The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–1713, also known as the Pruth River Campaign, was a brief military conflict between the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. The main battle took place during 18–22 July 1711 in the basin of the

Prut The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates on the eas ...

h river near

Stănilești Stănilești is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungar ...

after Tsar

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–68 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

entered the Ottoman vassal Principality of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

, following the Ottoman Empire's declaration of war on Russia. The ill-prepared Russians, Cossacks, and Moldavians found themselves surrounded by the Ottoman Army under

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

Baltacı Mehmet Pasha Baltacı (Ottoman), Baltacı Mehmet Pasha (also called Pakçemüezzin Baltacı Mehmet Pasha, sometimes known just as Baltacı or Baltadji; 1662, Osmancık – July 1712, Lemnos) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman statesman who served as Grand Vizie ...

. After three days of fighting and heavy casualties the Tsar and his army were allowed to withdraw after agreeing to abandon the fortress of

Azov Azov (, ), previously known as Azak ( Turki/ Kypchak: ), is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. The population is History Early settlements in the vici ...

and its surrounding territory. The Ottoman victory led to the

Treaty of the Pruth The Treaty of the Pruth was signed on the banks of the river Prut between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Russia on 23 July 1711 ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1713 with the assistance of Peter Shafirov. The treaty was a politic ...

which was confirmed by the Treaty of Adrianople.

Background

The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–1713 broke out as a result of the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

, which pitted the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era () was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic regi ...

of King

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII () or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.), was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of ...

against the

of Tsar

. Charles invaded Russian-ruled Ukraine in 1708, but suffered a decisive defeat at the

Battle of Poltava The Battle of Poltava took place 8 July 1709, was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. The Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeated the Swedish army commanded by Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld. The battle would l ...

in the summer of 1709. He and his retinue fled to the Ottoman fortress of Bender,Walter Moss, ''A History of Russia: To 1917'', (Anthem Press, 2005), 233 in the Ottoman vassal principality of

. Ottoman Sultan

Ahmed III Ahmed III (, ''Aḥmed-i sālis''; was sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, ...

declined incessant Russian demands for Charles's eviction, prompting Tsar Peter I to attack the Ottoman Empire, which in its turn declared war on Russia on 20 November 1710. Concurrently with these events, the ruler (

Hospodar ''Gospodar'' or ''hospodar'', also ''gospodin'' as a diminutive, is a term of Slavic origin, meaning "lord" or " master". The compound (, , , sh-Latn-Cyrl, gospodar, господар, ) is a derivative of ''gospod'' / ''gospodin'', , or when spe ...

)

Dimitrie Cantemir Dimitrie or Demetrius; Cantemir (; ; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Moldavian prince, statesman, and man of letters. He twice served as voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). Durin ...

of Moldavia and Tsar Peter signed the

Treaty of Lutsk The Treaty of Lutsk was a secret agreement signed in Lutsk, Poland-Lithuania (now in Ukraine), between the Tsardom of Russia and the Ottoman Protectorate of Moldavia on 13 April 1711, shortly after the outbreak of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1710� ...

(13 April 1711), by which Moldavia pledged to support Russia in its war against the Ottomans with troops and by allowing the Russian army to cross its territory and place garrisons in Moldavian fortresses. In the summer of 1711, Peter led his army into Moldavia and united it with Cantemir's forces near the Moldavian capital

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

; they then advanced southwards along the

h river. They aimed to cross the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, which marked the border between Moldavia and Ottoman territory proper. Meanwhile, the Ottoman government mobilized their own army, which outnumbered the Russo-Moldavian troops significantly. Under the command of Ottoman grand vizier

, it advanced north to confront the Russians in June 1711.

Military actions

Peter assigned Field Marshal

Boris Sheremetev Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (; – ) was a Russian diplomat and field marshal (Russian Empire), general field marshal during the Great Northern War. He became the first Russian count in 1706. His children included Pyotr Sheremetev and Nat ...

to prevent the Ottoman army from crossing the Danube. However, harassment by the forces of the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

, a major Ottoman vassal which supplied the Ottoman army with light cavalry, and his failure to find enough food for his troops prevented him from achieving this objective. Consequently, the Ottoman army succeeded in crossing the Danube without opposition. Meanwhile,

Fyodor Apraksin Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin (also ''Apraxin''; ; , Moscow) was one of the first Russian admirals, governed Estonia and Karelia from 1712 to 1723, was made general admiral (1708), presided over the Russian Admiralty from 1717 to 1728''GR ...

held the chief command in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

during the campaign.

Siege of Brăila

As the Russo-Moldavian army moved along the Prut, a portion of the

Russian army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

under General

Carl Ewald von Rönne Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

moved towards

Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2021 Romanian ...

, a major port town located on the left bank of the Danube (in Wallachia) but administered directly by the Ottomans as a

kaza A kaza (, "judgment" or "jurisdiction") was an administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. It is also discussed in English under the names district, subdistrict, and juridical district. Kazas co ...

. The Russian army met with a portion of the Wallachian army commanded by ''

Spatharios The ''spatharii'' or ''spatharioi'' (singular: ; , literally " spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely honorary dignity in the Byzantine Emp ...

'' (the second-highest military commander after the ruler)

Toma Cantacuzino Toma Cantacuzino (, Bucharest, Wallachia – 22 December 1721, Trukhnovo, Russia) was a Romanian '' Spătar'' and general in the Tsarist army. He was a member of the Cantacuzino family and cousin of Constantin Brâncoveanu and Ștefan Cantacuzin ...

, who disobeyed the orders of the ruler

Constantin Brâncoveanu Constantin Brâncoveanu (; 1654 – August 15, 1714) was List of Wallachian rulers, Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714. Biography Ascension Constantin Brâncoveanu was the son of Pope Brâncoveanu (Matthew) and his wife, Stanca Can ...

and joined the Russians. The two armies assaulted and conquered Brăila after a two-day siege (13–14 July 1711).

Battle of Stănilești

Peter and Cantemir concentrated their troops on the right bank of the Prut, across the river from the Ottomans. On 19 July, Ottoman

janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

and

Tatar Tatar may refer to: Peoples * Tatars, an umbrella term for different Turkic ethnic groups bearing the name "Tatar" * Volga Tatars, a people from the Volga-Ural region of western Russia * Crimean Tatars, a people from the Crimea peninsula by the B ...

light cavalry crossed the Prut, by swimming or by boat, driving back the Russian advance guard. This allowed the remainder of the Ottoman army to build pontoon bridges and cross the river. Peter tried to bring up the main army to relieve the advance guard, but the Ottomans repulsed his troops. He withdrew the Russo-Moldavian army into a defensive position at

, where they entrenched. The Ottoman army rapidly surrounded this position, trapping Peter's army. The janissaries repeatedly attacked, but were repulsed, suffering about 8,000 casualties. However, the Ottomans bombarded the Russo-Moldavian camp with artillery, preventing them from reaching the Prut for water. Starving and thirsty, Peter was left with no choice but to sign a peace on Ottoman terms, which he duly did on 22 July.

Kuban

On July 3, 1711, Admiral Apraksin set out for Kuban with combined forces, reaching Azov on August 5 to resupply. He resumed his advance on August 14, unaware the Pruth Campaign had ended and peace was signed; he learned this in mid-September but continued operations, possibly as retaliation.Russia marches South: army reform and battlefield performance in Russia’s Southern campaigns, 1695-1739
Russia marches South: army reform and battlefield performance in Russia’s Southern campaigns, 1695-1739
p. 157–160. The Kuban Valley, rich in livestock but poorly defended, had about 23,000 mostly untrained troops, including 10,000 former Cossacks and Old Believers. Fortifications were largely destroyed, and artillery was minimal. On August 26, Apraksin split his forces. The 18,460-strong vanguard under Colonel Lyvov advanced to block enemy regrouping. On August 29 near the Kuban River, a major Tatar force was defeated; about 5,000 drowned and nearly 22,000—including civilians—were captured. Kalmyks also crushed Nureddin-Sultan’s forces, killing some 11,300 Tatars. Meanwhile, Kabardian leaders renewed allegiance to Russia, agreeing in February with Saratov’s commander to fight the Turks. By June, they promised to raise up to 30,000 men. Crimean attempts to mobilize Kumyks against Kabarda failed. On August 30, 5,000 Kabardians led by Prince Tatarkhan Bekmurzovich defeated a 10,000-strong Crimean and Nekrasovite force near the Kuban River, killing 359, capturing 40, and seizing 2,700 horses. Many Nogais drowned fleeing. Kabardian losses were 70 dead and 120 wounded. They were rewarded by Russia in 1712–1713. Afterward, Apraksin advanced northeast, then returned to Azov via the Kuban Steppe. Early September reports noted 4,000 Nogais ambushed by Kalmyks, freeing thousands of Russian captives. On September 6, Apraksin repelled a 7,000-strong attack by Nureddin-Sultan. Soon after, he learned of the Russian defeat at Pruth and ended the campaign.

Peace treaty

The conflict was ended on 21 July 1711 by the

, to the disappointment of Charles XII. The treaty, reconfirmed in 1713 through the

Treaty of Adrianople (1713) The Treaty of Adrianople, also called the Treaty of Edirne, was signed on 24 June 1713 between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Russia and confirmed the Treaty of the Pruth of 1711, which had ended the Pruth River Campaign (1710–1711).''Tr ...

, stipulated the return of

to the Ottomans;

Taganrog Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population: Located at the site of a ...

and several Russian fortresses were to be demolished; and the Tsar pledged to stop interfering in the affairs of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. The Ottomans also demanded that Charles XII be granted safe passage to Sweden and asked the Tsar to hand over Cantemir. Although Peter acquiesced to all demands, he refused to fulfill the latter, under the pretext that Cantemir had fled his camp. According to legend, the bribe Baltacı Mehmed Pasha received was effective in the fact that the treaty was lighter than the victory (amount of almost 2 wheelbarrows).

Consequences

Alexander Mikaberidze Alexander Mikaberidze ( ka, ალექსანდრე მიქაბერიძე; born 27 January 1978) is a Georgian lawyer, author and historian who specializes in Napoleonic studies. He is a full professor of history and social scie ...

argues that Baltacı Mehmet Pasha made an important strategic mistake by signing the treaty with relatively easy terms for the Russians. Since Peter himself was commanding the Russian army, and had Baltacı Mehmet Pasha not accepted Peter's peace proposal and pursued to capture him as a prisoner instead, the course of history could have changed. Without Peter, Russia would have hardly become an imperial power, and the future arch-enemy of the Ottoman State in the Balkans, the Black Sea basin and the Caucasus. Although the news of the victory was first received well in Constantinople, the dissatisfied pro-war party turned general opinion against Baltacı Mehmet Pasha, who was accused of accepting a bribe from Peter the Great. Baltacı Mehmet Pasha was then relieved from his office. An immediate consequence of the war was the change in Ottoman policies towards the Christian vassals states of Moldavia and Wallachia. In order to consolidate the control over the two

Danubian Principalities The Danubian Principalities (, ) was a conventional name given to the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which emerged in the early 14th century. The term was coined in the Habsburg monarchy after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774) ...

, the Ottomans would introduce (in the same year in Moldavia, and in 1716 in Wallachia) direct rule through appointed Christian rulers (the so-called

Phanariotes Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots (, , ) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is located, who traditionally occupied ...

). The ruler Cantemir of Moldavia fled to Russia accompanied by a large retinue, and the Ottomans took charge of the succession to the throne of Moldavia by appointing

Nicholas Mavrocordatos Nicholas Mavrocordatos (, ; May 3, 1670September 3, 1730) was a Greek member of the Mavrocordatos family, Grand Dragoman to the Divan (1697), and consequently the first Phanariot Hospodar of the Danubian Principalities, Prince of Moldavia, an ...

as ruler. The ruler

of Wallachia was accused by the Sultan of colluding with the enemy. While the Russo-Moldavian army was on the move, Brâncoveanu had gathered Wallachian troops in

Urlați Urlați () is a town in Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. In 2021, it had a population of 10,131. Sixteen villages are administered by the town: Arioneștii Noi, Arioneștii Vechi, Cherba, Jercălăi, Mărunțiș, Orzoaia de Jos, Orzoaia de Sus, ...

, near the Moldavian border, awaiting the entry of the Christian troops to storm into Wallachia and offer his services to Peter, while also readying to join the Ottoman counter-offensive in the event of a change in fortunes. When Toma Cantacuzino switched to the Russian camp, the ruler was forced to decide in favor of the Ottomans or risk becoming an enemy of his Ottoman suzerain, and he swiftly returned the gifts he had received from the Russians. After three years, the Sultan's suspicion and hostility finally prevailed, and Brâncoveanu, his four sons, and his counselor

Ianache Văcărescu Ianache Văcărescu was a Wallachian boyer who served as grand treasurer of Wallachia under Constantin Brâncoveanu. He was killed in Constantinople in 1714 alongside Brâncoveanu and his sons. Through his son Stefan Văcărescu he is the grand ...

, were arrested and executed in Constantinople. Charles XII and his political pro-war ally, the Crimean khan

Devlet II Giray Devlet II Giray Crimean Tatar, Ottoman Turkish and (1648–1718) was Khan of the Crimean Khanate from 1699 to 1702 and from 1709 to 1713. He was the eldest son of Selim I Giray. First rule (1699–1702) Selim I Giray, after his retirement ...

, continued their lobbying to have the Sultan declare another war. In the spring of 1712 the pro-war party, which accused the Russians of delaying to meet the terms negotiated in the peace treaty, came close to achieving their goal. War was avoided by diplomatic means, and a second treaty was signed on 17 April 1712. A year after this new settlement, the war party succeeded, this time accusing the Russians of delaying in their retreat from Poland. Ahmed III declared another war on 30 April 1713.Stanford J. Shaw, ''History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey'', Vol. 1, (Cambridge University Press, 1976), 231. However, there were no significant hostilities and another peace treaty was negotiated very soon. Finally the Sultan became annoyed by the pro-war party and decided to help the Swedish king to return to his homeland. Ahmed III also deposed Devlet II Giray from the throne of the Crimean Khanate and sent him into exile to the Ottoman island of Rodos because he didn't show enough respect to Charles XII during the campaigns against Russia (Devlet II Giray considered Charles XII a prisoner and ignored his commands). Charles XII left the Ottoman Empire for

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish language, Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German language, German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklen ...

Swedish Pomerania Swedish Pomerania (; ) was a dominions of Sweden, dominion under the Sweden, Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish-Swedish War, Polish War and the Thirty Years' War ...

, which by then was besieged by troops from

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

and Russia.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

* Enciclopedia României
Bătălia de la Stănilești (7/18 – 11/22 iulie 1711)
(in Romanian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Russo-Turkish War (1710-1713) Conflicts in 1710 Conflicts in 1711 Russo-Turkish wars Battles involving Moldavia Wars involving Moldavia Wars involving Wallachia Military history of Romania Military history of Moldova 1710 in the Ottoman Empire 1711 in the Ottoman Empire 1710 in Russia 1711 in Russia Wars involving the Circassians