THE MIDDLE EAST FRONT

THE CAUCASUS CAMPAIGN 1916 – RUSSIAN GAINS

Acknowledgements

Map (detail): althistory.fandom.com Turks in Retreat: Le Petit Journal, February, 1916 enwikipedia.org Erzerum: via houshamayan.org. Yudenich: en.topwar.ru artist unknown.

    As we have seen, the fighting in Eastern Anatolia in 1915 had ended disastrously for the Ottoman Empire. Encouraged by an early repulse of the Russian forces, they had launched an ambitious offensive which had under-estimated not only the strength of their enemy, but also the demands of the mountainous terrain that had to be crossed, and the severity of the bitter weather conditions that had to be faced. It is said that thousands of men were frozen to death before a shot was fired. The outcome was the overwhelming defeat of the Ottoman army at the Battle of Sarikamis. And it was this battle, as we have seen, that – to a large extent – triggered off the “Armenian Genocide”.

    But, initially, it was not all grim news for the Ottoman forces at this particular time. Their outstanding victory in the Gallipoli Campaign, just coming to an end, meant that quite a large number of troops (at least seven divisions) would soon be available for redeployment on the Caucusus front. This, it was hoped, would swing the balance in their favour, and serve to drive the Russians fully out of Eastern Anatolia. However, this prospect had not escaped the Russians. As a result, they had planned a major winter offensive before the arrival of such battle-hardened troops, aimed at capturing Erzerum, the strategic fortress city they had failed to reach in their abortive attack in November 1914. A force of 130,000 infantry and 35,00 cavalry had been raised, plus 150 supply trucks and 20 aircraft. Underxthe command of General Nikolai Yudenich, this offensive took the Turks by surprise and proved extremely successful. The border town of Koprukoy was taken on the 16th January, and the ancient stronghold of Erzerum exactly a month later by a two-pronged attack (see map above). The fall of this formidable fortress was a bitter blow to the Turks. Then in April, the Black Sea ports of Rite and Trebizonda were captured (highly valuable for war supplies) and, further west, the towns of Erzingian in May and Baiburt in July. During this short but successful campaign, the Turks lost 17,000, killed or taken prisoner. A contributory factor to the Russian success – but not easy to evaluate – was the after effects of the so-called “resettlement” of the Armenian people. As the Russians discovered as they advanced westward, vast areas were devoid of the very people who, as traders, had supplied food for the army in the field. This seriously disrupted the provision of a readily available defence force, estimated at that time, as between 128,000 and 150,000. (The pic shows Turkish troops escaping from Erzerum).

     But while important gains were made in the north, further south (see map above), Yudenich was not so successful. From March through to August a Russian column did capture the towns of Bitlis and Mush – part of a drive to link up with the British in Mesopotamia and encircle the Ottoman forces – but the Turks, commanded by Mustafa Kemal, saw the danger of this and, counter-attacking in force, managed to recapture both towns. Nevertheless, by the end of 1916 large tracts of eastern Anatolia were under Russian control along a line that stretched north to south for over 220 miles.

     Incidentally, the ancient fortified city of Erzerum (pictured), considered as one of the most secure strongholds in the Ottoman Empire, was defended by 235 guns, and was surrounded by two rings of forts. Following a heavy bombardment, the Russians, given a superiority in numbers, launched a two-pronged attack from the north and east, and by the 14th of February had broken through the inner line of fortifications. Two days later the Turks, short of men, evacuated the city, and set up a new line of defence some 5 miles to the east of Erzerum. In the storming of the fortress, the Turks lost some 10,000 men, killed or wounded; the Russians lost around 1,400. ……

     …… The Battle ofxErzerum provides the climax for Greenmantle, an adventure story set in the opening years of the First World War, and published by the Scottish novelist John Buchan (1875-1940) in 1916.

gny  General Nikolai Yudenich (1862-1933), one of the most successful Russian commanders in the First World War, graduated from the General Staff Academy in 1887, and served on the General Staff until 1902. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War, was promoted to general in 1905, and, as from 1914, commanded all Russian troops on the Caucasus Campaign for almost the entire war. Here, as we have seen, he won a series of victories, including the Battles of Sarikamish and Malazgirt, the seizure of the vital port of Trebizonda, and the capture of the ancient stronghold of Erzerum, an outstanding military achievement. He opposed the Bolsheviks when they came to power following the October Revoluton of 1917, and commanded the White Army in the northwest. However, he was defeated by the Red Army in late 1919, and was forced to retreat to Estonia. He later fled to France and died there in 1933.

     Given the territorial gains made over the year, it seemed likely that the Russians were set to advance further, but, as we shall see, that was not to be. After a particularly harsh winter, it soon became clear that political intrigue, not military prowess, was to dictate the future of the Caucasus Campaign in 1917.

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