Timeline of the Russo-Turkish War
(1877-1878)

   

 

 
A historical overview of the Russo-Turkish War
 

This section will give a history of the Russo-Turkish war.  For ease of reference the table below allows you to study each conflict year by year.  At the end of this section the costs of the war in both men and equipment will be discussed. With few exceptions noted in parenthesis, all dates given below are according to the Julian Calendar that was used by Russia during this period.  It was 12 days behind the Gregorian calendar used by the rest of the world.  Additionally, the dates below are also color coded depending on where the selected event took place.  All dates in BROWN indicate actions in the Caucasus, while all dates in BLACK took place in Europe.

Timeline of the Conflict
  

Russian Leaders
(1877-1878)
1855-1881 Alexander Romanov II

 

 

Prelude to War

 

Russian involvement in the war had its roots in the pan-Slavic nationalism of the early 1870's.  During this time the Christian populations of the Balkans began chafing under the rule of their Muslim Turkish rulers.  The great powers of Europe had pledged to protect the Balkan Christians under the framework of the Three Emperor's League, but only the Russians had close ties to the Slavic peoples of the region.

Tensions in the area soon flared into open rebellion when the Serbians revolted against the Turks in 1875.  Russian newspapers demanded that action be taken to support their fellow Slavs.  Russian officers even volunteered to fight alongside the Serbian forces.  The Russian government remained ambivalent however.  The Empire couldn't easily afford a military campaign in the region, and other European powers could possibly intervene as they had in the Crimean War.  

The rebellion soon widened as Bulgarian Christians turned against the Turks.  By the summer of 1876 the small state of Montenegro also joined in the war.  All were rapidly defeated by the Turkish army, and 30,000 Bulgarians were massacred  by Turkish irregulars.  This forced the Russians to impose an armistice on the Turks.

The Russians attempted to work with other European powers and create Christian autonomous regions within European Turkish territory.  The Turks rejected the proposal, and the Russians began to take steps towards a military solution.  When war was finally declared, it was allegedly for the purpose of avenging the atrocities committed against the Bulgarians and for defending the Christians in the Balkans as a whole.

   

Timeline 1877-1879

 

1877
  4 April Russia signs a treaty with Romania that allowed Russian forces to pass freely through that country.
12 April Russia declares war on Turkey.
18 April In Caucasus the Russian Erevan detachment occupies Bayazid without a battle.
6 May Akhaltsykh detachment captures the Turkish fortress of Ardahan suffering only light casualties.
13 June Russian General Dragomirov concentrates his troops before crossing the Danube.  He keeps the exact location of the crossing secret.
14 June At 2000 hours Emperor Alexander II is given full details of the Danube crossing.
15 June At 0100 hours the Danube crossing begins.  A small battle erupts causing very light casualties.  By 1600 hours the crossing area was secured.  Town of Svishtov was also taken during the operation.
25 June A Russian force under Major General Gurko marches on Turnevo unopposed.
28 June Emperor Alexander II and Miliutin propose a more cautious plan for fighting the war.
2 July Osman Pasha leads his army out of Vidin.  They march south-east in an effort to meet the Russian army.

Elsewhere, the city of Nikopol is surrounded by the Russian IX Corps under General Kridener.
4 July Russians learn that Osman Pasha has left Vidin from a Vienna newspaper.

Later that day, Nikopol falls to the Russian army.
5 July General Gurko reaches Shipka pass.  The Turkish forces in the area launch two unsuccessful attacks against him.

Russian Lt. General Shilder-Shulduer is ordered to occupy town of Plevna.
7 July Turkish forces withdraw from Shipka pass leaving behind their wounded along with ammunition and cannon.

General Shilder-Shulduer's force arrives at Plevna just hours after the Turkish army does.  He places artillery on Mt. St. Nicholas in preparation for the assault on the town.
8 July First battle of Plevna begins at 0900.  The aggressive attack results in one third of the Russian officers, and half of the men becoming casualties.  Plevna remained in Turkish hands.
Mid July Turkish reinforcements arrive in the Balkan region.
17 July General Gurko attempts to renew his advance from Kazanlik to harrass Turkish communications with Adrianople.  During this advance he encounters Suleiman Pasha's Turkish reinforcements and withdraws to Shipka pass.
18 July Second battle of Plevna.  Russian forces take 7,300 casualties, while the Turkish garrison takes only 5,000.  The town remained in Turkish hands.
7 July Turkish forces withdraw from Shipka pass leaving behind their wounded along with ammunition and cannon.

General Shilder-Shulduer's force arrives at Plevna just hours after the Turkish army does.  He places artillery on Mt. St. Nicholas in preparation for the assault on the town.
8 July First battle of Plevna begins at 0900.  The aggressive attack results in one third of the Russian officers, and half of the men becoming casualties.  Plevna remained in Turkish hands.
Mid July Turkish reinforcements arrive in the Balkan region.
17 July General Gurko attempts to renew his advance from Kazanlik to harrass Turkish communications with Adrianople.  During this advance he encounters Suleiman Pasha's Turkish reinforcements and withdraws to Shipka pass.
18 July Second battle of Plevna.  Russian forces take 7,300 casualties, while the Turkish garrison takes only 5,000.  The town remained in Turkish hands.
23 July As a result of the battle of Plevna the Czar orders the mobilization of the Imperial Guard Corps, two Grenadier divisions, and two infantry divisions.  The first ban of the militia was also called up.  The total number of men would number some 110,000.  They would take several months to reach the region.
9 August The battle for Shipka pass begins.  The outnumbered Russian defenders mount a rugged defense against Suleiman Pasha's Turkish army.
12 August Russian reinforcements arrive from General Dragomirov's 14th Division reach Shipka pass.  Five more infantry regiments would arrive two days later.
15 August Battle of Shipka pass ends.  Russians take 3,600 causalties and the Turkish force takes between 8,000 and 12,000 casualties.  The Turkish force fails to drive the Russians back.
16 August Romanian prince Karol arrives at Russian field headquarters to assume command of Western troop detachment.
19 August Osman Pasha's force attacks out of besieged Plevna.  This catches the Russian by surprise, but they still manage to drive him back into the town.  Osman Pasha loses 1300 men in the assault.
21 August Russian General Skobelev conducts a thorough reconnaissance of the Turkish positions around Plevna.
22 August Russian forces carry out a successful multi-directional attack on the town of Lovech near Plevna.  Five of the seven Turkish battalions deployed there were destroyed.  The remaining two retired to Plevna proper.
24 August 32,000 Romanian troops with 108 field guns arrive to reinforce the Russians surrounding Plevna.
28 August The final assault on Plevna is postphoned for two days to allow better preparation.
30 August The battle for Plevna begins.  After heavy fighting the Russian and Romanian forces capture the Gravista Redoubts.  General Skobelev's force managed to briefly capture the Krishinskie Redoubts on the outskirts of Plevna before being driven back.
31 August Russian and Romanian forces fail to enlarge their holdings at the Grivista Redoubts.  The attack is soon called off and the third battle for Plevna ends with 12,700 Russian (and 3,000 Romanian) casualties.

After failure to take Plevna banks begin to refuse Russian war loans, and Russian paper currency loses one third of its value on European exchanges.
September Russian forces around Plevna decide to interdict the Sophia road.  Initial attempts are successful, but are unable to eliminate Turkish garrisons along the way.
September The first Russian reinforcements arrive in the Caucasus.
20-22 September Russians attack Turkish fortress of Kars.  After losing 3000 troops the Russians pull back.  Kars remains in Turkish hands.
28-29 September General Lazarev begins his advance running telegraph wire behind him to maintain contact with his other formations.
2 October General Lazarev outflanks the Turks by moving at night.  His force drives off a 6,000 man Turkish detachment near Kars.
3 October Grand Duke Michael orders the main body of the Russian Caucasian force to strike at noon.  The Turks take 16,000 casualties to the Russian's 8,500 casualties.  Pasha escapes.
Mid-October Lt. General Gurko is recalled to oversee the reduction of Turkish defensive positions around Plevna.
23 October General Heiman's advancing Erevan detachment fights a day long battle with Turkish forces under Mukhtier Pasha.  The Turkish force is defeated, but the Pasha escapes to the fortress at Erzerum.
24 October General Gurko launches an attack against the Turks at Gorni Dubnik.  One column meets very heavy resistance, the other two make good gains.  After more heavy fighting the Turkish commander surrenders.  A simultaneous attack by the Guards Jaeger Regiment on the town of Tellish fails with heavy casualties.
27 October Gurko has his forces conduct a thorough reconnaissance of Turkish positions around Tellish.
28 October The attack on Tellish begins with heavy Russian artillery bombardment.  The garrison soon surrenders.  Another Turkish garrison at nearby Dolni Dubnik also surrenders after hearing of the fall of Gorni Dubnik.
Late October The Russian Grand Duke offers Hussein Khalil Pasha (commander of Kars garrison) surrender terms.  Hussein Pasha refuses them.
5-6 November Attack on Kars begins.  Russians take 2270 causalites, but Turkish force takes 7,000 casualties.  The Russian army also captures 17,000 prisoners.
Late November Turkish garrison at Plevna begins running critically low on supplies.
28 November Osman Pasha begins concentrating his forces just west of Plevna to launch a breakout.
29 November Turkish forces break out of Plevna, overrunning three Russian defensive lines.  Russian reinforcements throw the Turks back into Plevna by the end of the day.  Osman Pasha surrenders the 43,000 man Turkish garrison in Plevna.
December Ice flows cut the Russian pontoon bridge across the Danube, isolating the Russian Corps in Bulgaria.
13 December Russian winter offensive begins with General Gurko advancing through mountain passes.  Gurko's advance forces Shakir Pasha to pull back from defensive positions in Araba Konak pass.   Two other Russian columns begin their own advance.
24-25 December General Radetskii begins preparations to attack Turkish positions at the South end of Shipka Pass, while forces under Generals Skobelev and Sviatopolk-Mirskii begin marching through the mountains to conduct an  envelopment of Turkish forces in the region.
27 December Radetskii's attack begins.  His force makes little progress against the main Turkish positions.  General Skobelev's force met unexpected resistance and was unable to attack on time.  General Mirskii's force conducts and unsupported attack on the Turkish flank, he makes little progress.
28 December Turkish forces launch counterattack against Mirskii's force, but fail to drive him from his positions.  General Skobelev's force finally arrives and attacks.  Losses are typically heavy, but Turks are defeated.  Vessil Pasha surrenders his entire force of 33,000 men.
1878
  3-5 January Suleiman Pasha's army is destroyed at Philippopolis, by General Gurko's army.
8 January General Radetskii's army takes Adrianople after Turkish garrison surrenders without a shot being fired.  
19 January
(31 January)		 An armistice is declared.  Russian army would continue marching until reaching the town of San Stefano.
19 February
(3 March)		 Treaty of San Stefano is signed ending the Russo-Turkish war.
19 February The Turks hand over Erzerum as per the agreement at San Stefano.
1 June
(13 June)		 Congress of Berlin begins.
July Treaty of Berlin is signed.

 

Aftermath of the War

The initial treaty signed between Russia and Turkey at San Stefano severely weakened the Ottoman Empire.  Unfortunately other European powers sought to intervene and limit the Russian gains.  They called the Congress of Berlin to redistribute the spoils of war.  The Russian diplomats were instructed to take whatever peace they could secure, as the war had drained the treasury and there would not be any possibility of continuing the conflict.

At the Congress of Berlin it was decided that parts of the Caucasus would be given to Russia.  Bosnia and Herzegovina would be given to Austria.  Romania would become independent, and England would have the right to occupy Cyprus.  Russia was also to halt any further advances into Afghanistan, but would again be allowed to build warships on the Black sea.

 

Cost of the Russo-Turkish War

At this point I only have the very incomplete statistics for Russian losses during the Russo-Turkish  war.  This will improve with time, but for now I have listed only the statistics that I have.  Those that I do not know at this time are marked as uncertain at present.  Suffice it to say that the Russians suffered over 100,000 casualties of one type or another.  

Number of Russian military personnel who served in the Conflict: Uncertain at Present
 

Force Breakdown

Russian Army: 115,000
Romanian Army: Uncertain at Present
Bulgarian Militia: Uncertain at Present

Total Killed and Wounded

Killed in Action: Uncertain at Present
Died of Illness: Uncertain at Present
Missing in Action: Uncertain at Present
Wounded: Uncertain at Present

 

Earlier Period Wars
and Campaigns		 Back to
the Russo-Turkish War
Main Page		 Later Period Wars
and Campaigns