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Battle of Malazgirt (1915)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Manzikert or Battle of Malazgirt (Turkish
: Malazgirt Muharebesi) was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign
of World War I
, in 1915. Even though losses were heavy on both sides, the ground situation changed little by the end of the action.
. He believed that the Turkish
forces in the area were weak. However the Turkish forces contained several divisions numbering upwards of 40,000 men which was not known to the Russians
. On July 16, the Ottoman Army
counter-attacked under Abdul Kerim Pasha. They outnumbered the Russians by a factor of 3-1. Oganovski was forced to retreat back to Malazgirt, and in the process the Turks captured his baggage train. on July 20, the Russians were driven from Malazgirt. Yudenich, who was the Russian commander of the Caucasus front, due to the bad quality of the Russian communications, did not learn that the Russian army was in retreat until July 22.
Yudenich quickly regrouped his forces, fired Oganovski, and launched a counter-offensive. Russian casualties were reported to be about 10,000. Malazgirt was recaptured but Yudenich did not have a large enough force to exploit the situation further.
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Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: Malazgirt Muharebesi) was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, in 1915. Even though losses were heavy on both sides, the ground situation changed little by the end of the action.
Operations
On July 10, 1915, Russian General Oganovski launched an offensive to capture the hills just west of MalazgirtMalazgirt
Malazgirt is a town in Muş Province in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23,697 .-Founding:...
. He believed that the Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
forces in the area were weak. However the Turkish forces contained several divisions numbering upwards of 40,000 men which was not known to the Russians
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. On July 16, the Ottoman Army
Military of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
counter-attacked under Abdul Kerim Pasha. They outnumbered the Russians by a factor of 3-1. Oganovski was forced to retreat back to Malazgirt, and in the process the Turks captured his baggage train. on July 20, the Russians were driven from Malazgirt. Yudenich, who was the Russian commander of the Caucasus front, due to the bad quality of the Russian communications, did not learn that the Russian army was in retreat until July 22.
Yudenich quickly regrouped his forces, fired Oganovski, and launched a counter-offensive. Russian casualties were reported to be about 10,000. Malazgirt was recaptured but Yudenich did not have a large enough force to exploit the situation further.
Aftermath
The Russian army, in Malazgirt, was outnumbered 3-1 by the Ottoman army. Realizing that if the Ottomans attacked, his army would be destroyed, Yudenich ordered a retreat. The Russians retreated from Malazgirt, and the entire Van region. this left the city of van open to an Ottoman attack, and the Ottomans captured the city on August 22. However Malazgirt was re-captured after the Ottomans were defeated at the Battle of Kara KillisseBattle of Kara Killisse (1915)
The Battle of Kara Killisse was a battle on the Caucasus front in July 1915 after the Battle of Manzikert. In Russian historical literature, this engagement is considered as a part of "Alashkert defensive operation" ....
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Effect on Russian morale
While the battle was indecisive, and the ground situation changed little, the Russian perceived the battle as a victory, and it boosted national Russian morale. This minor victory provided some respite to the continuing losses on the Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
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