Siege of Khotin

Overview

The siege of Khotyn took place in Khotyn, modern-day Ukraine, in 2 July–19 September 1788, and was part of the Austro-Turkish War and the Russo-Turkish War. The Habsburg Austrian army of 18,000 men led by Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld marched from Bukovina to lay siege to Khotyn. It was joined by an Imperial Russian army commanded by Ivan Saltykov. The combined Russian–Austrian forces besieged the Ottoman garrison in the fortress of Khotyn led by the Pasha of Khotyn, who held out for more than two months before capitulating. The Allies eventually forced the surrender of the fortress. Under the terms of surrender, any resident of Khotyn who wished to leave could join the Turks, who were allowed to march out with flags flying. The civilian refugees were to be provided with food and given 3,000 carts to move their possessions. This agreement, made by the Austrian generals, was ridiculed throughout Europe as too lenient. The fortress would be occupied by the Russians until the end of the Russo-Turkish war in 1792.

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

Significance

The siege of Khotyn in 1788 secured a key Ottoman fortress on the Dniester for the allied Habsburg and Russian forces during the concurrent Austro-Turkish and Russo-Turkish wars. An Austrian army of 18,000 marching from Bukovina, joined by an Imperial Russian force under Ivan Saltykov, invested the fortress and compelled the Ottoman garrison to capitulate after holding out for more than two months. The terms of surrender — which permitted the Pasha's forces to march out with flags flying and provided civilian refugees with food and carts — drew widespread European criticism as excessively lenient toward the defeated garrison. Following capitulation, Russian forces occupied Khotyn and held it through the end of the Russo-Turkish war in 1792, making the siege an early operational gain in a conflict that would continue for several years across the region.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)