The Fighting of the "Ruschuk Detachment" Through the View of the Russian General Staff’ Officer Michael Stepanov

Vertinskiy Alexander Vladimirovich PhD in History Associate Professor; Department of National and Universal History, Archeology; Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University Deputy Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Head of the Department of Humanities and Natural Sciences; Perm Theological Seminary 185 Kosmonavtov Highway, Perm Region, 614036, Russia vertinsky@pspu.ru

Sofjina Marina Vladimirovna ORCID: 0000-0003-0116-5125 PhD in History Associate Professor; Department of Library and Documentary Information Technologies; Perm State Institute of Culture Senior Researcher; Department of Interdisciplinary Historical Research; Perm State National Research University Deputy Head of the Department of Scientific and Publishing Activities; Perm State Archive of Socio-Political History 614000, Russia, Perm Krai, Perm, Gazeta Zvezda str., 18 mar-sofina@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

In 1877, the centuries-old Russian-Turkish conflict erupted into another war between the two powers. Among the participants in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 was a young officer of the General Staff, Mikhail Petrovich Stepanov (1853-1917), a future cavalry general. Shortly after the end of the war, he was appointed to serve under Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, eventually becoming one of the most trusted representatives of the reigning dynasty and his "right hand" in the leadership of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, first serving as secretary of the society, and then assistant to the chairman ^{[1, p. 6-13; 2, p. 67; 3; 4]}.

M. P. Stepanov is known not only as a major public figure, but also as a talented writer. He published three books in 1888, 1900 and 1909. The last two works, dedicated to the village of Ilyinskoye near Moscow, where the estate of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was located, and the tomb of the Grand Duke in the Moscow Kremlin, are related to the service of M. P. Stepanov under the august personages ^{[5; 6]}. These publications are well-known and have been widely used in scientific research, the topic of which affected the life and work of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. But the first book, associated with a particularly significant milestone in the life of M. P. Stepanov himself, even before his appointment to be a member of the representative of the Russian Imperial House, currently remains in the shadows.

Having received higher military education at the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff in 1877, the young officer M. P. Stepanov went to the front in the Balkans. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, he was seconded to the headquarters of the Ruschuk detachment, as noted in his service record (RGVIA, f. 409, op. 1, d. 177481, p/s 155-047, l. 16, 21). It was at the theater of military operations that M. P. Stepanov became intimately acquainted with Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, one of the youngest sons of Emperor Alexander II. M. P. Stepanov subsequently reflected the memory of the events of the war in his historical essay "The Ruschuk detachment in 1877-1878." This work was published in 1888, on the tenth anniversary of the end of the war, in the historical magazine Russian Antiquity and at the same time published in a separate print ^[7]. There are not many materials devoted to the military operations of the Ruschuk detachment in Russian historical memoirs. For example, the memoirs of the Chief of Staff of the 12th Army Corps, General A. I. Kosich, an officer of the 46 Infantry Dnieper Regiment, I. I. Venediktov (orderly to the chief of Staff of the Ruschuk detachment , General P. S. Vannovsky) and officer of the 15th cavalry artillery battery L. G. Bogaevsky ^{[8; 9; 10; 11]}. M. P. Stepanov himself, pointing out that there are separate materials about the actions of the Ruschuk detachment in the "Military Collection", considered it necessary to prepare a systematic review of the actions of the famous unit, which played an important role in the Russian-Turkish War.

M. P. Stepanov was one of the first to take the trouble to systematically and in detail describe the military operations of the Ruschuk detachment in the Russian-Turkish War. He relied on the materials known by that time, published in the Military Collection for 1885-1886, actively attracted memoirs and even verbatim reports on the case of the last commander of the Turkish forces, Suleiman Pasha. However, all this represented discrete information that M. P. Stepanov was able to systematize professionally, so his work "The Ruschuk detachment in 1877-1878" has not lost its relevance to the study of the course of hostilities of the Russian-Turkish War.

The uniqueness of the source lies both in its authorship and in the direct content of the text. M. P. Stepanov was the only one of the officers of the headquarters of the Ruschuk detachment who prepared and published a detailed analysis of the fighting. Accordingly, even during the war, almost all orders and documents related to the management of the detachment and the organization of the participation of this military unit in battles passed through his hands. The content of M. P. Stepanov's book is a deep, comprehensive and comprehensive analysis of the military path of the Ruschuk detachment. Despite the author's direct involvement in the events described, the memoir component in his historical and research work is minimal, reflected only in some points, and in an implicit form: M. P. Stepanov mentions himself extremely rarely and exclusively in the third person.

Despite the undoubted advantages of M. P. Stepanov's work, there are no assessments of it in the memoir and research literature. M. P. Stepanov's book did not come to the attention of either historians of the Russian-Turkish War or biographers of all three members of the House of Romanov who fought in the ranks of the Ruschuk detachment: Emperor Alexander III and his brothers, Grand Dukes Vladimir and Sergei Alexandrovich.

Formation of the Ruschuk detachment

The Ruschuk detachment was formed on June 22, 1877, under the command of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich's heir (the future Emperor Alexander III) and disbanded after the armistice with the Turks on January 19, 1878. General P. S. was appointed Chief of Staff. Vannovsky. The detachment consisted of the 12th and 13th army corps – about 70,000 people. Another son of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, was appointed commander of the 12th Corps, and General A. F. Gan commanded the 13th corps. The Ruschuk detachment was supposed to secure the left flank of the Russian Army along the Yantra River and besiege the Ruschuk fortress. The detachment of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich ensured the advance of the advanced detachment, pinning down the enemy's grouping in the quadrangle of the fortresses of Ruschuk, Shumra, Varna, Silistria. The Nizhnedunai detachment was supposed to help the Ruschuk detachment in solving this problem, distracting part of the forces of the Turkish army with offensive actions in Dobrudja. "The Ruschuk detachment," writes M. P. Stepanov, "had to adhere exclusively to a defensive mode of action for almost six months under the most unfavorable conditions" ^{[7, p. 4]}. If the commander of the Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich detachment had about 70,000 soldiers and officers at his disposal, then the number of Turkish troops was almost 100,000 ^{[7, p. 6]}.

M. P. Stepanov on the military operations of the Ruschuk detachment

M. P. Stepanov describes in detail the military operations of the units and subunits of the Ruschuk detachment. Initially, military operations were active: on July 10, the Tsarevich's detachment reached the area near the Yantra River and launched an offensive against the Turkish fortress of Ruschuk. However, the failures of the Russian troops near Plevna, M. P. Stepanov writes, forced the offensive to be stopped. Since that time, the actions of the Ruschuk detachment have acquired a defensive character ^{[7, p. 6]}. Russian Russians' military unpreparedness was a common prerequisite for the failures of the Russian Army, according to the author. He always emphasizes that in terms of the number of troops and their weapons, the Ruschuk detachment was one third inferior to the enemy.

The content of the historical essay is devoted to the analysis of the most important military events related to the fighting of the Ruschuk detachment. M. P. Stepanov gives a detailed description of the military-strategic positions occupied by this military unit at the beginning of August 1877. The Tsarevich's detachment played an extremely important role in the military operations of the Russian-Turkish War. Stretching for 80 versts in the valley of the Yantra River and its tributaries, the Loma and Kara-Loma rivers, the detachment blocked the Turks' path to the offensive and prevented the units of the Turkish army from uniting into a single force.

The commander-in-chief of the Turkish forces was Mehmed Ali Pasha. A descendant of French Huguenots who migrated to Germany, Ludwig Karl Friedrich Detroa, a native of Brandenburg, converted to Islam in Constantinople in his youth and received the name Mehmed Ali. After enrolling in the Turkish military college, he later had an outstanding career in the ranks of the Ottoman army. MP Stepanov admits that he was an experienced professional. Mehmed Ali proposed a plan of action against the Ruschuk detachment in order to break through the defenses and link up with units of Suleiman Pasha's troops ^{[7, p. 13]}. Anticipating a further analysis of events, M. P. Stepanov points out that the plan of defeat was not destined to come true, because, firstly, the actions of Mehmed Ali were opposed by other army commanders - Suleiman Pasha, Ahmed Eyub Pasha and Osman Pasha out of hostility to the commander-in–chief, who was of German origin. Secondly, Mehmed Ali himself did not have broad powers to act independently. Coordination with Constantinople was required, and there they listened to military leaders opposed to Mehmed Ali ^{[7, p. 14]}.

Commander-in-Chief Mehmed Ali took the first serious offensive actions on August 10-11 in the Ayaslar region. After a stubborn 18-hour battle, the Russian detachment was forced to abandon its positions. Soon, on August 18, they suffered a setback at Karasankhoy. "In the battles of Ayaslar and Karasankhoy, our losses amounted to 171 killed and 659 wounded," states M. P. Stepanov ^{[7, p. 16]}. These events should be recognized as a serious failure of the Ruschuk detachment. They put the Russian positions in a dangerous position and threatened to break through the defenses in that direction.

Inspired by his successes, Mehmed Ali undertook the following maneuver: on August 23, 17 Turkish battalions attacked a Russian detachment on the right bank of the Lom River, but the attack was successfully repulsed. The Russians showed exceptional courage and did not give up their positions. Inspired by this small victory, the detachment of the heir to the throne no longer retreated anywhere, steadfastly held the defense in all areas. An example is the Turkish attack on the villages of Katselevo and Ablava on August 24. M. P. Stepanov describes this episode in detail, demonstrating the professionalism of Russian commanders and the courage of soldiers. The balance of power was extremely unfavorable for the Russian side. Referring to the quantitative data provided in the report of Staff Captain Baskakov on the actions of the Ruschuk detachment, M. P. Stepanov writes that Mehmed Ali concentrated 55,000 of his troops against 16,000 Russian soldiers and cites the memoirs of General A. A. Timofeev, one of the participants in these events. When the situation escalated to the limit and the Russian soldiers were on the verge of retreat, "standing in front of the retreating, I ordered an attack. People, shouting “hurrah", rushed after me and rushed at the enemy with a brave pressure, not paying attention to the mass of fire of the Turks who were entrenched in the vineyard moat.… Inspired by the example of their superiors, less than nine Russian battalions put the five times strongest enemy to flight and drive him to the lodgements on the other side of the river" ^{[7, p. 20]}. It was a serious victory. In the battle, the Russian detachment lost 1,309 people, and the Turks – 1,300. The military success at Ablava upset Mehmed Ali's plans, but, as M. P. Stepanov states, "this victory did not improve the risky position of the Ruschuk detachment" ^{[7, p. 22]}. To preserve his strength, the heir Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich gave the order to retreat beyond Banitsky Lom and concentrate a detachment near the city of Belaya ^{[7, p. 23]}. It was a justified measure, it allowed not only to give a break to the pretty exhausted troops, but also to prepare for further defensive actions.

So, the positions of the detachment were strengthened, which, however, was not a guarantee of stability. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, wishing to support his elder brother, telegraphed the Tsarevich on August 26: "In view of the case at Plevna and the troops occupying Tarnovo, Shipka and Khanka, it is necessary for you to stick with your detachment to the last extremity, otherwise God knows what may happen. God forbid you to go beyond the Yantra!" ^{[7, p. 27]}.

The following event was of crucial importance for the Russian detachment. It happened on September 9th. Mehmed Ali launched a counterattack on the Russian positions in the area of the town of Chaircoi, trying to break up the defensive line and launch an offensive between Belaya and Tarnovo. The moment was favorable for the Turks. Russian troops suffered a tactical defeat near Plevna. But on September 9, a fatal setback awaited the Turks. Of the 40 battalions that Mehmed Ali had at his disposal, only 13 were thrown into battle. This happened due to the inconsistency of the unit commanders. The Turks were defeated. "Our losses," noted M. P. Stepanov, –extended to 501 people against 1,500 Turkish soldiers" ^{[7, p. 30]}. As a result, the Turks were forced to retreat across the Kara-Lom River. "The retreat of the Turks," writes M. P. Stepanov, "looked like a complete flight due to panic" ^{[7, p. 31]}. The failure proved fatal for Mehmed Ali - he was removed from the post of commander–in-chief, and Suleiman Pasha was appointed in his place. M. P. Stepanov gives a detailed description of Mehmed Ali: "All his plans corresponded to the situation ... the considerations are correct, the execution is unsuccessful. This latter is directly dependent ... on the licentiousness of the Turkish order, on the extreme inability of the majority of Mehmed Ali Pasha's subordinates, and finally... on the intrigues that were waged against him both in Constantinople and in the army, and which paralyzed his best orders. Mehmed Ali lacked the energy and character to overcome these intrigues" ^{[7, p. 32]}. The new commander-in-chief, Suleiman Pasha, according to M. P. Stepanov, "turns from resolute under Shipka to passive, indecisive on Scrap… This passivity made it possible for our troops near Plevna to calmly wait for the arrival of the guard and other reinforcements" ^{[7, p. 33]}.

The last battles of the Ruschuk detachment

Until November, the Ruschuk detachment conducted reconnaissance battles in the area of the Lom and Kara-Lom rivers. M. P. Stepanov indicates that these actions were conducted under the direct supervision of the heir of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich. His closest assistants were Generals A. A. Timofeev and Prince A. M. Dondukov-Korsakov. These battles brought success to the Russians. Suleiman Pasha went on the defensive; on November 7, he tried to launch a counteroffensive, but was defeated, and on November 14, a serious battle took place near the villages of Mechka and Trestenik. It again ended with the defeat of the Turks: "Our losses amounted to 793 killed, according to Suleiman Pasha's reports, 1,200 people died among the Turks" ^{[7, p. 48]}.

The head of the Ruschuk detachment, heir Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, noted the successes with the following order: "I congratulate the brave and valiant troops of the 12th Army Corps on the glorious victory over the enemy on November 14 with the Monarch's grace. The Emperor deigned to welcome His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, Commander of the 12th Army Corps, the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, 3rd class, and 150 insignia of the Military Order of the 4th degree to the lower ranks, and ordered Me, at the same time, to convey my heartfelt thanks to all our good fellows. Prayer for God and service for the Tsar are not lost" ^{[7, p. 48]}.

The last attempt by the Turks to break through the defense of the Ruschuk detachment took place on November 28-30 near the village of Mechka. M. P. Stepanov describes in detail the course of military operations ^{[7, pp. 57-60]}. Suleiman Pasha's troops were deployed on the right flank of the defense near the village of Mechka. The fighting lasted for several days. Finally, on November 30, a decisive battle took place. "In that battle," writes M. P. Stepanov, "the Turks brought in more than 60 battalions. We have 30 battalions on our side. The defense was led by the Heir Tsarevich himself... Our losses extended to 836 people killed and wounded; the Turks left 800 corpses and 300 seriously wounded on the battlefield... in general, the entire loss is estimated by them to be more than 3,000 people" ^{[7, p. 60]}. Emperor Alexander II highly appreciated the merits of the commanders in this last battle. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich was awarded a gold sword with diamonds and the inscription "November 14 and 30, 1877", as well as the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, 2nd degree. The chief of Staff of the Ruschuk detachment, General P. S. Vannovsky was awarded the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, 3rd degree ^{[7, p. 61]}. The heir Tsarevich received an honorary appointment as chief of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of Sofia, and his brother, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, was appointed chief of the 47th Infantry Regiment of Ukraine.

At the end of December, the Western detachment of General I. V. Gurko occupied Sofia, and the detachment of General F. F. On December 28, Radetsky defeated Sheinov and Shipka, capturing the Turkish army. The Tsarevich's detachment was to launch an offensive against the fortress of Ruschuk. Soon, on January 19, news of an armistice was received, on the basis of which the Turks pledged to clear all the Danube fortresses. Thus ended the actions of the Ruschuk detachment in the area entrusted to their defense.

Conclusion

In the fighting of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The Ruschuk detachment played an auxiliary, but very important role, shackling the enemy's more numerous forces. The Turks' attempts to neutralize this Russian military unit were unsuccessful for them. In the pre-revolutionary period, the Ruschuk detachment enjoyed fame, primarily due to the fact that it was commanded by the future emperor. At the same time, as M. P. Stepanov rightly noted in 1888, "Among the large number of writings and journal articles about the events of the last campaign, a gap in relation to the actions of the Ruschuk detachment involuntarily catches the eye" ^{[7, p. 3]}. At a later time, even less attention was paid to the detachment in the military historical research literature that appeared. Up to the present time, the undeservedly forgotten work of M. P. Stepanov, which is a complete history of the Ruschuk detachment, including almost all aspects of its combat path, remains the most thorough study devoted to one of the significant pages of the Russian-Turkish War. M. P. Stepanov's book can serve as a basis for modern scientific development of the history of the Ruschuk detachment. In addition, M. P. Stepanov's work has significant potential for preparing scientific biographies of both the author himself and other major figures who served in the Ruschuk detachment – the future Emperor Alexander III, Grand Dukes Vladimir and Sergei Alexandrovich, the chief of staff of the detachment, the future Minister of War General P. S. Vannovsky, the future Saratov governor and a member of the State The Council of General A. I. Kosich and other military figures who made an outstanding career in the field of military and public service after the end of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878.