Battle of Muş

1916 battle between the Russian and Ottoman Empires

Battle of Muş
Part of Caucasus Campaign of World War I

Map of military operations on the Caucasus campaign in 1914–1916.
Date3 August 1916 – 24 August 1916
Location
Muş, Ottoman Empire
Result Russian victory[NB 1]
Territorial
changes		 Russian recapture Muş and Bitlis
Belligerents
 Ottoman Empire

Russian Empire

  • Armenian volunteer units[1]
Commanders and leaders
Ottoman Empire Ahmed Izzet Pasha
Ottoman Empire Mustafa Kemal Pasha		 Nikolai Istomin
Nikolai Yudenich
Tovmas Nazarbekian[10]
Strength
Second Army
Kurdish Tribesmen
74,000–120,000 men[11]		 Russian Caucasus Army
Armenian Fedayi
50,000 men
Casualties and losses
56,000–60,000 killed, wounded or captured[12][13][11] 20,000 killed, wounded and captured
  • v
  • t
  • e
Caucasus campaign
Associated articles

The Battle of Muş, also known as the Ognot campaign, took place during World War I in the southeastern Anatolian region of the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey). One of the commanders involved was Mustafa Kemal, who later became known as Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey.[14] The battle resulted in a Russian victory. After extended fighting, the Russians captured the city of Muş[15] and inflicted heavy casualties on the Ottoman Second Army, nearly destroying it.[4]

Battle

The Ottomans faced significant setbacks following major Russian victories in the northern theater and the capture of Bitlis in the south. This forced them to redeploy troops, including veterans from the successful defense of Gallipoli against Russia's Western allies.

On 3 August, with a significant manpower advantage (2.5:1), the Turks launched a general offensive along the entire front. After fierce fighting, the Russians abandoned Mus on 6-8 August. Despite heavy pressure, the 1st Russian Division managed to decisively defeat four Ottoman divisions. Due to the remote location, the initial phase of the operation presented logistical challenges for the Russians, who in some areas faced opponents outnumbering them 3-4 to 1.[16]

Through a combination of heroic resistance and the effective deployment of new mobile artillery, the Russians inflicted significant casualties on the Ottomans.[17] Seizing the opportunity, General Yudnich launched a counteroffensive across the entire front.[18]

The Russians recaptured Muş on 23 August, with Ottoman General Faik Pasha reportedly killed during the battle.[4] Some sources place his death on 24 or 25 August.

Aftermath

A Turkish defeat in the south solidified Russia's military dominance. In the aftermath, the second army suffered heavy losses at the hands of Russian artillery, reducing it to the size of a corps.[4]

References

  1. ^ Kreiser, Klaus (2014). Atatürk: eine Biographie (in German). Beck. ISBN 978-3-406-66594-3.
  2. ^ Jaques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles. Vol. 1, A–E. Greenwood Press. While Russian General Nikolai Yudenich seized Erzincan, Ahmet Izzet Pasha's Second Army advanced agains the Russian left flank, where his corps cammder Mustafa Kemal seized Bitlis and Muş. Yudenich counter-attacked and, after prolonged combat west of Lake Van, he retook Bitlis and the Turks abandoned Muş before winter ended the fighting
  3. ^ The International Military Digest Annual: A Review of the Current Literature of Military Science for 1915. New York City: The International Military Digest. 1916. p. 224. Noteworthy in this theater is the Russian success in recapturing Mush and Bitlis (Aug 25), which the Turks had won earlier in the month.
  4. ^ a b c d Oleynikov 2016, p. 177.
  5. ^ Herman, Gerald (1992). The Pivotal Conflict: A Comprehensive Chronology of the First World War, 1914-1919. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 268. ISBN 0-313-22793-4
  6. ^ Tucker, Spencer (2002). The Great War, 1914-1918. UCL Press. pp. 180–181. ISBN 1-85728-390-2. "But Yudenich retook both[Bitlis & Mus] on 24 August, whereupon both sides retired into winter"
  7. ^ The International Military Digest Annual: A Review of the Current Literature of Military Science for 1915. New York City: The International Military Digest. 1916. p. 224. "Noteworthy in this theater is the Russian success in recapturing Mush and Bitlis (Aug 25), which the Turks had won earlier in the month."
  8. ^ Jaques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles. Vol. 1, A–E. Greenwood Press, page 143; "While Russian General Nikolai Yudenich seized Erzincan, Ahmet Izzet Pasha's Second Army advanced agains the Russian left flank, where his corps cammder Mustafa Kemal seized Bitlis and Muş. Yudenich counter-attacked and, after prolonged combat west of Lake Van, he retook Bitlis and the Turks abandoned Muş before winter ended the fighting."
  9. ^ Zayonchkovski 2002, p. 583.
  10. ^ Monnier, Fabrice (9 April 2015). Atatürk. La naissance de la Turquie moderne: Naissance de la turquie moderne (in French). CNRS Editions. ISBN 978-2-271-08615-0. Le 2 août, le 16e corps de Mustafa Kemal, appuyé par des irréguliers kurdes, attaque à nouveau Muş et Bitlis. Menacé d'encerclement, le général russe Tovmas Nazarbekov évacue Bitlis le 5 août puis, quelques jours plus tard, Muş.
  11. ^ a b Oleynikov 2016, p. 259.
  12. ^ Керсновский А. А. История Русской армии. Часть IV. Глава XVI. Борьба на Кавказе
  13. ^ Алексей Олейников. Огнотская операция Кавказской армии — триумф русской гаубичной артиллерии, июль-август 1916 г.
  14. ^ Erickson, Edward J. (20 August 2013). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0458-7.
  15. ^ Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 29. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier. 2000. p. 300. ISBN 0-7172-0133-3. In any case, Yudenich was able to recapture Muş and Bitlis on August 24
  16. ^ Алексей Олейников. Огнотская операция Кавказской армии — триумф русской гаубичной артиллерии, июль-август 1916 г. // Битва гвардий. Дата обращения: 6 августа 2020
  17. ^ Allen W. E. D., Muratoff P. P. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border. 1828—1921 (англ.). — Cambridge: CUP, 1953. — 614 p. — ISBN 978-1-108-01335-2.
  18. ^ Айрапетов О. Р. Участие Российской империи в Первой мировой войне (1914—1917): Серия из 4 книг. — М.: Кучково поле, 2014—2016

Literature

  • Oleynikov, Alexei (2016). Россия-щит Антанты [Russia-Shield of Entente]. Foreword by Nikolai Starikov. St.Petersburg: Piter. ISBN 978-5-496-01795-4.
  • Allen W. E. D., Muratoff P. P. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border. 1828—1921 (англ.). — Cambridge: CUP, 1953. — 614 p. — ISBN 978-1-108-01335-2
  • Zayonchkovski, Andrey (2002) [1929]. Первая Мировая Война [The First World War]. St.Petersburg: Poligon. ISBN 5-89173-174-6.