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The Battle of Sofia () was the culmination of
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n General Iosif Gurko's Western Squad for the defeat of the Orhaniye army in the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and a coalition led by the Russian Empire which included United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, Romania, Principality of Serbia, Serbia, and Principality of ...
. It led to the Liberation of
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
from Turkish rule.


Battle of Sofia


Location of power

In early January 1878, the West army group Gurko successfully crossed the
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. Parts of the group was to focus on Yana village. The Orhaniye Ottoman army after the
Battle of Tashkessen The Battle of Tashkessen or Battle of Tashkesan (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Taşkesen Muharebesi'') took place during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. It was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Russi ...
retired to the Sofia area. Western group Gurko passed to operation Orhaniye to defeat the Ottoman army, according to the plan for final action in the war. General Iosif Gurko said: "''Probably we would not have crossed the mountain, were it not for these silent and strong Bulgarians who brought us bread and hot food. They prompted us to remove the horses to harness their oxen to the guns and so went the first party to pass through snowdrifts and freezing cold.''" Part of the forces of the West group Gurko with 20,000 soldiers and 46
cannons A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during t ...
commanded by Major General Otto Rauch were directed into Sofia field. They were grouped into two columns: the right column of Lieutenant General Nikolai Velyaminov attacked from the north, and the left column of Major General Otto Rauch from the east. The opponent was Sofia's Ottoman holding force, 15,000 soldiers under Commander Osman Nuri Pasha, who occupied the approaches to the city and fortifications around the city.


Battle of Gorni Bogrov

On 19/31 December Ottoman forces (5000 soldiers) were directed against the column of Lieutenant Velyaminov (4200 soldiers). The Ottomans burned Dolni Bogrov and Botunets villages. This led to a gun battle. The next day, December 20 / January 1, attacking frontally, they made two attacks and attempt to attack the Russian flanks. After Russian counterattack the Ottomans abandoned Dolni Bogrov and by nightfall fled and were pursued.


Fight at Vrazhdebna

On December 21 / January 2 the column of Major General Rauch came from Sarantsi village and headed to Gorni Bogrov. They crossed the river Iskar, causing a skirmish at the bridge near Vrazhedbna. The opposing forces were subjected to artillery shelling and bypassed on the left flank by the Life Guards Preobrazhenski Regiment. They did not withstand the pressure and set fire to the bridge and retreated to Sofia.


Liberation of Sofia

The forces of the West group Gurko attacked in total offensive on 22 December / January 3. Column Lieutenant Velyaminov captured Kubratovo and Birimirtsi villages and went to Orlandovtsi village. The column of Major General Rauch captured the bridge at Chardakli farm (today, of the
Tsarigradsko Shose Tsarigradsko shose () is the largest boulevard in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. The boulevard provides grade-separated dual carriageway in almost its entire length of 11.4 km, running from the north-west to the south-east. It begins in the ...
over the Iskar river near
Vrana Palace Vrana Palace (; formerly ; ) is a royal palace, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is today the official residence of the former Royal House of Bulgaria, royal family of Bulgaria. While the Royal Palace (Sofia), Royal Palace i ...
) and blocked the retreat route from Sofia towards Plovdiv. The Caucasian Cossack Brigade (commanded by Colonel Ivan Tutolmin) advanced in the direction Dărvenitsa - Boyana. Faced with a real threat of encirclement, Osman Nuri Pasha started a fast retreat in the direction of
Pernik Pernik ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, a town in western Bulgaria (about south-west of Sofia) with a population of 70,285 . Pernik is the most populated town in western Bulgaria after Sofia. It is the main town of Pernik Province an ...
- Radomir, abandoning on the road 6000 wounded and sick soldiers. The foreign consuls (Vito Positano and Leander Lege) intervened, preventing an attempt to set fire to Sofia. On 23 December / January 4, 1878 into Sofia entered the first Russian units: Caucasian Cossack brigade and Grodno Hussar Regiment. Large military ammunition depots and supplies were captured. In the cathedral, a service was celebrated in the presence of Lieutenant General Iosif Gurko and Major General Otto Rauch.


Results

After the Battle of Sofia the Orhaniye Ottoman army ceased to exist as an organized military force. The Ottomans suffered irreparable human and material losses. This opened for offensive the direction of Sofia - Plovdiv -
Edirne Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...
. Plovdiv was liberated on January 16 and Edirne was conquered on 20 January.


Notes


References

* Освободителната война 1877–1878, С., 1986, с. 59,64,122 * Освободителната война 1877–1878, С., 1978, с. 94


External links


Освобождението на София

137 години от освобождението на София от османска власт: На 4 януари 1878 г. Западният руски отряд под командата на генерал-лейтенант Гурко освобождава София
Article from December 1927 of the newspaper "Fatherland", organ of the Union of Reserve Officers. The occasion is the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the city.
BulgariCA: BULGARians In CAlifornia
{{coord missing, Bulgaria
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
History of Sofia December 1877 January 1878