Storming of Giurgiu (1771)
| Storming of Giurgiu (1771) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
 Russian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Mehmed Pasha |
Wilhelm von Essen Ivan Gudovich (WIA) Pyotr Czartoryski † General Olsufiev (WIA) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15,000–25,000 | 6,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Low | 2,000 killed | ||||||
  Location within Europe  Storming of Giurgiu (1771) (Romania) | |||||||
The storming of Giurgiu[a] was a military siege undertaken by the Russians on 7 August 1771 against the Ottoman city of Giurgiu. The siege was part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), and resulted in an Ottoman victory.[1]
Prelude
[edit]Giurgiu was first unsuccessfully attacked by the Russians under Grigory Potemkin, Christopher von Stoffeln, Aleksandr Zamiatin, and Peter Tekeli from 4 to 7 February 1770.[2] The city was then seized by Pyotr Olitz after heavy losses following a 7-day siege between 17 and 24 February 1771.[3] However, Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha marched onto Giurgiu and laid siege to it between 27 to 29 May 1771, recapturing the city after a three-month long occupation.[4]
Only a few days later, Pyotr Rumyantsev ordered Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin to march onto Giurgiu and reclaim it. Repnin found this impossible as he had under his command 4,377 infantrymen and 700 cavalryen, while the Ottoman garrison at Giurgiu was said to have numbered between 15,000–25,000. Weather conditions were also appalling with rivers overflowing, bridges damaged, and roads covered in mud. Rumyantsev, however, insisted that Repnin carried out his order. Feigning sickness, Repnin obtained a temporary leave from the military on 25 June. He was replaced by Reinhold-Wilhelm Ivanovich von Essen.[5]
Rumyantsev strengthened Essen's detachment to over 6,000 men, and ordered him to march onto Giurgiu. Due to rivers overflowing with water, Essen only managed to build a bridge on 2 August to make his way to the city. On 7 August, he reached Giurgiu and laid siege to it.[6]
Siege
[edit]Advancing in three columns, each one moved in a half-divisional formation, with 15 rows in front. Flanking each column were soldiers carrying ladders, fascines, and planks. In addition, 400 men equipped with entrenching tools followed closely behind. They were to silently approach the Ottoman retrenchment and suddenly rush into enemy lines so as to cause panic. This was contrary to Pyotr Rumyantsev's advice, which was to shell the retrenchment in an enfilade artillery fire before launching an attack. The tactic that Reinhold-Wilhelm Ivanovich von Essen employed proved to be a failure as nearly all men sent to the frontlines were killed by the Turks.[6]
Ultimately, the siege ended in a fiasco. Essen lost a third of his force (2,000 men), and the leaders of all three assault columns (Major-generals Ivan Gudovich, Pyotr Czartoryski, and Olufiev) were wounded – Czartoryski fatally. There are multiple reasons the siege ended in a loss; Essen failed to effectively utilise his artillery, and did not provide sufficient ladders for his soldiers to reach the parapet in large numbers. This resulted in the inability of any of his three attacking columns to scale the Ottoman fortifications. His men were mowed down by enfilading fire, or they were thrust back into the moat by pikemen as they attempted to ascend their ladders.[1] Mehmed Pasha was also determined to keep Giurgiu, implementing differing strategies such as deepening the ditch of the retrenchment to let water into it.[7]
Aftermath
[edit]With his force severely weakened, Reinhold-Wilhelm Ivanovich von Essen withdrew from Giurgiu to the mouth of the Dâmbovița river, and then to Gruia. He described his failed siege as a "misfortune" which "burdens me with my life".[7]
The final engagement in Giurgiu during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) was a battle on 12 September 1771 (with the Russians led by Essen once again). The result was an Ottoman victory.[8]
Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c Davies 2016, p. 169.
- ^ Davies 2016, p. 136.
- ^ Iorga, Nicolae (2024) [1908]. Afyoncu, Erhan (ed.). Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Tarihi 1300–1912 [History of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1912] (PDF) (in Turkish). Vol. 1–5. Translated by Epçeli, Nilüfer. Istanbul: Yeditepe Yayınevi. p. 1546. ISBN 9786258260717.
- ^ Davies 2016, pp. 168–169.
- ^ Nikolaevich 1893, pp. 264–265.
- ^ a b Nikolaevich 1893, p. 265.
- ^ a b Nikolaevich 1893, p. 266.
- ^ von Hammer-Purgstall, Joseph. Çevik, Mümin (ed.). Büyük Osmanlı Tarihi [Great Ottoman History] (in Turkish). Vol. 16. Translated by Özdek, Refik. Istanbul: Üçdal Neşriyat. p. 186.
References
[edit]- Davies, Brian L. (2016). The Russo-Turkish War, 1768–1774: Catherine II and the Ottoman Empire. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472512932.
- Nikolaevich, Petrov A. (1893). Влияние турецких войн с половины прошлого столетия на развитие русского военного искусства [The Influence of the Turkish Wars since the Middle of the Last Century on the Development of Russian Military Art] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Saint Petersburg.
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