Battle of Kurekdere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Kürekdere |
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| Part of The Crimean War | |||||||
 Battle of Kurekdere by Fedor Baikov |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
 Russian Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Zarif Mustafa Pasha Richard Guyon Ferik Kerim Pasha Feyzi Bey Ferik Veli Pasha Ferik Raşid Pasha İsmail Pasha Mirliva Hasan Pasha |
Vasili Bebutov |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 35,000–40,000 78 guns |
20,000–29,800 64 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1,200–2,820 killed 1,000–2,000 wounded 2,000 captured 6,000 deserters |
589 killed 2,000–2,500 wounded |
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The Battle of Kürekdere happened on August 6, 1854, during the Crimean War. It was a fight between the Ottoman army and Russian soldiers. The Ottomans marched from their fort at Kars to meet the Russians near a village called Kürekdere in the Trans-Caucasus region.
Contents
Why Did the Battle Happen?
After a defeat in December 1853 at the Battle of Başgedikler, the Ottoman army was tired and discouraged. They went back to the fort at Kars. Many soldiers got sick and died during the winter.
In the spring of 1854, Zarif Mustafa Pasha became the new leader of the Ottoman army. He had not led many battles before. Even though more soldiers joined his army, their equipment was not good. Zarif Pasha was told to fight and defeat the Russian forces.
Moving Armies Around
By summer 1854, the Ottoman army had more soldiers than the Russians. Zarif Pasha had chances to attack Russian outposts. But he did not act, even when his officers told him to. Because he waited, the Russians felt safe to move around. They could attack when they had an advantage.
On July 1, Russian General Bebutov led 15,000 men across the Akhuryan River. They set up camp near Kürekdere village. This was close to Ottoman outposts. When Zarif Pasha heard this, he moved his army from Kars to prepare for a fight.
For a whole month, the two armies stayed in the field. But they did not fight. One day, they got ready for battle, but a big thunderstorm stopped them. During this time, some Turkish allies, called Bashi-bazouks, attacked the Russians. But the main Ottoman army did not support them. Many Bashi-bazouks got frustrated and went home.
Zarif Pasha's army grew to about 40,000 men. General Bebutov's force also grew to about 28,000 men. Even with more soldiers, Zarif Pasha was unsure if he should attack or defend.
On August 3, Zarif Pasha heard bad news. On July 18, Russian General Vrangel defeated another Turkish force. The Russians were now heading towards a small Turkish fort. There was a worry they might attack Zarif Pasha's army from behind.
Planning the Attack
It became clear the Ottomans had to act. Zarif Pasha held a meeting with his officers. They included many Ottoman pashas and European officers. One important officer was Richard Guyon, a British-born Hungarian general. He was the chief of staff for the Ottoman army.
Zarif Pasha and Guyon did not get along well. Zarif Pasha did not trust Guyon's ideas. At the meeting, the Ottoman pashas argued and could not agree. Finally, Zarif Pasha approved Guyon's plan. The plan was to attack Bebutov's army at Kürekdere right away. Then, they would go after the Russian group heading towards the fort.
Zarif Pasha approved the plan on August 3. But he delayed the attack for two days. He believed August 4 and 5 were unlucky days.
Guyon's plan was for the army to march at sunset. They would use the moonlight to reach the Russian camp. Then, they would attack at dawn. The night of August 5 was clear and bright. The soldiers were ready. But Zarif Pasha again delayed. He did not give the order to march on time. Even when Guyon urged him, Zarif Pasha said he knew when to start. The Ottoman troops waited for over two hours. They finally marched around midnight.
The night march was further messed up by Zarif Pasha. The army was in two main groups. Both groups were supposed to arrive at the Russian camp at the same time. This would allow a surprise attack. But Zarif Pasha let the second group stop for two hours. They had trouble crossing the land in the dark. So, the first group arrived two hours after dawn. And they arrived two hours before the second group. The surprise attack was lost. The Russians were already ready for battle when the first Ottomans arrived.
The Battle of Kürekdere
On Sunday, August 6, 1854, the two armies met. The battle started with 30 minutes of cannon fire. The Ottoman cannons were very good at first. They pushed the Russians off a hill.
At the start of the fighting, the first Ottoman group pushed back the Russian foot soldiers. But Russian dragoons (soldiers on horseback) then charged into the Ottoman foot soldiers. This made the Ottoman soldiers panic and run away. They left their cannons unprotected. The dragoons and Russian foot soldiers tried to capture the Ottoman cannons. They did not succeed at first. During this fight, the Russians defeated an Ottoman group of new soldiers. These new soldiers quickly broke and ran. Soon after, the dragoons captured the Ottoman cannons. Then, they attacked the Ottoman foot soldiers, cavalry (horseback soldiers), and artillery (cannon soldiers). The whole Ottoman force began to break apart. Efforts to regroup and fight failed. Around this time, the second Ottoman group arrived. They immediately attacked the Russians with their cannons. The battle started to turn in favor of the Ottomans.
Guyon and Resul Pasha brought the Ottoman cavalry into the fight. They charged forward. As they reached a hill near the Russian camp, they ran right into a Russian foot soldier group. When the cavalry stopped, it caused a lot of confusion. This turned into panic and spread to the Bashi-bazouks. Quickly, all the Ottoman soldiers on horseback ran back towards their own lines. They crashed into their own foot soldiers. This caused so much trouble that the foot soldiers lost their organization. As a result, the entire Ottoman force panicked and ran away in confusion.
As the cavalry caused chaos, Guyon told the second group to advance and help the first group. But the leader of the second group refused to move without an order from Zarif Pasha. When Zarif Pasha was found an hour later, he gave the order. But it was too late. The first group was already running away, with Russian dragoons chasing them. Guyon managed to gather some soldiers and cannons. He led them in a charge. He got back some lost ground. But there were too many Russians.
The battle was over. The Ottomans quickly ran back to their camp. They grabbed what they could and retreated in great disorder. Soon, a long line of the defeated army stretched for miles on the road to Kars. It included disorganized groups of soldiers, wounded men, carts, horses, and non-fighters. Even though they were an easy target, the Russians did not chase them.
At the Kars fort, there was chaos. Bashi-Bazouk riders had rushed back to warn that the Russians were coming. People were collecting their valuables and fleeing the city. Zarif Pasha eventually brought his defeated army back to Kars. He took shelter in the fort, expecting the Russians to attack. However, the Russians chose not to attack the strong fort at that time.
The defeat of the Ottoman army at Kürekdere happened because Zarif Pasha was not a good leader. Also, many Ottoman officers were cowardly. Zarif Pasha's battle plan was poorly carried out. The Ottoman forces were split into three groups that became very separated. So, they fought individually instead of together. This meant they did not use their larger number of soldiers effectively. The artillery soldiers fought well and bravely. But the Ottoman cavalry and Bashi-bazouks acted shamefully. Many Ottoman officers deserted their men. They ran back to their camp to save their belongings and escape to Kars.
Humphry Sandwith, a reporter who saw the battle, wrote about how badly many Ottoman officers behaved. He said that only the artillery and a few foot soldier groups fought well. He believed that the Ottoman army lost because of the officers' cowardice.
Guyon tried to lead the Ottomans in the battle. But he was only the chief of staff. He did not have the direct power to command the troops. So, the Ottoman commanders were not allowed to obey his orders without Zarif Pasha's approval.
What Happened Next?
The Battle of Kürekdere showed again that the Ottoman army could not push the Russians out of the Trans-Caucasus alone. They needed help from their allies.
Both Zarif Pasha and Guyon were called back to Istanbul for a trial. Zarif Pasha tried to blame Guyon for the defeat. But Guyon had many supporters. They defended his battle plan and actions. Zarif Pasha was accused of corruption and attacking when he was told to only defend. In July 1855, Zarif Pasha was found not guilty and released.
The Ottoman Empire's allies suggested that all foreign officers at Kars should leave. They wanted General Klapka to lead the army. In September 1854, İsmail Pasha was appointed to command the Ottoman army at Kars. There were no more major battles between the Ottoman and Russian Empires in the Trans-Caucasus for the rest of that year.
Images for kids
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Battle of Kurekdere by Fedor Baikov
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Bogdan Willewalde. Battle of Kurekdere
