Pruth River Campaign

Overview

The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–1713, also known as the Pruth River Campaign, was a brief military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The main battle took place during 18–22 July 1711 in the basin of the Pruth river near Stănilești after Tsar Peter I entered the Ottoman vassal Principality of Moldavia, 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 Baltacı Mehmet Pasha. 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 and its surrounding territory. The Ottoman victory led to the Treaty of the Pruth which was confirmed by the Treaty of Adrianople.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Pruth River Campaign of 1710–1713 resulted in a significant reversal for Peter the Great's Russia within the longer arc of the Russo-Turkish Wars. After Russian forces entered the Ottoman vassal Principality of Moldavia following the Ottoman declaration of war, they were encircled near Stănilești on the Pruth River by an Ottoman army of roughly 190,000 against a Russian force of 78,000. Three days of fighting produced heavy Russian casualties — 27,285 against Ottoman losses of 16,000 — and left Peter the Great in no position to resist Ottoman terms. The resulting Treaty of the Pruth, subsequently confirmed by the Treaty of Adrianople, compelled Russia to abandon the fortress of Azov and its surrounding territory, reversing one of the principal gains Russia had made in earlier phases of the Russo-Turkish conflicts. The campaign demonstrated the limits of Russian power projection into the Ottoman sphere at this stage of the wars and temporarily halted Russian expansion toward the Black Sea region.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (13)