhere, spoke to generals, officers and privates in a gentle and friendly manner, often asking them about what was happening at their posts. » .
Despite the overwhelming superiority of the Turkish forces, all attacks were repulsed. This success, however, could not improve the situation.
On the night 10 july, the number of the enemy reached 200 thousand. The Turks, having surrounded our camp with trenches and built batteries on the heights and on the opposite bank of the river, acquired the ability to take away from our army (no more than 31 thousand infantry and 6½ thousand cavalry) not only the possibility of retreat, but even water. About 160 guns continuously fired at the Russian positions. The Janissaries launched an attack, but were again repulsed with losses. The situation of the Russian army became desperate, there was still ammunition, but the supply was limited. There was not enough food before, and if the siege was delayed, the troops would soon face hunger. There was no one to wait for help. Many officers' wives cried and howled in the camp, Peter I himself at times came to despair, “ ran up and down the camp, beat himself in the chest and could not utter a word ».
Aware of the hopelessness of his position, Peter wrote a letter to the Senate, ordering: if he falls into captivity to the Turks, do not honor him as a sovereign and do not even carry out his own orders.
At the morning military council, Peter I with the generals decided to offer peace to the Turkish Sultan; in case of refusal to burn the train and break through " not on the stomach, but on death, without mercy on anyone and asking no mercy from anyone". A trumpeter was sent to the Turks with a proposal for peace. Vizier Baltaci Mehmed Pasha, without answering Russian proposal, ordered the Janissaries to resume their attacks. However, they, having suffered great losses on this and the previous day, became agitated and raised a murmur that the sultan wanted peace, and the vizier was sending the janissaries to slaughter against his will.
Sheremetev sent the second letter to the vizier, in which, in addition to a repeated offer of peace, there was a threat to go into a decisive battle in a few hours if there was no answer. The Vizier, having discussed the situation with his military leaders, agreed to conclude a truce for 48 hours and enter into negotiations.
To the Turks from the besieged army, a highly empowered vice-chancellor Shafirov was appointed with translators and assistants. Negotiations have begun.
On the next day, circumstances suddenly changed: the Turks expressed their readiness to make peace, and the army was saved. This event is explained in different ways. According to some sources, the vizier was bribed with the help of jewelry belonging to Catherine I; according to others, he was forced into this by a revolt of the Janissaries.
4. Signing of the Prut Peace Treaty. Results of the Prut campaign.
One way or another, but 11 july 1711 g. a preliminary agreement was concluded, and 12 July 1711 signed Prut Peace Treaty... Its conditions were easier than those for which Peter I was ready.
- The return of Azov to the Turks is in its previous state.
- The devastation of Taganrog and other cities on the lands conquered by the Russians around the Sea of Azov (fortresses: Troitskaya, Taganrog and other fortifications on the Don and Dniester had to be demolished).
- Refusal to interfere in Polish and Cossack (Zaporozhye) affairs.
- Free admission of the Swedish king to Sweden and a number of non-essential conditions for merchants. Until the terms of the agreement are fulfilled, Vice-Chancellor Shafirov and the son of Field Marshal B.P. Mikhail Borisovich Sheremeteva were to remain in Turkey as hostages.
The peace treaty was sealed, and already at 6 pm the Russian army marched out from its positions in battle formation.
In vain, Ponyatovsky, the Crimean Khan and Charles XII himself, who rode to the Turkish camp, tried to prevent the conclusion of a peace treaty; the vizier did not listen to them and even dispatched a special official to observe so that the Tatar detachments would not disturb our army on its return journey.
On August 1, 1711, the Russian army crossed the Dniester, marking the end of the Prut campaign. Russia has fulfilled the terms of the agreement.
Conclusion
The losses of the Russian army as a result of the Prut campaign are not exactly known. There is only one official figure, stating that the troops in the Prut campaign for the end of June and July lost 27,285 people killed and also dead from heat, thirst, lack of food and disease.
Finally, relations between Istanbul and Moscow were settled by the Andrianopol Peace Treaty, signed on July 24, 1713. Russia was unable to gain a foothold on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas. Russia solved this problem during the reign of Catherine II.
Literature
1. Krasikov A.V. Unknown War of Peter the Great. - SPb., 2005
2. Molchanov N. N. Diplomacy of Peter the Great. - M., 1986.
3. Pavlenko N. I. Peter the Great. - M .: Thought, 1990
4. Pushkin A.S. History of Peter I. Sobr. Op. in 10 vols. T. 10.
5. Stati V. History of Moldova. - Chisinau, 2002.
6. Prut campaign /http://dic.academic.ru
Chefov N. Battles of Russia. - Moscow: "Military-Historical Library", 2002. P. 132.
The best that history can give us is the enthusiasm it generates.
Goethe
The Prut campaign took place in July 1711, when a confrontation took place on the territory of modern Moldova within the framework of the war between Russia and Turkey. The results of this war were negative for Peter. Indeed, as a result, the Azov fortress had to be surrendered in Turkey, which had been previously conquered by Russian troops and turned into an important naval Black Sea base.
Briefly about the background of the campaign
In 1709, Russia, within the framework of the Northern War, inflicted a crushing defeat on the Swedish army of King Charles 12. As a result of the Battle of Poltava, the Swedish army was almost completely destroyed, and Charles 12 fled to Turkey. Here he took refuge in the Bendery fortress (the territory of modern Transnistria) and for two years persuaded the Turkish Sultan to the need for a war against Russia. As a result, in 1711 Turkey declared war on Russia. However, hostilities developed inactively. Turkey did not want a large-scale war, and limited its participation only by sending its vassals - the Crimean Khanate - to regular raids into the territory of modern Ukraine and Moldova. Peter 1 also did not want an active war, he set the goal of his Southern campaign - raising a peasant uprising against the Ottomans.
Many historians blame Peter for the fact that his omissions made this war possible. Indeed, after the Battle of Poltava, during which the Swedish army was almost completely destroyed, the Russian tsar did not pursue Charles 12, calling him to leave the country without hindrance. The pursuit began only three days after the end of the battle, when time had already been lost and it was impossible to catch up with the enemy. This miscalculation was worth the fact that Karl 12, during his two years in Turkey, managed to turn the Turkish sultan against Russia.
The balance of forces and means
From the Russian side, the Russian army took part, as well as the Moldovan corps. The total number of troops was about 86 thousand people with 120 guns.
From Turkey's side, the Ottoman army took part in the war, as well as the army of the Crimean Khanate. The total number of the army was about 190 thousand people with 440 guns.
Chronology of the Prut campaign
Peter 1 for the Prut campaign sent the army through Kiev to the territory of Poland, bypassing the fortress Soroka, on the banks of the Dniester. On June 27, 1711, the Russian army, led by Peter the Great, as well as his closest associate Sheremetev, crossed the Dniester River and began its movement towards the Prut River. This campaign lasted less than a week, but its weak organization led to the fact that this transition (during which there were no direct clashes with the enemy) cost the lives of many Russian soldiers. The reason is the lack of supplies. The soldiers died from simple dehydration.
Further events developed as follows:
- On July 1, Sheremetev's troops reached the eastern bank of the Prut. At that moment, the cavalry of the Crimean Khanate unexpectedly attacked them. As a result of the fleeting battle, 280 soldiers died. The raid was repulsed.
- On July 3, the army continued to move along the river and approached the city of Iasi.
- On July 6, Peter 1 gave the order to force the Prut River. After the crossing, the Moldavian ruler Dmitry Cantemir joined the Russian army.
- On July 8, the Russian army split up in order to be able to provide its own food in this land.
- On July 14, the army united again. In the city of Yassy, 9 thousand people remained to protect the garrison. The rest of the army continued to participate in the campaign.
- On July 18, the first battle of this campaign took place. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the Ottoman army struck at the rear of the Russian army. Despite the numerical superiority, the Turkish troops were forced to retreat, since their offensive was not prepared. They had no artillery at all, and the infantry had weak weapons.
- On July 19, the Turks began to encircle the Russian army. In the middle of the day, the Turkish cavalry made a complete encirclement, but did not go into the attack. Peter I decided to go upstream of the river, in search of a more convenient place to take the battle. The movement began at the beginning of the night.
- On July 20, during the movement in the Russian army, a large gap was formed, which the Turks immediately took advantage of, to strike at the wagon train, which was left without cover. After that, the pursuit of the main forces began. Peter the Great took up defensive positions near the village of Stanilesti and prepared for battle. By five o'clock in the evening, large forces of the Turkish army, Crimean Tatars, Zaporozhye Cossacks came here. The battle began at seven o'clock in the evening. The Turks failed to defeat the enemy, their attack was repulsed. The total losses of the Russian army during this battle amounted to 750 killed and over 1000 wounded. Turkish losses were even more significant, and amounted to about 8 thousand people killed and wounded.
- On July 21, a massive artillery bombardment of the positions of the Russian army began. In the intervals between shelling, the position of the army was attacked by cavalry and infantry. Despite the clear advantage of the Turkish army and their allies, they could not break the resistance in any way. Peter 1, realizing the hopelessness of the situation, proposed at the military council to conclude a peace treaty with the Turks. As a result, Shafirov was sent to the Turks, who was endowed with the broadest powers of an ambassador.
The wife of Peter 1, Catherine, collected all her jewelry to give them to the Turkish sultan, prompting him to conclude peace. This once again proves how disastrous the situation of the Russian army was. Peter 1 himself, sending his ambassador, told him to agree to any terms of peace except one: the loss of St. Petersburg is unacceptable.
Historical reference
Prut Peace Treaty
Negotiations between the parties on the conclusion of peace were shaved for 2 days. As a result, Peter's envoys returned on 22 July. They voiced the following demand for a Prut peace, which was put forward by the Turkish Sultan:
- Russia pledges to hand over the Azov fortress to Turkey.
- The Taganrog fortress, which was built to protect the Russian outlet to the Black Sea, must be destroyed.
- Complete rejection of political and military interference in the affairs of Poland and the Zaporozhye Cossacks.
- Free pass of King Charles 12 to Sweden.
- Sheremetev, as a general of the Russian army, remained hostage to Turkey until Karl 12 left the territory of Russia.
The Prut campaign was completed by the signing of the peace treaty on July 23, 1711. The signing took place at six o'clock in the evening, after which the Russian army went to the city of Yassy, and then to Moscow through Kiev. As for Charles 12, he opposed this peace agreement, insisting that the Turkish Sultan continue the war.
You fought with them. We have seen their prowess too. If you want to fight with Russia - fight on your own, and we conclude a peace treaty.
Baltaji Mohmed Pasha
Effects
The signing of peace between Russia and Turkey was of great political importance, since the Russian tsar, facing the threat of the complete destruction of his army, managed to conclude peace with diplomatic convictions. This is how most historians summarize the Prut campaign. However, one very significant amendment should be made - the signing of such a peace became possible only due to Turkey's interest. The Sultan understood that the destruction of the Russian army would contribute to the rise of Sweden, which was also unacceptable.
The general results of the Prut campaign can be summarized as follows:
- In 1 month Russia lost everything that it had won over the years. The loss of the Black Sea Fleet was especially painful.
- The total losses from the army of Peter amounted to 37 thousand people. However, only 5,000 of them were killed in action.
Karl 12, who by this time continued to be in the Bender fortress, refused to leave the territory of Turkey. This led to a new conflict between Russia and Turkey, which resulted in a new war, declared in 1712. This war lasted two years, but there were no major battles.
Literature
- History of Russia 19th century. P.N. Zyryanov. Moscow, 1999 "Education"
- Dmitry Kantemir as an ally of Peter 1. Gusterin P.V.