Turkish-Crimean Invasion of Kabarda (1774)
| Turkish-Crimean Invasion of Kabarda | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) and Crimean-Circassian wars | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Russian Empire Great Kabarda |
.svg){kind=small} Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate Nogai Horde Pro-Ottoman Circassians | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Eugene Medem Dzhankhot Tatarkhanov Devlet Kasaev |
Devlet IV Giray | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| ~4,500 | ~15,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | High | ||||||||
The Turkish-Crimean Invasion of Kabarda (Spring – August 1774) was a military campaign carried out by the forces of the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate against Kabarda.
History
In early 1774, Devlet-Giray’s army landed near the fortress of Sudzhuk-Kale (modern Novorossiysk). The army, estimated at around 15,000 men, included Ottoman soldiers, Crimean Tatars, and detachments of local North Caucasian groups. The campaign aimed to reassert influence over Kabarda while Russia was engaged on other fronts of the ongoing war.[1]
Several Kabardian leaders loyal to Russia, including Dzhankhot Tatarkhanov and Devlet Kasaev, requested military support against the approaching forces.[1]
Battle of Beshtamak
In 1774, during the ongoing Russo-Circassian War, a Crimean army of many thousands invaded Kabarda and laid siege to Mozdok. In the Beshtamak area and on the Gundelen River Kabardian cavalry defeated the Crimeans who suffered a devastating loss as many men got cornered and massacred meanwhile the tatars and alliance suffered around 2,000 casualties in the battle.[2][3]
Battle of Mozdok
After Battle of Beshtamak, Ossetians and Kabardians, together with Russian troops, in a battle near Mozdok against the Crimean-Turkish army.[4] Near Mozdok, the Crimean-Turkish forces suffered a defeat.[5] Later that year, in the village of Küçük Kaynarca, a peace treaty was signed between the Ottoman Turkey and the Russia. According to the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, Ossetia became part of Russia.[6]
Baksan and Gundelen battle
The retreating Ottoman–Crimean detachments regrouped and moved into the Baksan Gorge. Russian and Kabardian forces pursued them, and on 27 August 1774, an engagement occurred near the confluence of the Baksan River and Gundelen River. The battle resulted in the further withdrawal of Devlet-Giray’s forces toward the Black Sea coast.[3][7]
Aftermath
During the campaign, Kabardians allied with Russian forces to resist the invading troops of Devlet IV Giray. Their joint victory at Beshtamak, Baksan Gorge and Gundelen area crushed the Ottoman-Crimean army. Shortly afterward, the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) ended with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, by which the Ottoman Empire recognized Crimean independence under Russian influence and renounced its claims to Kabardia.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b c Glukhovtsev, B. A. (1976). Khudozhnik (PDF) (Second edition, revised and expanded ed.). Elbrus Publishing House. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ Malbakhov, Boris Kasbulatovich (2002). Kabarda na etapakh politicheskoi istorii (seredina XVI – pervaia chetvertʹ XIX veka) (in Russian). Moscow: Pomatur. p. 254. ISBN 5-86208-106-2.
- ^ a b c Yakubova, I. I. "Kabarda in International Relations in the 18th Century" [Кабарда в международных отношениях в XVIII веке]. Institute for Humanitarian Research of the Government of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and KBSC RAS (in Russian). CyberLeninka. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ Marzoev, I. T. (2009). "Relations Between the Privileged Estates of Ossetia and Kabarda in the 18th Century". Vestnik of Novgorod State University (in Russian) (51). Novgorod State University. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ "The Incorporation of Ossetia into Russia in 1774". ALANIAinform (in Russian). Information Agency of South Ossetia. 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ Kanukova, Z. V.; Ailarova, S. A.; Kuchiev, A. G., eds. (2019). History of Ossetia. Volume 1: From Ancient Times to the Late 18th Century [История Осетии. Том 1: С древнейших времён до конца XVIII века] (PDF) (in Russian). Vladikavkaz: North Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies named after V. I. Abaev, a branch of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. p. 492. ISBN 978-5-91480-152-3. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ "Military Actions in the North Caucasus, 1763–1801" [Военные действия на Северном Кавказе 1763–1801 гг.]. Runivers (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-11-06.
Военные действия на Северном Кавказе активизировались с 1763 г. в связи с основанием Россией на территории Кабарды крепости Моздок. Они имели характер как малой войны (набеги небольших отрядов и их отражение), так и крупных походов объединённых сил кавказских народов и ответных карательных экспедиций соединений русских войск. Военные действия велись с переменным успехом. К началу XIX в. они завершились в целом успешно для России.