Battle of Rymnik

Coordinates: 45°23′30″N 27°03′40″E / 45.3917°N 27.0611°E / 45.3917; 27.0611
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Battle of Rymnik
Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791)

Clash between Russo-Austrian and Turkish troops in the Battle of Rymnik
Date22 September 1789
Location
Result Austro-Russian victory
Territorial
changes
Wallachia occupied by Habsburg forces
Belligerents
 Russia
 Austria
Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Russian Empire Alexander Suvorov
Russian Empire Aleksandr Poznyakov
Habsburg monarchy Josias of Coburg
Habsburg monarchy Andreas Karaczay
Hasan Pasha
Mustafa Pasha
Strength

103 guns[1]
100,000[4][2]

80 guns[6]
Casualties and losses
less than 1,000[7][8] nearly 20,000[7][8] [b]

The Battle of Rymnik or Rimnik,[9] also Battle of Mărtinești[c] (Turkish: Boze Savaşı [Battle of the Boze]; Russian: Рымникское сражение [Battle of the Rymnik]; German: Schlacht am Rimnik), on September 22 [O.S. September 11] 1789, took place in Wallachia, at the Râmnicul Sărat River, known as the Rymnik, near Râmnicu Sărat or Rymnik (now in Romania) during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 and the Austro-Turkish War of 1788–1791. The Russian general Alexander Suvorov, acting together with the Habsburg general Prince Josias of Coburg, attacked the main Ottoman army under Grand Vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha. The result was a crushing Russo-Austrian victory. Although this battle was fought in accordance with Suvorov's intentions, the Austrians made up the bulk of the victorious allied troops.

Background[edit]

In September 1789, the Ottoman vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha, vowing revenge for their forces' defeat at Focșani, raised an army of up to 100,000 men,[4][d] with 40,000 janissaries and 40,000 cavalry including sipahi and deli, to defeat the combined Austro-Russian armies under generals Alexander Suvorov and Prince Josias of Coburg, the future heroes of the French Revolutionary Wars. Sending his troops into a grueling night march from Brailov (now Brăila), the Pasha attacked the 18,000-strong Austrian detachment. Taking into account Josias's numbers and the Austrian underperformance in the war, specifically after the so-called "Battle of Karánsebes", the Battle of Slatina, and the Battle of Mehadia, the Pasha was convinced that he could defeat this force easily; much of the reason for the Austrian setbacks was their tactic of a thin stretched front. However, the Austrian commander repulsed the Turks after a fierce skirmish on the 19th and appealed for help to Suvorov, who was with a division south of Birlad. Following a hard fought combat, Coburg realised that he was in danger if the main forces attacked him. Once Suvorov heard of the Ottoman advance, he succinctly replied "Coming, Suvorov." and his 7,000-strong Russian force quickly marched to their aid on the night of 19 September and covering about 60 miles (97 km) in two and a half days, having arrived on the eve of battle on 21 September and joining forces with Prince's troops. Of Suvorov's generals under him, only Major-General Poznyakov (front line), and two brigadiers. Major-General Karaczay under Coburg, the hero of that skirmish, watched the road to Rymnik and Buzeu; he would fight bravely at the Rymnik as well.[10][5]

Plan[edit]

Turkish troops were stationed in the basin of the Rymna (now known as the Râmna) and Rymnik Rivers in several fortified camps 6–7 kilometres (3,7–4,3 mi) apart. The Austrian commander proposed a defensive plan, arguing that the Turks had an overwhelming superiority in strength and occupied strongly fortified positions. Suvorov insisted on an immediate offensive. His plan was to defeat the enemy piecemeal. The battle order of the Russian and Austrian troops built before dawn on 22 September was 2 lines of infantry squares, behind which the cavalry was placed. The battle began and took place according to Suvorov's plan.[11][5]

A direct approach would be dangerous in view of the Rymna's steep banks and the fact that the crossing would have to take place in full sight of their enemy. Suvorov decided that the allies must cross lower down. While the Russians were restoring their energy with food provided by the Austrians, Suvorov explained his plan to Coburg. The latter's confidence had been shaken at the realization that the allies were inferior in numbers by almost 4 to 1. Suvorov struggled to reassure him. "That's all right," he is supposed to have said. "The greater the enemy the more they will fall over one another, and the easier it will be for us to cut through. In any case, they're not numerous enough to darken the sun for us", continued the Russian commander. Suvorov well understood the magnitude of the risks, but, anxious only to encourage, did not discuss them. He took the right flank this time. Suvorov knew that a strong force of Turks was established in a wood called Tyrgo Kukuli, to the right of the crossing-point. He realized that he would have to deal with them first in order to prevent them attacking the allied rear once the two columns wheeled to the left towards the strong Turkish position at Kryngior Melor wood and the River Rymnik 5 miles (8.0 km) beyond. Therefore the Austrians would have to hold their ground in the centre while the Russians made this long necessary detour. Suvorov's men would have the harder task, but that all depended on the Austrians' standing firm.[11]

Battle[edit]

See also: § Gallery

The allies' crossing of the Rymna[edit]

At sunset that same night the infantry marched out in columns preceded by a screen of cavalry. The night was pleasant, the sky speckled with stars." They marched in great silence. Major of engineers, Voyevodsky, had found a possible crossing-point on the Rymna, and the advance troops hacked into the steep banks on both sides so that the guns, the ammunition wagons, the mobile canteens and all the other lumbering equipment of campaign could move across with the minimum of difficulty and time. Once across, the columns formed into squares with the cavalry behind them, and Suvorov's 6 formations moved straight away towards the Ottoman camp at Tyrgo Kukuli, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the south. There was a guttural order and the Turkish cannon roared out. Puffs of smoke appeared along the Russian line as Suvorov's guns fired back.[11]

The Russian square on the extreme left had almost reached a deep gully when the 12,000 figures swirled out to break up the square in the defile. Lieutenant-Colonel Khastatov's grenadiers barely withstood the buffeting. The rim of their square was broken at several points, and the men of the reserve inside thrust and cut ceaselessly, desperately fighting to save their formation from dissolution. The men became weary throwing Turks off their bayonets. The neighbouring square poured a hail of bullets into the dense mass hammering at the square. After half an hour the Turks had spent their first energies, and retired, pursued by the Austrian hussars that accompanied the Russians. The sergeant major of this regiment, Kanatov, followed by a section of Ryazan Carabiniers, cut through a party of 40 Turks and took the first standard. But the chase did not last longer than it took to disperse the mass. Suvorov's whole corps wheeled left to support Coburg, who had crossed later than the Russians and was being attacked in the flank by 20,000 men under Hadji Soytar.[11]

In the midst of fighting[edit]

Suvorov had a hard time. Near the village of Bogza (Vrancea) 6,000 Turks fell on a square of 50 Smolensk musketeers. Suvorov, who had meanwhile taken his sword from the attendant Cossack, ordered up the Rostov Regiment from the second line to fire on the attacking Turks. For an hour the Russians were held on the defensive. Twice the Chernigov Carabiniers and the Bakov Hussars charged into the mass of men and horses only to fall back again in the face of the superb scimitars of the enemy. The bayonets of the Smolensk infantrymen were in Ottoman blood, yet still the Turks, mounted janissaries, charged and charged again. Little by little, as the ground in front of the Russians became littered with bodies, the force of their onslaughts diminished, then a third cavalry charge relieved the pressure. Towards midday the Turks retreated into Kryngior Melor wood, 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the Russian front, where 15,000 janissaries were hurriedly trying to complete a line of earthworks. Suvorov re-formed his scattered formations and gave his men half an hour's rest before continuing his eastwards march.[11]

Meanwhile Coburg, after 2 hours of unbroken fighting, was now embroiled with 40,000 Turks, mainly horsemen. In spite of a heroic resistance, the Austrians were getting into difficulties — their left wing was now almost surrounded. Hearing this, Suvorov hastened to draw parallel to Coburg's units. The squares marched, breaking their ranks occasionally as a commander rode out ahead to take a closer look at the situation. Soon they were met with gun-fire, and they pressed on to try to take the guns, but each time they did so the Turks drew them back out of reach.[11]

As they came up to the wood, they made their first contact with Coburg's right wing. Having ordered the carabiniers to take up positions between the first three Russian squares and the hussars to cover the flanks and complete the link with the Austrians, Suvorov sent Colonel Zolotukhin riding over to Coburg with a request for an immediate advance. The Austrians acceded to the request, and the vast line 4 miles (6.4 km) from end to end moved forward crying, "Joseph" and "Catharine", converging on the Turkish positions. The Russian artillery on the flanks engaged their enemy guns, and the double line of squares, spitting fire in every direction, moved to within a 100 yards of the earthworks. Then the carabiniers behind them broke into a gallop and passed forward between the squares. The horses broke into the earthworks and as the horses shied on meeting the wall of men beyond, their riders swept their sabres into the unmounted Turks. Colonel Miklashevsky's 400 men captured 4 guns and struck down all the Turks who did not retreat into the forest, for none but the mortally wounded would surrender. The carabiniers were too unwieldy to penetrate the wood itself and the jaeger, coming in through the broken undergrowth, were let loose inside the wood to take part in tense and half-seen skirmishes.[11]

Final phase[edit]

Suvorov had thus rolled up the comparatively weak Turkish left, and they retired towards their camp on the Rymnik. Sections along the Russian front took advantage of this success to press on with their own attacks. Musketeers and carabiniers, jaeger and Cossacks, grenadiers and even the irregular Arnauts pressed forward. "Each man fought his opponent to the death." Even though they had endured a long and wearing march, the Russians held their ranks straight, and stood firm against the horsemen. The Turkish attacks weakened, and the Russians plunged into an enemy which had largely spent its energy. Numbers no longer mattered. The allied formations allowed the Turks no room to fan out and use their strength. In the forest the jager and Arnauts were at no disadvantage against greater, cramped numbers.[11]

The Grand Vizier, himself in Kryngior Melor wood, was no longer in a position to see the progress of events. He went back to his main camp on the Rymnik and there faced the ever increasing stream of his retreating army, holding the Koran in his outstretched hand and exhorting them to turn and face the enemy. They protested that they could not withstand the attacks, and passed him by. The Vizier pleaded with the fleeing gunners, but they would not listen, and, despairing, he, too, rode away along the road to Brailov.[11]

The Austrians now felt the pressure slackening. Suvorov's right-wing attack had compelled the strong forces opposite them to retire, and the Austrians, taking at the fallibility of their superior enemy, joined the Russian advance. By nightfall the field as far as the Rymnik itself was won by the allies, and the soldiers settled down for the night amid 5,000 Ottoman corpses, whilst untethered pack-animals, mules, buffaloes and camels roamed between their bivouacs.[11]

In the military history, the Battle of Rymnik is a classic example of complex manoeuvring of troops on heavily rugged terrain. The Russian-Austrian troops, having concentrated stealthily, struck a swift blow at the numerically superior enemy and defeated him in detail.

The allied pursuit[edit]

Ottoman snipers were still ensconced in the trees of Kryngior Melor wood, and had laboriously to be picked off. Suvorov estimated that 2,000 Ottomans were dispatched in the blackthorn and undergrowth after the battle proper. But most of them had fled. Only the darkness and fatigue of the Austro-Russian troops did not allow them to continue the pursuit of the Turks over the Rymnik River. At dawn the next day the allies took up the chase. They invaded the Grand Vizier's personal camp, 3 miles (4.8 km) across the river, and sections of light cavalry rode as far as 20 miles (32 km) in various directions pouncing on the more backward groups of fleeing Turks. Many of the fugitives were stranded on the blocked roads, and frantically sought refuge in the chaos of abandoned equipment. The Grand Vizier had crossed the River Boze (or Buzău) by bridge and then had it destroyed to delay his pursuers. As a result, many Turks, preferring any risk rather than the sabres and lances of their pursuers, plunged into the muddy, turbulent waters, and thousands of them drowned.[11][5]

The Ottoman defeat was complete. The remnants of their army, gathered in Maçin (now Măcin), numbered no more than 15,000. The rest either fled to Buzeu or scattered.[5]

Casualties[edit]

At the cost of <1,000 casualties (where no more than 500 people were killed, and the total was c. 700[6]), Suvorov, together with Coburg, inflicted about 20,000 casualties against the Turks, who were now in full retreat from the Danubian Principalities. The Turks lost all their artillery and baggage train.

Aftermath[edit]

For this victory, Alexander Suvorov was awarded the title of "Count of Rymnik" (граф Рымникский, Graf Rymniksky) by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. On the other hand, the Ottoman vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha was dismissed on December 2, 1789, after his defeat. These two crushing victories of Focșani and the Rymnik firmly established Suvorov as the most brilliant general of the then Russian Army; and to Coburg's honour can be attributed his resourcefulness, coolness and personal bravery, but according to his own mind, the Austrians had forgotten how to fight the Turks.[5][12][13] Meanwhile, the Habsburgs occupied all of Wallachia until the war ended.

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

Notelist[edit]

  1. ^ They were only engaged towards the end of battle (also in the pursuit), and – because of the occupied battle terrain – not all of them.[5]
  2. ^ On the whole day of September 22, the allies captured no more than 400 Ottoman men, whose total loss was more than 15,000. Hasan Pasha reported that his losses exceeded 20,000 men. In addition, the allies took 100 standards, 6 mortars, 7 siege and 67 field guns; three Ottoman camps, many horses, camels, supplies and other things went to the allies.[5]
    The loss of scattered ones is not taken into account. One Russian estimate is the remaining 15,000 men from the dispersed ~80,000-strong army who had assembled in Maçin.[5]
  3. ^ the Austrian name[5]
  4. ^ Russian historian Petrov says "90,000 or 100,000."

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Russo-Austrian troops defeated the Turkish army in the Battle of Rymnik Archived April 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Stone D. R. A Military History of Russia: From Ivan the Terrible to the War in Chechnya. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006. p. 86
  3. ^ Longworth 1966, pp. 157–158.
  4. ^ a b Dowling T. C. Russia at War. From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond. ABC-CLIO, 2014. p. 751
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Petrov 1880.
  6. ^ a b "РЫМНИКСКОЕ СРАЖЕНИЕ 1789 • Great Russian Encyclopedia – Electronic version". old.bigenc.ru. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  7. ^ a b Dowling T. C. Russia at War. From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond. ABC-CLIO, 2014. p. 752
  8. ^ a b Stone D. R. A Military History of Russia: From Ivan the Terrible to the War in Chechnya. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006. p. 87
  9. ^ "Aleksandr Vasilyevich Suvorov, Count Rimniksky | Russian Military Strategist & Hero | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  10. ^ Longworth 1966, p. 157.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Longworth 1966, pp. 158–163.
  12. ^ Nicolae Iorga:Geschichte des ottomanischen Reiches Vol 5 (trans: Nilüfer Epçeli) ISBN 975-6480-22-X p. 83
  13. ^ Longworth 1966, p. 164.

Used materials[edit]

External links[edit]

45°23′30″N 27°03′40″E / 45.3917°N 27.0611°E / 45.3917; 27.0611