Battle of Başgedikler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Başgedikler |
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| Part of The Crimean War | |||||||
 Cavalry attack at Bashkadyklar Bogdan Willewalde. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russian Empire |
 Ottoman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Vasili Bebutov E.V. Brimmer Zakhary Chavchavadze Iliko Orbeliani I. Bagration-Mukhransky Alexander Baggovut |
Ahmed Pasha Veli Pasha Mirliva Hüseyin Pasha Hasan Yazici Mirliva Mustafa Pasha |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000 32 guns |
25,300 32 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 300 killed 900-1,000 wounded |
1,500 killed 4,500–6,500 wounded 24 guns |
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The Battle of Başgedikler was an important fight during the Crimean War. It happened on December 1, 1853. In this battle, a Russian army fought and defeated a larger Turkish force. The fight took place near the village of Başgedikler in the Trans-Caucasus region.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
After Russia and the Ottoman Empire declared war in October 1853, both sides gathered their armies. They focused on two main areas: along the Danube River and in the southern Caucasus mountains. Russia's main military base in the Caucasus was at Alexandropol. The Ottoman Empire's main fort was at Kars.
Turkish Army Moves Forward
In November 1853, the Ottoman Turks put together an army of 36,000 soldiers. They marched from Kars to Baş Şüregel, a place on the Akhurian River. This river was the border with Russia. On the other side of the river was a Russian base called Bayindir. The Turks wanted to push the Russians back to Alexandropol.
On November 13, the Ottoman army, led by Abdi Pasha, easily defeated about 2,000 Russian cavalry soldiers. They took control of the Bayindir base. The Russian commander at Alexandropol, General Vasili Bebutov, quickly reacted. He led 10,000 men with 28 cannons to Bayindir.
Russian Retreat and Pursuit
On November 14, General Bebutov's forces fought the Turks. But the Turkish cannons caused heavy losses for the Russians. Bebutov quickly pulled his troops back after losing about 1,000 men. For the next 12 days, there was no more fighting.
During this time, Abdi Pasha stayed in Bayindir. He brought in more soldiers and built defenses. However, Abdi Pasha soon worried that his army was not big enough. He also felt they didn't have enough supplies for a major attack, especially with winter coming. So, Abdi Pasha decided to leave Bayindir and retreat back to the Turkish fort at Kars. General Bebutov, seeing an opportunity, decided to chase the retreating Turkish army.
How the Armies Moved and Lined Up
On November 18, General Bebutov's army was at Baş Şüregel, chasing the Turks. The next morning, Bebutov and his soldiers reached Pirvali. There, they crossed the Karschai River.
Change in Turkish Command
On November 26, the retreating Turkish army, led by Abdi Pasha, reached Başgedikler. News arrived that Russian forces had won a battle at Akhaltsikhe in Georgian territory. Some blamed Abdi Pasha for this defeat because he hadn't attacked the Russians earlier. Because of this, Abdi Pasha decided to go to Kars right away. He gave command of the army to his chief of staff, Ahmed Pasha. Abdi Pasha ordered Ahmed Pasha to keep retreating. He didn't think the Russians would chase them deep into Turkish land.
After Abdi Pasha left for Kars, Ahmed Pasha learned that the Russians were only 10 kilometers away at the Karschai River. Since the enemy was so close, Ahmed Pasha realized he couldn't avoid a battle. He decided to stand and fight the Russians. Even though the Turkish army was smaller now (some cavalry had left), Ahmed Pasha still believed he had more soldiers. He wanted to show his skills and thought he could beat the Russians.
How the Armies Prepared to Fight
Ahmed Pasha set up his forces along the Mavryak Chai River, between two small villages.
- On the left, near Oğuzlu village, he placed six groups of foot soldiers and one group of cavalry.
- On the right, near Hamzagerek village, was the main group of 20 cannons and four groups of soldiers. Two of these groups were in squares, and two were behind them.
- Between the two villages, along a steep valley, were eight groups of soldiers. Turkish and Kurd cavalry were also there.
- Three groups of foot soldiers and six cannons were kept in reserve.
As General Bebutov and the Russians approached on the morning of December 1, their plan was to attack Oğuzlu village. This would block the Turks from retreating towards Kars. The Russian army was set up in three lines:
- The first line had nine groups of soldiers. Dragoons (cavalry) were on the sides with four light cannons. Foot soldiers were in the middle with 16 cannons and 900 Cossacks (another type of cavalry).
- The second line had four groups of grenadiers (specialized soldiers) and six cannons.
- The third line, kept in reserve, had three groups of grenadiers and a cavalry regiment.
The Battle Begins
The battle started at noon with a short exchange of cannon fire. Soon after, Bebutov followed his plan. He sent foot soldiers from the first line, led by General Kishinsky, to climb the valley. They tried to attack the Turks on their left side, near Oğuzlu village. But the Turkish foot soldiers, hidden in the valley and protected by their defenses, quickly pushed the Russians back.
Russian Attack on the Right Wing
Around 1 PM, Bebutov changed his plan. He decided to attack the Turkish right side, where their main cannons were. Grenadiers from the second line, led by Generals Orbeliani and Bagration-Mukhransky, were sent straight up the valley towards the Turkish cannons. The first line moved to their left to help the grenadiers.
After the Russians reached the top of the valley, they captured some cannons. But Turkish reserve forces quickly counterattacked and took their weapons back. During this attack, many Russian soldiers were lost, including General Orbeliani.
Just when it seemed the Russian attack on the Turkish right side would fail, General Bebutov arrived. He brought two groups of grenadiers from the reserve and restarted the attack. General Bagration-Mukhransky managed to regroup his men. He led them to a position where they could attack the Turks from the side.
At the same time, Russian General Baggovut and his dragoons fought off the Turkish cavalry. They crossed the river and rode to the top of the plateau (a flat area of high ground). There, they attacked the Turkish soldiers with their mobile cannons. This led to the Turkish soldiers breaking apart and the capture of all 20 cannons. At that point, the entire right side and part of the middle of the Turkish defenses collapsed. The Turkish foot soldiers then began to scatter and retreat.
Fighting on the Left Wing and End of Battle
While this was happening, the Turkish forces on the left side, near Oğuzlu village, launched their own attack on the Russian right. The Turkish and Kurd cavalry tried many times to attack from the sides. But the Russian dragoons and cavalry, led by Georgian General Chavchavadze, pushed them back. A Turkish foot soldier attack was also stopped by the heavy cannon fire from the Russian chief of artillery, General Brimmer.
By this time, the battle for the Turkish cannons on the right side had ended in a Turkish defeat. General Kishinsky then sent his foot soldiers to counterattack the Turkish left. By 3 PM, the Russians entered Oğuzlu village. At that point, the Turks began to flee in confusion, and the battle was over. Those Turks who were not captured retreated west towards their fort in Kars.
The Russians were too tired to chase their enemy, so many Turks managed to escape. The Russians lost about 1,200 to 1,300 soldiers, with around 300 killed. But the Turkish losses were much higher, with 6,000 to 8,000 casualties and about 1,500 killed. The Turks also lost their entire camp, 24 cannons, military supplies, and food.
What Happened After the Battle
The Turkish loss at Başgedikler meant the Ottoman Empire could not take control of the Caucasus region at the start of the Crimean War. This battle helped set the border with Russia for the winter of 1853–1854. It also gave the Russians time to make their presence in the region stronger.
More importantly, the Turkish defeat showed the Ottoman Empire's allies that the Turkish military could not stop the Russian invasion without help. This led to the Western European powers getting more involved in the Crimean War and the affairs of the Ottoman Empire.
Images for kids
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Cavalry attack at Bashkadyklar by Bogdan Willewalde.
