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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774) | |||||||||
 Battle plan | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Russia |
 Ottoman Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Reinhold Essen [ru] | Akhmet Pasha | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 13,000 | 37,000 to 48,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
55 dead 199 wounded |
2,000 dead 350 captured | ||||||||
The Battle of Bucharest took place on 20 October 1771 was one of the most important events in the Russo-Turkish war, when the Ottomans tried to capture Bucharest.
In the 1771 summer Russians launched an offensive against the Turkish positions along the Danube, attacking Giurgiu, but this turned out to be unsuccessful and the initiative in actions passed to Ottomans.
By autumn, the Ottoman forces along the Danube were ready to invade Wallachia, where the Russians had only minor forces, but they were defeated in the subsequent battle of Bucharest and retreated.
Background
Previous events
In the winter of 1771, the Russians invaded the right bank of the Danube and occupied the city of Giurgiu, leaving a small garrison there. This garrison could not resist the siege of the Turks in May and surrendered the city. The new commander of the Bucharest division, Reinhold Essen, tried to recapture the city in August, however, unsuccessfully due to the small number.
Plans and forces of the parties
The Ottomans assembled a large army of between 37,000 and 48,000 in order to completely occupy Wallachia. They were to be opposed by one division under the command of Reinhold Essen [ru] which had 13,000 available.
Battle
General Reinhold Essen arranged his infantry in three squares between which he placed the cavalry. The Turks were slowly advancing towards the Russian position and Essen himself ordered an attack. Ottomans, who did not expect the attack of the Russian troops, were confused, but then counterattacked with their cavalry. Part of the forces moved from the front, and the other began to carry out a flank raid on Bucharest, which was left almost without cover. Having bypassed the positions of Essen, the Turkish cavalry crossed to the left bank of the Dîmboviţa River and rushed to Bucharest. This maneuver was noticed in a timely manner. But little later, a detachment of Ivan Gudovich with artillery repulsed the attack of the Turkish cavalry. Having secured himself from the left flank, Essen attacked the Turkish retrenchment with three squares. In the course of a joint infantry and cavalry attack supported by artillery, as well as a detour from the left flank of Kantemir, the Turkish infantry was knocked out of the fortification and fled.
Aftermath
The Russians lost only 55 dead and 199 wounded, the Turks lost 2,000 killed and 350 prisoners, of which 200 were Serbs, Bulgarians and Bosniaks. Despite the victory, Essen was unable to organize a normal pursuit to inflict even more damage, but he was able to take Giurgiu, which he unsuccessfully stormed earlier. The Russians took 50 guns in the city.
Notes
- 7,000 to 8,000 infantry
30,000 to 40,000 cavalry
Reference
- Velichko et al. 1911.
- ^ Petrov 1874, p. 150.
- ^ Davies 2021, p. 170. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDavies2021 (help)
- Petrov 1874, p. 152.
- Petrov 1874, p. 153.
- Petrov 1874, p. 155.
Bibliography
- Petrov, Andrei Nikolaevich (1874). Война России с Турцией и польскими конфедератами 1769-1774 [Russia's War with Turkey and the Polish Confederates 1769-1774] (in Russian). Vol. 3: 1771. St. Petersburg: Типография Трубникова.
- Davies, Brian L. (2016). The Russo-Turkish War, 1768–1774: Catherine II and the Ottoman Empire. London: Bloomabury. ISBN 978-1-4725-1293-2.
- Velichko, Konstantin; Novitsky, Vasily; Schwartz, Alexey von; Apushkin, Vladimir; Schoultz, Gustav von (1911). Бухарест [Bucharest]. Sytin Military Encyclopedia (in Russian). Vol. 5: Бомбарда-Верещагин. St. Petersburg: Типография Т-ва И. Д. Сытина.