ORDER OF BATTLE // January 1, 1918
Battle of Karakilisa
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 16,000 estimated
Armenia
6,000
Medium-confidence figure
Ottoman Empire
10,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Karakilisa was fought during the Caucasus Campaign of World War I, taking place over several days in late May 1918 near Karakilisa. Armenian forces under Tovmas Nazarbekian and Garegin Nzhdeh, numbering around 6,000, faced an Ottoman force of approximately 10,000 under Wehib Pasha and Kazim Pasha. Armenian casualties reached roughly 1,000. The engagement was part of the broader Ottoman push into the Caucasus following the collapse of Russian military cohesion, a period in which Armenian forces fought to resist Ottoman advances across the region.
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