ORDER OF BATTLE // April 20, 1770
Battle of Aspindza
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 12,500–27,000 estimated
Kartli-Kakheti
3,000–7,000
Medium-confidence figure
Ottoman Empire
9,500–20,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Aspindza produced a Georgian victory over a substantially larger Ottoman force during the Sixth Russo-Turkish War, a conflict in which Russian operations in the Caucasus drew regional powers into the broader confrontation with the Ottoman Empire. The kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, led by Heraclius II alongside David Orbeliani and Prince George, inflicted casualties recorded at 4,500 Ottoman troops while fielding a force estimated at less than half the Ottoman strength. The outcome demonstrated that Georgian forces could independently defeat a numerically superior Ottoman army in the field, reinforcing the kingdom's position as a viable partner in the Russian-aligned coalition operating in the southern theater.
‹ Full battle dossierSources (8)
Monograph
Anthology of Georgian Poetry
Monograph