Victory of the Russian Empire
Assault on Izmail- siege and assault in 1790 Turkish fortress Izmail by Russian troops under the command of Chief General A.V. Suvorov during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792
Suvorov took measures to ensure order. Kutuzov, appointed commandant of Izmail, placed guards in the most important places. A huge hospital was opened inside the city. The bodies of the killed Russians were taken out of town and buried in church rite. There were so many Turkish corpses that the order was given to throw the bodies into the Danube, and prisoners were assigned to this work, divided into queues. But even with this method, Ishmael was cleared of corpses only after 6 days. The prisoners were sent in batches to Nikolaev under the escort of Cossacks.
Captions: "For excellent courage" on front side And "Ishmael taken December 11, 1790" on the reverse.
Suvorov expected to receive the rank of field marshal general for the assault on Izmail, but Potemkin, petitioning the empress for his award, proposed awarding him with a medal and the rank of guard lieutenant colonel or adjutant general. The medal was knocked out, and Suvorov was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. There were already ten such lieutenant colonels; Suvorov became eleventh. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, having arrived in St. Petersburg, received as a reward a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, worth 200 thousand rubles, the Tauride Palace; In Tsarskoe Selo, it was planned to build an obelisk for the prince depicting his victories and conquests. Oval silver medals were distributed to the lower ranks; for officers who have not received the Order of St. George or Vladimir, a golden cross was installed on St. George's ribbon; the chiefs received orders or golden swords, some received ranks.
The conquest of Ishmael had a great impact political significance. It influenced the further course of the war and the conclusion of the Peace of Iasi between Russia and Turkey in 1792, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and established the Russian-Turkish border along the Dniester River. Thus, the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban was assigned to Russia.
The anthem “The Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” was dedicated to the victory at Ishmael! ", considered until 1816 the unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire.
The Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774 ended in Russian victory. The country finally secured access to the Black Sea. But according to the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty, the powerful fortress of Izmail, located at the mouth of the Danube, still remained Turkish.
In mid-summer 1787, Türkiye, with the support of France, Great Britain and Prussia, demanded Russian Empire the return of Crimea and the refusal of the Georgian authorities to provide their protection. In addition, they wanted to obtain consent to inspect all Russian merchant ships traveling through the straits of the Black Sea. Without waiting for a positive response to its claims, the Turkish government declared war on Russia. This happened on August 12, 1787.
The challenge was accepted. The Russian Empire, in turn, hastened to take advantage of the current situation and increase its possessions at the expense of lands in the Northern Black Sea region.
Initially, Turkey planned to capture Kherson and Kinburn, land a large number of its troops on the Crimean Peninsula, as well as destroy the base of the Russian Black Sea squadron in Sevastopol.
In order to launch full-scale military operations on the Black Sea coast of the Kuban and Caucasus, Turkey turned its main forces in the direction of Anapa and Sukhum. It had an army of 200,000 and a fairly strong fleet, consisting of 16 frigates, 19 battleships, 5 bombardment corvettes, as well as many other ships and support ships.
In response, the Russian Empire began deploying its two armies. The first of them is Ekaterinoslavskaya. It was commanded by Field Marshal General Grigory Potemkin. It numbered 82 thousand people. The second was the Ukrainian 37,000-strong army under the command of Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev. In addition, two powerful military corps were stationed in Crimea and Kuban.
As for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, it was based in two places. The main forces, consisting of 23 warships, carrying 864 guns, were stationed in Sevastopol, and were commanded by Admiral M. I. Voinovich. An interesting fact is that at the same time, the future great admiral F. F. Ushakov served here. The second place of deployment was the Dnieper-Bug estuary. A rowing flotilla was stationed there, consisting of 20 small vessels and ships that were only partially armed.
It must be said that the Russian Empire was not left alone in this war. On its side was one of the largest and strongest European countries at that time - Austria. She, like Russia, sought to expand her borders at the expense of other Balkan countries that found themselves under the yoke of Turkey.
The plan of the new allies, Austria and the Russian Empire, was exclusively offensive in nature. The idea was to attack Turkey from two sides simultaneously. The Yekaterinoslav army was supposed to begin military operations on Black Sea coast, capture Ochakov, then cross the Dnieper and destroy Turkish troops in the area between the Prut and Dniester rivers, and for this it was necessary to take Bendery. At the same time, the Russian flotilla, through its active actions, pinned down enemy ships on the Black Sea and did not allow the Turks to land on the Crimean coast. The Austrian army, in turn, promised to attack from the west and storm Hatin.
The start of hostilities for Russia was very successful. The capture of the Ochakov fortress, two victories of A. Suvorov at Rymnik and Forshany indicated that the war should end very soon. This meant that the Russian Empire would sign a peace beneficial to itself. Türkiye at that time did not have such forces that could seriously repel the Allied armies. But for some reason politicians missed this favorable moment and did not take advantage of it. As a result, the war dragged on, since the Turkish authorities were still able to gather a new army, as well as receive help from the West.
During the military campaign of 1790, the Russian command planned to capture Turkish fortresses located on the left bank of the Danube, and after that move their troops further.
This year, Russian sailors under the command of F. Ushakov won one brilliant victory after another. At Tendra Island and in Turkish fleet suffered a crushing defeat. As a result, the Russian flotilla firmly established itself in the Black Sea and provided profitable terms for the further offensive of their armies on the Danube. The fortresses of Tulcha, Kilia and Isakcha had already been taken when Potemkin’s troops approached Izmail. Here they met desperate resistance from the Turks.
The capture of Ishmael was considered impossible. Just before the war, the fortress was thoroughly rebuilt and strengthened. It was surrounded by a high rampart and a fairly wide ditch filled with water. The fortress had 11 bastions, where 260 guns were placed. The work was led by German and French engineers.
Also, the capture of Izmail was considered unrealistic, because it was located on the left bank of the Danube between two lakes - Katlabukh and Yalpukh. It rose on the slope of a sloping mountain, which ended in a low but steep slope near the riverbed. This fortress was of great strategic importance, as it was located at the intersection of routes from Khotin, Kiliya, Galati and Bendery.
The garrison of the citadel consisted of 35 thousand soldiers, commanded by Aidozle Mehmet Pasha. Some of them reported directly to Kaplan Geray, the brother of the Crimean Khan. He was assisted by his five sons. The new decree of Sultan Selim III stated that if the capture of the Izmail fortress takes place, then every soldier from the garrison, wherever he may be, will be executed.
The Russian troops camped under the citadel had a hard time. The weather was damp and cold. The soldiers warmed themselves by burning reeds in fires. There was a catastrophic shortage of food. In addition, the troops were in constant combat readiness, fearing enemy attacks.
Winter was just around the corner, so Russian military leaders Ivan Gudovich, Joseph de Ribas and Potemkin's brother Pavel gathered for a military council on December 7. On it they decided to lift the siege and postpone the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail.
But Grigory Potemkin did not agree with this conclusion and canceled the resolution of the military council. Instead, he signed an order that General-in-Chief A.V. Suvorov, who was standing with his troops at Galati, should take command of the army that was currently besieging the impregnable citadel.
The capture of the Izmail fortress by Russian troops required the most careful organization. Therefore, Suvorov sent his best Phanagorian Grenadier Regiment, 1 thousand Arnauts, 200 Cossacks and 150 hunters who served in the Absheron Musketeer Regiment to the walls of the bastion. He did not forget about the sutlers with food supplies. In addition, Suvorov ordered 30 ladders and 1 thousand fascines to be put together and sent to Izmail, and also gave the rest of the necessary orders. He transferred command of the remaining troops stationed near Galati to lieutenant generals Derfelden and Prince Golitsin. The commander himself left the camp with a small convoy consisting of only 40 Cossacks. On the way to the fortress, Suvorov met the retreating Russian troops and turned them back, as he planned to use all his forces at the moment when the capture of Izmail began.
Upon arrival at the camp located near the fortress, he first blocked the impregnable citadel from the Danube River and from land. Then Suvorov ordered the artillery to be positioned as it was done during a long siege. Thus, he managed to convince the Turks that the capture of Izmail by Russian troops was not planned in the near future.
Suvorov conducted a detailed acquaintance with the fortress. He and the officers accompanying him approached Ishmael within rifle range. Here he indicated the places where the columns would go, where exactly the assault would take place and how the troops should help each other. For six days Suvorov prepared to capture the Turkish fortress of Izmail.
The General-in-Chief personally toured all the regiments and talked with the soldiers about previous victories, while not hiding the difficulties that awaited them during the assault. This is how Suvorov prepared his troops for the day when the capture of Izmail would finally begin.
At 3 a.m. on December 22, the first flare lit up in the sky. It was symbol, along which the troops left their camp, formed columns and headed to pre-designated locations. And by half past six in the morning they moved to capture the Izmail fortress.
The column led by Major General P.P. Lassi was the first to approach the walls of the citadel. Half an hour after the start of the assault, under a hurricane of enemy bullets raining down on their heads, the rangers overcame the rampart, at the top of which a fierce battle ensued. And at this time, the Phanagorian grenadiers and Absheron riflemen under the command of Major General S. L. Lvov managed to capture the first enemy batteries and the Khotyn Gate. They also managed to connect with the second column. They opened the Khotyn gates for the entry of cavalry. This was the first major victory of the Russian troops since Suvorov began taking the Turkish fortress of Izmail. Meanwhile, in other areas the assault continued with increasing force.
At the same time, on the opposite side of the citadel, the column of Major General M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov captured the bastion located on the side of the Kiliya Gate and the adjacent rampart. On the day of the capture of the Izmail fortress, perhaps the most difficult task to achieve was the goal set for the commander of the third column, Major General F.I. Meknoba. She was supposed to storm the northern great bastion. The fact is that in this area the height of the rampart and the depth of the ditch were too great, so the stairs, about 12 m high, turned out to be short. Under heavy fire, the soldiers had to tie them up two by two. As a result, the northern bastion was taken. The rest of the ground columns also coped well with their tasks.
The capture of Izmail by Suvorov was thought out to the smallest detail. Therefore, it was decided to storm the fortress not only from the land side. Seeing the prearranged signal, the landing troops, led by Major General de Ribas, covered by the rowing fleet, moved towards the fortress and lined up in two lines. At 7 o'clock in the morning their landing on the shore began. This process took place very smoothly and quickly, despite the fact that they were resisted by more than 10 thousand Turkish and Tatar soldiers. This success of the landing was greatly facilitated by Lvov’s column, which at that time was attacking enemy coastal batteries from the flank. Also, significant forces of the Turks drew upon themselves and ground troops, operating from the eastern side.
The column under the command of Major General N.D. Arsenyev sailed to the shore on 20 ships. As soon as the troops landed on the shore, they immediately divided into several groups. The Livonian rangers were commanded by Count Roger Damas. They captured a battery that lined the shore. The Kherson grenadiers, led by Colonel V.A. Zubov, managed to take a rather tough cavalier. On this day of the capture of Izmail, the battalion lost two-thirds of its strength. The remaining military units also suffered losses, but successfully captured their sections of the fortress.
When dawn came, it turned out that the rampart had already been captured, and the enemy had been driven out from the fortress walls and was retreating deeper into the city. Columns of Russian troops who were with different sides, moved towards the city center. New battles broke out.
The Turks offered especially strong resistance until 11 o'clock. The city was burning here and there. Thousands of horses, jumping out of burning stables in panic, rushed through the streets, sweeping away everyone in their path. Russian troops had to fight for almost every house. Lassi and his squad were the first to reach the city center. Here Maksud Geray was waiting for him with the remnants of his troops. The Turkish commander stubbornly defended himself, and only when almost all his soldiers were killed did he surrender.
The capture of Izmail by Suvorov was coming to an end. To support the infantry with fire, he ordered light guns firing grapeshot to be delivered to the city. Their volleys helped clear the streets of the enemy. At one o'clock in the afternoon it became clear that victory had actually already been won. But the fighting still continued. Kaplan Geray somehow managed to gather several thousand foot and horse Turks and Tatars, whom he led against the advancing Russian troops, but was defeated and killed. His five sons also died. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the capture of the Izmail fortress by Suvorov was completed. The citadel, previously considered impregnable, fell.
The capture of Izmail by the troops of the Russian Empire radically affected the entire strategic situation. The Turkish government was forced to agree to peace negotiations. A year later, both parties signed an agreement under which the Turks recognized Russia’s rights to Georgia, Crimea and Kuban. In addition, Russian merchants were promised benefits and all kinds of assistance from the vanquished.
On the day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail, the Russian side lost 2,136 people killed. Their number included: soldiers - 1816, Cossacks - 158, officers - 66 and 1 brigadier. There were slightly more wounded - 3214 people, including 3 generals and 253 officers.
The losses on the part of the Turks seemed simply enormous. More than 26 thousand people were killed alone. About 9 thousand were captured, but the next day 2 thousand died from their wounds. It is believed that out of the entire Izmail garrison, only one person managed to escape. He was slightly wounded and, having fallen into the water, managed to swim across the Danube riding on a log.
The Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774 ended in Russian victory. The country finally secured access to the Black Sea. But according to the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty, the powerful fortress of Izmail, located at the mouth of the Danube, still remained Turkish.
In the middle of the summer of 1787, Turkey, with the support of France, Great Britain and Prussia, demanded that the Russian Empire return Crimea and refuse its protection to the Georgian authorities. In addition, they wanted to obtain consent to inspect all Russian merchant ships traveling through the straits of the Black Sea. Without waiting for a positive response to its claims, the Turkish government declared war on Russia. This happened on August 12, 1787.
The challenge was accepted. The Russian Empire, in turn, hastened to take advantage of the current situation and increase its possessions at the expense of lands in the Northern Black Sea region.
Initially, Turkey planned to capture Kherson and Kinburn, land a large number of its troops on the Crimean Peninsula, as well as destroy the base of the Russian Black Sea squadron in Sevastopol.
In order to launch full-scale military operations on the Black Sea coast of the Kuban and Caucasus, Turkey turned its main forces in the direction of Anapa and Sukhum. It had an army of 200,000 and a fairly strong fleet, consisting of 16 frigates, 19 battleships, 5 bombardment corvettes, as well as many other ships and support ships.
In response, the Russian Empire began deploying its two armies. The first of them is Ekaterinoslavskaya. It was commanded by Field Marshal General Grigory Potemkin. It numbered 82 thousand people. The second was the Ukrainian 37,000-strong army under the command of Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev. In addition, two powerful military corps were stationed in Crimea and Kuban.
As for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, it was based in two places. The main forces, consisting of 23 warships, carrying 864 guns, were stationed in Sevastopol, and were commanded by Admiral M. I. Voinovich. An interesting fact is that at the same time, the future great admiral F. F. Ushakov served here. The second place of deployment was the Dnieper-Bug estuary. A rowing flotilla was stationed there, consisting of 20 small vessels and ships that were only partially armed.
It must be said that the Russian Empire was not left alone in this war. On its side was one of the largest and strongest European countries at that time - Austria. She, like Russia, sought to expand her borders at the expense of other Balkan countries that found themselves under the yoke of Turkey.
The plan of the new allies, Austria and the Russian Empire, was exclusively offensive in nature. The idea was to attack Turkey from two sides simultaneously. The Yekaterinoslav army was supposed to begin military operations on the Black Sea coast, capture Ochakov, then cross the Dnieper and destroy Turkish troops in the area between the Prut and Dniester rivers, and for this it was necessary to take Bendery. At the same time, the Russian flotilla, through its active actions, pinned down enemy ships on the Black Sea and did not allow the Turks to land on the Crimean coast. The Austrian army, in turn, promised to attack from the west and storm Hatin.
The start of hostilities for Russia was very successful. The capture of the Ochakov fortress, two victories of A. Suvorov at Rymnik and Forshany indicated that the war should end very soon. This meant that the Russian Empire would sign a peace beneficial to itself. Türkiye at that time did not have such forces that could seriously repel the Allied armies. But for some reason politicians missed this favorable moment and did not take advantage of it. As a result, the war dragged on, since the Turkish authorities were still able to gather a new army, as well as receive help from the West.
During the military campaign of 1790, the Russian command planned to capture Turkish fortresses located on the left bank of the Danube, and after that move their troops further.
This year, Russian sailors under the command of F. Ushakov won one brilliant victory after another. At the island of Tendra and the Turkish fleet suffered a crushing defeat. As a result, the Russian flotilla firmly established itself in the Black Sea and provided favorable conditions for the further offensive of its armies on the Danube. The fortresses of Tulcha, Kilia and Isakcha had already been taken when Potemkin’s troops approached Izmail. Here they met desperate resistance from the Turks.
The capture of Ishmael was considered impossible. Just before the war, the fortress was thoroughly rebuilt and strengthened. It was surrounded by a high rampart and a fairly wide ditch filled with water. The fortress had 11 bastions, where 260 guns were placed. The work was led by German and French engineers.
Also, the capture of Izmail was considered unrealistic, because it was located on the left bank of the Danube between two lakes - Katlabukh and Yalpukh. It rose on the slope of a sloping mountain, which ended in a low but steep slope near the riverbed. This fortress was of great strategic importance, as it was located at the intersection of routes from Khotin, Kiliya, Galati and Bendery.
The garrison of the citadel consisted of 35 thousand soldiers, commanded by Aidozle Mehmet Pasha. Some of them reported directly to Kaplan Geray, the brother of the Crimean Khan. He was assisted by his five sons. The new decree of Sultan Selim III stated that if the capture of the Izmail fortress takes place, then every soldier from the garrison, wherever he may be, will be executed.
The Russian troops camped under the citadel had a hard time. The weather was damp and cold. The soldiers warmed themselves by burning reeds in fires. There was a catastrophic shortage of food. In addition, the troops were in constant combat readiness, fearing enemy attacks.
Winter was just around the corner, so Russian military leaders Ivan Gudovich, Joseph de Ribas and Potemkin's brother Pavel gathered for a military council on December 7. On it they decided to lift the siege and postpone the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail.
But Grigory Potemkin did not agree with this conclusion and canceled the resolution of the military council. Instead, he signed an order that General-in-Chief A.V. Suvorov, who was standing with his troops at Galati, should take command of the army that was currently besieging the impregnable citadel.
The capture of the Izmail fortress by Russian troops required the most careful organization. Therefore, Suvorov sent his best Phanagorian Grenadier Regiment, 1 thousand Arnauts, 200 Cossacks and 150 hunters who served in the Absheron Musketeer Regiment to the walls of the bastion. He did not forget about the sutlers with food supplies. In addition, Suvorov ordered 30 ladders and 1 thousand fascines to be put together and sent to Izmail, and also gave the rest of the necessary orders. He transferred command of the remaining troops stationed near Galati to lieutenant generals Derfelden and Prince Golitsin. The commander himself left the camp with a small convoy consisting of only 40 Cossacks. On the way to the fortress, Suvorov met the retreating Russian troops and turned them back, as he planned to use all his forces at the moment when the capture of Izmail began.
Upon arrival at the camp located near the fortress, he first blocked the impregnable citadel from the Danube River and from land. Then Suvorov ordered the artillery to be positioned as it was done during a long siege. Thus, he managed to convince the Turks that the capture of Izmail by Russian troops was not planned in the near future.
Suvorov conducted a detailed acquaintance with the fortress. He and the officers accompanying him approached Ishmael within rifle range. Here he indicated the places where the columns would go, where exactly the assault would take place and how the troops should help each other. For six days Suvorov prepared to capture the Turkish fortress of Izmail.
The General-in-Chief personally toured all the regiments and talked with the soldiers about previous victories, while not hiding the difficulties that awaited them during the assault. This is how Suvorov prepared his troops for the day when the capture of Izmail would finally begin.
At 3 a.m. on December 22, the first flare lit up in the sky. This was a conventional sign according to which the troops left their camp, formed columns and headed to their pre-designated locations. And by half past six in the morning they moved to capture the Izmail fortress.
The column led by Major General P.P. Lassi was the first to approach the walls of the citadel. Half an hour after the start of the assault, under a hurricane of enemy bullets raining down on their heads, the rangers overcame the rampart, at the top of which a fierce battle ensued. And at this time, the Phanagorian grenadiers and Absheron riflemen under the command of Major General S. L. Lvov managed to capture the first enemy batteries and the Khotyn Gate. They also managed to connect with the second column. They opened the Khotyn gates for the entry of cavalry. This was the first major victory of the Russian troops since Suvorov began taking the Turkish fortress of Izmail. Meanwhile, in other areas the assault continued with increasing force.
At the same time, on the opposite side of the citadel, the column of Major General M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov captured the bastion located on the side of the Kiliya Gate and the adjacent rampart. On the day of the capture of the Izmail fortress, perhaps the most difficult task to achieve was the goal set for the commander of the third column, Major General F.I. Meknoba. She was supposed to storm the northern great bastion. The fact is that in this area the height of the rampart and the depth of the ditch were too great, so the stairs, about 12 m high, turned out to be short. Under heavy fire, the soldiers had to tie them up two by two. As a result, the northern bastion was taken. The rest of the ground columns also coped well with their tasks.
The capture of Izmail by Suvorov was thought out to the smallest detail. Therefore, it was decided to storm the fortress not only from the land side. Seeing the prearranged signal, the landing troops, led by Major General de Ribas, covered by the rowing fleet, moved towards the fortress and lined up in two lines. At 7 o'clock in the morning their landing on the shore began. This process took place very smoothly and quickly, despite the fact that they were resisted by more than 10 thousand Turkish and Tatar soldiers. This success of the landing was greatly facilitated by Lvov’s column, which at that time was attacking enemy coastal batteries from the flank. Also, significant Turkish forces were pulled over by ground forces operating from the eastern side.
The column under the command of Major General N.D. Arsenyev sailed to the shore on 20 ships. As soon as the troops landed on the shore, they immediately divided into several groups. The Livonian rangers were commanded by Count Roger Damas. They captured a battery that lined the shore. The Kherson grenadiers, led by Colonel V.A. Zubov, managed to take a rather tough cavalier. On this day of the capture of Izmail, the battalion lost two-thirds of its strength. The remaining military units also suffered losses, but successfully captured their sections of the fortress.
When dawn came, it turned out that the rampart had already been captured, and the enemy had been driven out from the fortress walls and was retreating deeper into the city. Columns of Russian troops, located from different sides, moved towards the city center. New battles broke out.
The Turks offered especially strong resistance until 11 o'clock. The city was burning here and there. Thousands of horses, jumping out of burning stables in panic, rushed through the streets, sweeping away everyone in their path. Russian troops had to fight for almost every house. Lassi and his squad were the first to reach the city center. Here Maksud Geray was waiting for him with the remnants of his troops. The Turkish commander stubbornly defended himself, and only when almost all his soldiers were killed did he surrender.
The capture of Izmail by Suvorov was coming to an end. To support the infantry with fire, he ordered light guns firing grapeshot to be delivered to the city. Their volleys helped clear the streets of the enemy. At one o'clock in the afternoon it became clear that victory had actually already been won. But the fighting still continued. Kaplan Geray somehow managed to gather several thousand foot and horse Turks and Tatars, whom he led against the advancing Russian troops, but was defeated and killed. His five sons also died. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the capture of the Izmail fortress by Suvorov was completed. The citadel, previously considered impregnable, fell.
The capture of Izmail by the troops of the Russian Empire radically affected the entire strategic situation. The Turkish government was forced to agree to peace negotiations. A year later, both parties signed an agreement under which the Turks recognized Russia’s rights to Georgia, Crimea and Kuban. In addition, Russian merchants were promised benefits and all kinds of assistance from the vanquished.
On the day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail, the Russian side lost 2,136 people killed. Their number included: soldiers - 1816, Cossacks - 158, officers - 66 and 1 brigadier. There were slightly more wounded - 3214 people, including 3 generals and 253 officers.
The losses on the part of the Turks seemed simply enormous. More than 26 thousand people were killed alone. About 9 thousand were captured, but the next day 2 thousand died from their wounds. It is believed that out of the entire Izmail garrison, only one person managed to escape. He was slightly wounded and, having fallen into the water, managed to swim across the Danube riding on a log.
You can only decide to storm Ishmael once in your life; fortunately, no one can repeat this experience again...
Suvorov
The capture of Izmail took place on December 11, 1790. During the battle, the Russian army, under the command of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, won a brilliant victory, capturing a fortress with smaller forces, which was considered impregnable by many. As a result of this victory, a radical change was made in the Russian-Turkish war, as well as in strengthening Russia’s positions in the Black Sea and the Balkans.
We can briefly highlight 4 main reasons that led to the need to capture Ishmael:
In fact, Ismail was an impregnable fortress, the possession of which provided significant advantages in military operations.
In the second half of 1790, the Russian army won a number of major victories, but a very a difficult situation. After the fall of the Turkish fortresses of Sulin, Isakcha, Tulcha and Kiliya, the garrisons that were forced to retreat took refuge in Izmail. A very strong garrison was formed in the fortress, which, using the favorable geographical location of the fortress, created significant advantages for the Turkish side.
In November 1790, the efforts of almost all countries interested in one way or another in the war focused on Ishmael. Catherine 2 gives the order to Field Marshal Potemkin to take possession of the fortress by the end of the year by any means necessary. Potemkin, in turn, gave the order to generals Gudovich, Pavel Potemkin and Deribas to take possession of the city. The generals could not do this; I am increasingly inclined to think that Ishmael is impregnable.
The state of the Russian army near Izmail before the arrival of Suvorov can be described as decadent. The soldiers were tired big amount transitions, poor camp organization, food shortages and constant clashes with the Turks. In fact, the army was under open air, without organizing huts or other shelters. It rained constantly in November, so the soldiers did not even have time to dry their clothes. This led to a large number of illnesses and loosening of discipline. The situation was complicated by the fact that the hospitals were poorly organized. Doctors lacked even the most basic medicines and dressing materials.
Russian generals who actually accepted the idea that Ishmael is impregnable fortress, were inactive. They understood that they would not be able to storm the fortress on their own. As a result, the poor conditions for the army were aggravated by the delay of the command, which caused grumbling among the troops.
On November 28, 1790, the military council decided to lift the siege of Izmail. The army command was guided by the fact that there were not enough people to wage a siege, there were not enough assault guns, there was not enough artillery, ammunition and everything else necessary. As a result, approximately half of the troops were withdrawn from the fortress.
On November 25, 1790, Potemkin gave the order to Chief General Suvorov to immediately report to Izmail. The order was received on November 28 and Suvorov set off for the fortress from Galati, taking with him the troops he had previously trained: the Phanagorian Grenadier Regiment, the hunters of the Acheron Regiment (150 people) and the Arnauts (1000 people). Together with the troops, Suvorov sent food, 30 ladders for the assault and 1000 fascines (bundles of rods that were used to overcome ditches).
Early in the morning of December 2, Alexander Suvorov arrived near Izmail and took command of the garrison. The general immediately began training the army. First of all, Suvorov organized reconnaissance and positioned the troops in a semicircle around the fortress, forming a dense ring on land and an equally dense ring along the Danube, creating an element of complete siege of the garrison. Suvorov's main idea at Izmail was to convince the enemy that there would be no assault, but that all preparations were being made for a systematic and long-term siege of the fortress.
On the night of December 7, 2 batteries were erected on the eastern and western outskirts of the fortress, at a distance of up to 400 m, each containing 10 guns. On the same day, these guns began shelling the fortress.
Deep in his rear, out of sight of the Turkish army, Suvorov ordered the construction of an exact copy of Ismail. We are not talking about completely copying the fortress, but about recreating its moat, rampart and walls. Right here on clear example the general trained his troops, honing their actions to the point of automatism, so that in the future, during a real assault on the fortress, each person knew what he needed to do and understood how to behave in front of one or another fortification system. All training took place exclusively at night. This is not due to the specifics of preparations for the capture of Izmail, but to the specifics of Suvorov’s training of his armies. Alexander Vasilyevich liked to repeat that it was night exercises and night battles that provide the basis for victory.
To give the Turkish army the impression of preparing a long siege, Suvorov ordered:
These actions led to the fact that the Turkish side greatly overestimated the size of the Russian army. If in reality Suvorov had 31,000 people at his disposal, then the Turks were sure that he had about 80,000 people at his disposal.
Catherine 2 insisted on the rapid capture of the fortress, so on December 7 at 14:00 Suvorov conveyed to the commandant of Izmail (Aydozli-Mehmet Pasha) a proposal to surrender the fortress, but was refused. After this, envoys were sent to the fortress, through whom the general conveyed a message that later became popular.
I came here with the troops. 24 hours to think - free will. My first shot is bondage. Assault is death. Which I leave for your consideration.
Suvorov
On this famous phrase Suvorov Seraskir responded with a phrase that is also widely known today: “the Danube would sooner stop its flow and the sky would bow to the ground than Ishmael would fall.”
On December 8, Aidozli Mehmed Pasha sent Suvorov a proposal to give 10 days to think about his message about surrender. Thus, the Turks were playing for time, waiting for reinforcements. Suvorov refused, saying that if the white banner was not displayed immediately, the assault would begin. The Turks did not surrender.
On December 9, 1790, at a meeting of the military council, a decision was made to storm Izmail. I consider it necessary to dwell on the main aspects of Suvorov’s combat order, since it clearly describes the disposition of Russian troops and the offensive plan. The capture was planned to be carried out in three directions:
The cavalry, which numbered 2,500 people, was supplied as a reserve.
Map of the assault on the Izmail fortress with a detailed examination of the actions of the Russian army.
In the combat order, Suvorov demanded that each detachment allocate at least 2 battalions to its personal reserve. The reserve in the form of cavalry is a combined arms reserve and is divided between three detachments. The assault on the fortress is planned for December 11, 2-3 hours before dawn. All commanders must act coherently and not deviate from orders. Artillery preparation should begin on December 10 and be conducted from all guns with a firing depth of up to 1 km. The Russian army prohibits touching old people, women, children and civilians during battle.
Suvorov planned to begin the assault on Izmail 3 hours before dawn, since this allowed him to be near the walls of the fortress with the onset of daylight.
By order of Suvorov, all ships were loaded from one side. This made it possible to tilt the ships upward, as a result of which it was possible to use naval guns to conduct mounted fire on the fortress. This was extremely important, since the Russian army did not have enough field guns. Moreover it was new trick, which was not used by generals before Ishmael.
The Russian army consisted of 31,000 people, 607 guns (40 field and 567 on ships).
The Turkish army consisted of 43,000 people and 300 guns (excluding guns on ships, since there is no data on them).
We see that all the advantages and superiority were on the Turkish side. They were in a well-fortified fortress and had an army that was approximately 1.5 times larger than the enemy army. Any military expert, seeing these numbers, will say that the assault is suicide and an almost impossible task. And it is no coincidence that Suvorov wrote in his autobiography that the capture of Izmail is an event that happens only once in a lifetime, and it is impossible to repeat it. This is true, since historical analogues of such victories in new history There is simply no humanity.
The Izmail fortress had a favorable geographical location. It rose to a height in the Danube, which acted as a natural barrier on the southern side. On the western side, the fortress was surrounded by two lakes Kuchurluy and Alapukh. From the east the fortress was surrounded by Lake Kalabukh. The natural defense of Ishmael on three sides significantly limited the room for maneuver of enemy armies. A wide ravine ran along the fortress, which divided the city into two parts: the old fortress (western part of the city) and the new fortress ( East End cities).
In 1790, the Izmail fortress included the following defensive structures:
The southern side, to which the Danube adjoined, was the least fortified. The fact is that the Turks considered the river to be a strong obstacle, and also relied on their fleet, which was always supposed to hold back the enemy.
The city itself was in great danger during the assault on Izmail. Almost all the buildings in the city were made of stone with thick walls and a large number of towers. Therefore, in fact, each building represented a strong point from which defense could be launched.
On December 10, artillery preparation for the attack began. All 607 guns fired non-stop, increasing in intensity as night approached. Turkish artillery also responded, but towards the end of the day its salvoes practically ceased. By the end of December 10, the Turkish side had practically no artillery pieces left.
On December 11, at 3:00 a.m., a rocket was launched, signaling the Russian army to move into its original attack position. At 4:00 a.m. the second rocket was launched, at the signal of which the troops began to form into battle formation. At 5:30 on December 11, 1790, the third rocket was launched, which signaled the beginning of the assault on the Izmail fortress. It took several attacks to break into the city. The Turks often launched counterattacks that drove back the Russian army, after which it again went on the offensive, trying to take advantageous positions.
Already at 8:00 Russian troops captured all the walls of the fortress. From that moment on, Izmail’s attack was virtually over; the Turkish army retreated deeper into the city, and Russian soldiers closed a circle inside Izmail, creating an encirclement. The complete unification of the Russian army and the completion of the encirclement occurred at 10 am. Until about 11, fighting continued for the outskirts of the city. Each house had to be taken with a fight, but due to the courageous actions of the Russian soldiers, the ring was compressed more and more tightly. Suvorov ordered the introduction of light cannons, which fired grapeshot into the city streets. It was important point, since the Turks at that moment no longer had artillery and could not respond in a similar way.
The last center of resistance to the Turkish army in Izmail was formed in the city square, where 5,000 Janissaries, led by Kaplan-Girey, defended. Russian soldiers, trained by Suvorov to use bayonets, pressed back the enemy. In order to win the final victory, Suvorov gave the order to the cavalry, who were in reserve, to attack the city square. After this, resistance was completely broken. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the assault on Izmail was over. The fortress fell. Nevertheless, even before the end of December 12, rare shooting continued in the city, as isolated Turkish soldiers took refuge in basements and mosques, continuing to defend. But ultimately these resistances were suppressed.
Only one Turk managed to escape alive. At the beginning of the battle, he was slightly wounded and fell from the fortress wall, after which he fled. The rest of the troops were mostly killed, a smaller part was taken prisoner. Suvorov sent a message to the empress - “The Russian flag on the walls of Izmail.”
The Turkish army lost 33,000 people killed and wounded, and 10,000 prisoners. Among the dead were: commandant Izmail Aydozli Mehmet Pasha, 12 pashas (generals), 51 senior officers.
The Russian army lost 1830 people killed and 2933 people wounded. During the assault, 2 generals and 65 officers were killed. These figures were in Suvorov's report. Later historians said that during the capture of the Izmail fortress, 4 thousand people died and 6 thousand were wounded.
As trophies, Suvorov's army captured: up to 300 guns (in different sources the figure ranges from 265 to 300), 345 banners, 42 ships, 50 tons of gunpowder, 20,000 cannonballs, 15,000 horses, jewelry and food supplies for the garrison and the city for six months.
Suvorov's victory at Izmail was of great significance for the Russian-Turkish war. Many Turkish fortresses, whose garrisons considered Izmail impregnable, began to surrender Russian army without a fight. As a result, a radical change was made in the war.
The capture of Izmail also had important political significance. On December 11, a meeting of representatives of England, Austria, Prussia, France and Poland was held in the city of Sistav (Balkans). They were developing a plan to help Turkey in the war against Russia. The arriving news of the fall of Ishmael caused a real shock, as a result of which the meeting was interrupted for 2 days. It never ended in anything, since it became clear that Türkiye lost the war.
The capture of the Izmailov fortress made it possible to open a direct road for the Russian army to Constantinople. This was a direct blow to the sovereignty of Turkey, which for the first time faced the threat of complete loss of statehood. As a result, she was forced in 1791 to sign a peace treaty in Iasi, which meant her defeat.
IZMAIL FORTRESS
Izmail was one of the strongest fortresses in Turkey. Since the war of 1768–1774, the Turks, under the leadership of the French engineer De Lafitte-Clove and the German Richter, turned Ishmael into a formidable stronghold. The fortress was located on a slope of heights sloping towards the Danube. A wide ravine, stretching from north to south, divided Ishmael into two parts, of which the larger, western, was called the old fortress, and the eastern, the new fortress. The fortress fence of the bastion outline reached six miles in length and had the shape right triangle, with a right angle facing north and its base facing the Danube. The main shaft reached 8.5 meters in height and was surrounded by a ditch up to 11 meters deep and 13 meters wide. The ditch was filled with water in places. There were four gates in the fence: on the western side - Tsargradsky (Brossky) and Khotynsky, on the northeast - Bendery, on the eastern side - Kiliyasky. The ramparts were defended by 260 guns, of which 85 cannons and 15 mortars were on the river side. City buildings inside the fence were put into a defensive state. A large amount of firearms and food supplies were stockpiled. The fortress garrison consisted of 35 thousand people. The garrison was commanded by Aidozli Mahmet Pasha.
Shirokorad A. B. Russo-Turkish wars 1676–1918 M., 2000 http://wars175x.narod.ru/1790_02.html
ACTIONS NEAR IZMAIL BEFORE ARRIVAL
At the head of the defense was the three-bunchu Aidozli Mehmet Pasha, gray in battle. Twice they offered him the title of vizier, and each time he rejected it. Without arrogance and without weakness, he constantly showed firmness and determination to bury himself under the ruins of the fortress rather than surrender it. […] There was plenty of ammunition, food for 1½ months; only there was a shortage of meat, and only the noblest officials received a portion of meat. The Turks considered Ishmael invincible.
Thus, a strong, well-equipped fortress, a courageous commandant, a garrison superior in number, whose courage was aroused by the threat of the death penalty - these were the difficulties that the Russians had to overcome.
It was necessary to capture Ishmael, not only due to the above military considerations, but also political ones.
Since August, State Councilor Loshkarev, on behalf of Potemkin, has been negotiating peace with the Supreme Vizier in Zhurzhev. As always, the Turks dragged out negotiations ad infinitum. […] It would seem that the fall of Kiliya, Tulcha, Isakchi and the defeat of Batal Pasha in the Kuban should have made Sherif Pasha more accommodating; but the intrigues of Prussia, which importunately offered its mediation under extremely unfavorable conditions, led to constant delays. Potemkin had long been driven out of patience (“I’m already bored with Turkish fables,” he writes to Loshkarev on September 7).
The Empress demanded a speedy conclusion of peace. In a rescript to Potemkin dated November 1, 1790, which he received, probably during the mentioned operations of Ribas, Potemkin and Gudovich near Izmail, she orders: “to devote all your strength and attention, and try to achieve peace with the Turks, without which it is impossible venture into no enterprise. But about this peace with the Turks, I will say that if Selim, due to his youth, needs uncles and guardians, and he himself does not know how to finish his affairs, for this he chose the Prussians, the English and the Dutch, so that they would further entangle his affairs with intrigues, then I am not in an equal position with him, and with a gray head I will not give myself into their care.”
Potemkin saw that the campaign of 1790 was coming to an end, ending it by limiting itself to the capture of insignificant fortresses would be an important blunder in politically, that until Ishmael falls, negotiations for peace will only be a waste of time, and the Empress demands this peace. He understands perfectly well that the grandiose feat of capturing Ishmael is beyond the capabilities of any of the generals there; he probably feels that he himself is not capable of this, and therefore decides to entrust the matter to Suvorov. On November 25, Potemkin from Bendery sent Suvorov a secret order in his own hand: “The flotilla near Izmail has already destroyed almost all of their ships and the side of the city to the water is open. All that remains is to undertake, with God’s help, to take possession of the city. For this, Your Excellency, please hurry there to accept all the units into our team... having arrived at the place, inspect the situation and weak points through the engineers. I consider the side of the city towards the Danube to be the weakest…[…].”
Orlov N.A. The assault on Izmail by Suvorov in 1790. St. Petersburg, 1890 http://adjudant.ru/suvorov/orlov1790-03.htm
THE CAPTURE OF ISHMAEL
At the end of October, Potemkin's Southern Army finally opened a campaign, moving into southern Bessarabia. De Ribas took possession of Isaccea, Tulcea and Sulina Girl. Meller-Zakomelsky took Kilia, and Gudovich Jr. and Potemkin’s brother besieged Izmail. They acted, however, so unsuccessfully that at the military council it was decided to lift the siege.
Then Potemkin, who attached special importance to the capture of Izmail in order to persuade the Porte to make peace, instructed Suvorov (who was stationed with his division in Brailov) to take command of Izmail and decide on the spot whether to lift the siege or continue it. Taking with him his Phanagorians and Absheronians, Suvorov hurried to Izmail, met the already retreating troops on December 10, returned them to the trenches and at dawn on December 11 captured the Turkish stronghold in an unprecedented assault. Suvorov had about 30,000, of which a fourth were Cossacks, armed only with pikes. Ishmael was defended by 40,000 men under the command of seraskir Mehmet-Emin. Suvorov immediately sent the commandant an offer to surrender:
“To Seraskir, the elders and the whole society. I arrived here with my troops. 24 hours for reflection - will. My first shot is already captivity, the assault is death, which I leave for you to think about.” To this, the seraskir replied that “the sky would sooner fall to the ground and the Danube would flow upward than he would surrender Ishmael”... Of the 40,000 Turks, none escaped; the seraskir and all the senior commanders were killed. Only 6,000 people were taken prisoner, with 300 banners and badges and 266 guns. Suvorov's damage is 4600 people.
Kersnovsky A.A. History of the Russian Army. In 4 vols. M., 1992–1994. http://militera.lib.ru/h/kersnovsky1/04.html
THUS VICTORY IS ACCOMPLISHED
Such a fierce battle lasted 11 hours; Before noon, Mr. Lieutenant General and Cavalier Potemkin sent one hundred and eighty foot Cossacks to new reinforcements of troops to open the Broskiy Gate and sent three squadrons of the Seversky Carabineer Regiment in the command of Colonel and Cavalier Count Melin. And into the Khotyn gates, which were opened by Colonel Zolotukhin, the remaining one hundred and thirty grenadiers with three field artillery guns were introduced under the leadership of Prime Major Ostrovsky, to whose courage and efficiency I give justice; at the same time, three squadrons of the Voronezh Hussar Regiment and two squadrons of the Seversky Carabineer Regiment were introduced into the Bender Gate. These latter, dismounting and taking away the guns and cartridges from the dead, immediately entered the battle.
The fierce battle, which continued inside the fortress, after six and a half hours, with the help of God, was finally resolved in new Russia glory. The courage of the commanders, the jealousy and efficiency of the headquarters and chief officers and the unparalleled courage of the soldiers won a perfect victory over the numerous enemy, who desperately defended themselves, and at one o’clock in the afternoon the victory adorned our weapons with new laurels. The enemies remained entrenched in three more places; their only salvation was in one mosque, in two stone khans and in a casemate stone battery. All of them sent their officials to Mr. Lieutenant General and Cavalier Potemkin in the presence of our officers to ask for mercy. The first of these were brought by Lieutenant Colonel Tikhon Denisov and the duty major, Prime Major Chekhnenkov, and those who settled in the two khans were taken prisoners of war by Major General and Cavalier De Ribas; their number was more than four thousand. They also took two hundred and fifty people from the casemate battery who were with Muhafiz the three-bunched pasha.
Thus the victory is achieved. The Izmail fortress, so fortified, so extensive and which seemed invincible to the enemy, was taken by the terrible weapon of Russian bayonets; the stubbornness of the enemy, who arrogantly placed his hope in the number of troops, was defeated. Although the number of the army receiving the secrets was supposed to be forty-two thousand, according to exact calculation it should be thirty-five thousand. The number of enemy killed was up to twenty-six thousand. Seraskir Aidos Mehmet the three-bunchuzh Pasha, who was in charge of Ishmael, sat down with a crowd of more than a thousand people in a stone building and did not want to surrender, was attacked by Phanagorian grenadiers in the command of Colonel Zolotukhin. And both he and everyone who was with him were beaten and stabbed.
