The Crossing of the Danube by the Russian Troops during the Russo-Turkish War (1877—1878): a View from the Ottoman Coast
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The Crossing of the Danube by the Russian Troops during the Russo-Turkish War (1877—1878): a View from the Ottoman Coast
Annotation
PII
S207987840028570-6-1
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Kirill Surikov 
Affiliation:
Institute of World History RAS
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Abstract

The paper explores one of the most important episodes during the 1877—1878 Russo-Turkish war namely the crossing of the river Danube by the Russian army which has not received deserved attention in works of both Russian and Turkish historians. The author analyses a wide range of understudied Ottoman sources that allows to reconstruct the “Ottoman perspective” of the Battle of the Danube and the preparation of Ottoman military for it. The comparative analysis of the memoirs of the Ottoman military figures, teachers of the Military Academy and the works of historians makes possible to revise well-established assessments of the Danube operation and its stereotypical interpretations, typical of both Russian and Western literature. The findings of the study show that the Ottomans were aware of the importance of the Danube defense line and the necessity of repelling the Russian offence. The Ottoman officers thoroughly analyzed and investigated this military experience. Going beyond the analysis of actions of army units, the Ottoman officers proposed an alternative plan of action, in their opinion more effective than the plan of the commander-in-chief of the Balkan front. The analysis of the Ottoman sources cast doubt upon a number of wide-spread judgements about the inability of the Ottoman army to defend the Danube effectively. Although the Ottoman military had to undertake drastic changes in the defense structure, the Ottoman army had the potential for successful actions on this theatre of war.

Keywords
Ottoman empire, russo-turkish wars, military history, Balkans, Ottoman literature, art of war
Received
04.12.2023
Publication date
20.11.2023
Number of characters
54188
Number of purchasers
12
Views
184
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0.0 (0 votes)
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