Russian Iranian war of 1826 1828. The last Russian-Persian war. Secret organizations of future Decembrists

The middle of the 1820s is associated with growing tension in Russian-Persian relations. To a large extent, this was due to Tehran's desire to revise the terms of the Gulistan Peace of 1813. Since 1823, Tehran, having enlisted the support of England and Turkey, began systematic preparations for a war with Russia. But the constant reports of the Russian governor in the Caucasus A.P. Yermolov about the inevitability of a military clash with Persia were not seriously considered by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rather, on the contrary, fearing to provoke a conflict with its southern neighbor, St. Petersburg tried in every possible way to limit military preparations in the Transcaucasus.

The price of this mistake turned out to be very significant: on July 29, 1826, the troops of the Erivan sardar crossed the Russian border without declaring war, and two days later the Persian army of Crown Prince Abbas-Mirza invaded Karabakh. Persian troops occupied Lankaran, Elizavetpol (modern Ganja), laid siege to the Russian garrison in Baku, ruined the rich Salyan fisheries on the Kura, and individual detachments even broke through to the Tiflis region.

The offensive of the Persian troops was stopped by the courageous resistance of the garrison of the Shusha fortress in Karabakh, which fettered the main enemy forces for 48 days. This made it possible for the Russian command to win time and prepare a counterattack. On September 15, 1826, the vanguard of the Russian army under the command of V. G. Madatov defeated a large enemy detachment in the battle of Shamkhor and liberated Elizavetpol two days later. And on September 25, a general battle took place on the plain near Elizavetpol, where the Persian army was defeated and retreated in disarray behind the Araks. Soon, due to adverse weather conditions, active operations were suspended until the next spring.

Denis Davydov returned to military service in 1826 and went to the Caucasus. (media73.ru)

The Caucasian Corps began a new campaign already without Yermolov, who was replaced by I.F. Paskevich, who was more loyal to the emperor and diplomatic. In addition to the very difficult relationship between the former “Proconsul of the Caucasus” and Nicholas I, the change of command can be explained by the desire of St. Petersburg to end the war as soon as possible, without leading to the complete defeat of the enemy, to which Yermolov slowly and methodically led. Denis Davydov recalled that later Nicholas I declared to one of the Persian nobles: “Thank God that it was not Yermolov who led my troops in the last war; they would certainly be in Tehran.”

In mid-April 1827 hostilities were resumed. The main events unfolded on the territory of the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates. In July 1827, Russian troops occupied Nakhichevan and defeated the Persian army at Jevan-Bulak, and after the capture of Erivan (modern Yerevan) and Tabriz (modern Tabriz) in October, Tehran was forced to start peace negotiations. Russia was also interested in a speedy cessation of hostilities, since after the Navarino naval battle the prospect of a new Russian-Turkish war took on a very real shape.

In an effort to gain time to strengthen the army and waiting for the entry into the war of the Ottoman Empire, the Persian side in every possible way delayed the signing of the treaty, offering a long 10-month truce. An unfavorable factor for Russian diplomats was the mediating participation in the negotiations of representatives of England, which sought to strengthen its position in the region. As a result, Persia canceled all previously reached agreements. In response, the Russian troops resumed the offensive and, without encountering serious resistance, occupied Urmia and Ardebel, forcing the opposite side, after short negotiations, on the night of February 21-22 in the village of Turkmanchay, to sign a peace treaty that put an end to the last Russian-Persian war.

Abbas-Mirza - the son of the Iranian Shah, governor in South Azerbaijan. (litobozrenie.ru)

Preliminary negotiations and development of conditions were held by the head of the diplomatic office of the viceroy in the Caucasus, AS Griboyedov. To Abbas-Mirza's remarks about the harsh demands of the Russian side, Griboedov replied: “At the end of each war unfairly started against us, we move away our borders and at the same time the enemy who dared to cross them. This is what the concession of the regions of Erivan and Nakhichevan is required in the present case. Money is also a kind of weapon without which war cannot be waged. This is not a bargain, Your Highness, not even a reward for the losses suffered: by demanding money, we deprive the enemy of the means to harm us for a long time.

Medal "For the Persian War" (medalirus.ru)

According to the terms of the Turkamanchay Peace: the terms of the Gulistan Treaty were canceled (Article II), Persia ceded the Nakhichevan and Erivan Khanates to the Russian Empire (Article III), Tehran paid an indemnity of 20 million rubles in silver (Article VI), the exclusive right of Russia to have a navy in the Caspian Sea was confirmed (Article VIII), the transition of Azerbaijani residents from Persian to Russian citizenship is allowed within a year (Article XV). The agreement was supplemented with a number of secret articles related to the deployment of Russian troops in the north of Persian Azerbaijan until Tehran paid the entire amount of indemnity. In case of non-compliance with the procedure and deadlines for making indemnities, these territories were annexed to the Russian Empire.

The Turkmenchay peace marked the entry into the Russian Empire of Eastern Armenia and Northern Azerbaijan; strengthened Russian positions in the Transcaucasus and its conditions became the basis of Russian-Persian relations until 1917. At the same time, the successful end of the Russian-Persian war allowed Russia to intensify its actions against the Ottoman Empire, which resulted in the war of 1828−1829. It should be noted that in general, very long (about one and a half years) hostilities were characterized by a small number of major battles. Over the entire period of the war, the Russian army lost 35 officers and 1495 lower ranks killed; the enemy - more than 6 thousand people. Much greater losses were suffered by both sides from disease in conditions of intense heat and as a result of shortages of water and food.

Iran, weakened as a result of internal strife between the Qajar Shah dynasty and local tribes, was defeated in the war with Russia, which cost him Derbent, Baku and the right to maintain a fleet in the Caspian Sea, and was eager to take revenge from Russia.

Iran was also an important object of rivalry in the East between Russia and Great Britain. British diplomacy, seeking to expand its sphere of influence and weaken the position of a new colonial predator, Russia, which had come to the fore in the 18th century, after the unsuccessful end of the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813 for Iran, began to indulge the desire of Shah Fath-Ali, humiliated by the Russians, to launch a new attack against Russia in order to regain lost territories.

Already in 1814, an Anglo-Iranian alliance agreement was concluded on the provision of material assistance to Iran in the event of a war with "one of the states." Great Britain undertook to pay Iran an annual subsidy, supply the Iranian army with British cannons and cloth for uniforms, invite British officers to train Iranian troops, and hire military engineers to supervise the construction of military fortifications. Britain also pledged to help Iran achieve a revision of the Gulistan peace, promising not to interfere in the Iranian-Afghan conflicts in the dispute over Herat and in the internal affairs of Iran itself.

In 1816, Persia raised the issue of concluding a new agreement with Russia in order to return the Azerbaijani khanates to the Shah. This requirement was supported by Great Britain. In 1817 General A. P. Yermolov, Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus, was sent to Persia to settle disputes as an ambassador. He was told that the Persian side would start negotiations only on the basis of Russia's consent to restore the pre-war borders.

However, before launching a new war in the Transcaucasus, Iran had to take steps to normalize relations with Turkey, with which tensions persisted in various parts of the border. In the autumn of 1821, taking advantage of the break in diplomatic relations between Turkey and Russia, Abbas Mirza invaded Turkish possessions. However, in the summer of 1822, Turkish troops began to push the Iranian army, which forced Iran to withdraw its troops and sign the Erzerum Treaty on the preservation of the old borders.

Russia has also actively expanded its expansion in the region. In 1819-1821, she captured several Caucasian khanates - Quba, Kazikulus, Karakaity and Mehtadin. In subsequent years, Russian troops brutally cracked down on the Circassians who opposed the Russian colonial order, began to evict the Caucasian peoples from the valleys, waged local wars with the partisan detachments of Bei-Bulat. In the mid-1920s, Russia, as well as Great Britain, expanded its expansionist plans; having already appeared in the Balkans, these two powers were drawn into the conflict between the Greeks and the Turks.

In those same years, the Turkish government not only refused to recognize the Russian acquisitions in Transcaucasia, received by it as a result of the Gulistan peace, but also did not comply with the terms of the Bucharest peace treaty. It made an attempt to prove to the envoy of Russia in Constantinople G. A. Stroganov that Turkey belonged to the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea, as well as its suzerain rights over Georgia, Imeretia, Guria, etc. Porta insisted on the withdrawal of Russian troops from these areas. At the same time, political pressure on Russia was backed up by military demonstrations.

With accession to the throne http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/35/1003593/1003593a1.htm Nicholas I in 1825, the Russian policy in the Caucasus changed: in the context of the escalating conflict with Turkey, St. Petersburg was ready to cede the southern part of the Talysh Khanate to Persia for the neutrality. In an effort to prevent hostilities and positively resolve all pressing issues even at the cost of territorial concessions, St. Petersburg sent Prince A.S. Menshikov. But under pressure from Abbas-Mirza, Feth-Ali rejected the Russian proposals.

Thus, Russia's relations with Persia and Turkey continued to be tense. This was facilitated by the difficult for Russia military-political situation in the North Caucasus, the separatist aspirations of the former Transcaucasian rulers, and anti-Russian speeches in the regions bordering Persia and Turkey. All this indicated that the latter, relying on Great Britain, were preparing for war with Russia. War with them was not part of the plans of the Russian government, and its desire for a peaceful settlement of disputed issues was regarded in the political circles of Persia, Turkey and England as a sign of weakness. At its core, this was an adventurist policy, since Persia and Turkey were much weaker than Russia militarily and economically.

Great Britain, also striving to establish its influence in the region, could not openly start a war with Russia, since it was connected with it by an agreement of April 4, 1826. Therefore, the British government, not wanting to strengthen Russia in the Balkans, tried in every possible way to divert the attention of the government of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I from the liberation struggle of the Greeks against Turkish rule and wanted to draw Russian troops into another conflict. On the other hand, Russia's military conflict with Iran could weaken the latter in its quest to dominate the Persian Gulf region.

The reason for the second Russian-Iranian war was also information about the uprising of the Decembrists in Petersburg, which in Persia was understood as an internecine struggle between two pretenders to the throne. The energetic crown prince, the governor of Azerbaijan, Abbas-Mirza, who created a new army with the help of European instructors and then considered himself able to return the lands lost in 1813, decided to take advantage of what seemed to him an opportunity.

The British advised Abbas Mirza to start a war with Russia, given the small number of Russian troops in Transcaucasia, her unpreparedness for war, and internal political complications. Along with diplomatic representatives, military instructors were also present in the country, who trained Iranian troops and helped strengthen their fortresses. On June 23, 1826, the Shia ulema issued a fatwa allowing the war and calling for jihad against Russia.

On July 16, Iranian troops invaded Karabakh and the Talysh Khanate across the border in the Gumra region without declaring war (see Appendix 2). Separate Iranian detachments moved to Baku, Lankaran, Nukha and Quba, counting on the uprising of the Azerbaijani population, but it did not support its khans, who were on the side of Iran. The Orthodox Armenian population of Karabakh, Shirak and other regions that were invaded by the Iranians resisted them.

Iranian troops managed to occupy Ganja (Yelizavetpol) and besiege Shusha, a small garrison that staunchly defended until September 5. This allowed the Russian detachment of General V. G. Madatov to defeat the Iranian troops on the river. Shamkhor and liberate Ganja on September 5. Abbas-Mirza lifted the siege of Shusha and moved towards Madatov's troops. General I.F. Paskevich was appointed commander of the army operating against Iran, who joined up with Madatov's detachment. On September 13, near Elizavetpol, Russian troops (8 thousand people) defeated 35 thousand. army of Abbas-Mirza and threw back its remnants beyond the river. Araks.

Nicholas I placed responsibility for the unsuccessful start of hostilities on A.P. Yermolov, although he had previously warned St. Petersburg about the possibility of a war in the Caucasus and the lack of Russian forces there. Also suspected of sympathizing with the Decembrists, Yermolov was removed from his post as commander-in-chief in the Caucasus and replaced by the tsar's favorite, General I.F. Paskevich.

Paskevich stepped up military operations against Iran. On April 25, a detachment of General A X. Benkendorf took Echmiadzin and on May 5 laid siege to Erivan. Paskevich, on July 8, occupied Nakhichevan with the main forces. Together with the Russian military units, the Armenian militia took part in the campaign. On July 17, Abbas-Mirza's cavalry was defeated at Jevan-Bulak, and two days later, the Iranian fortress of Abbas-Abad capitulated.

In the second half of August, Abbas-Mirza tried to capture Etchmiadzin in order to deprive the enemy of a base for further operations. But he was defeated by General Krasovsky in the battle near the village of Ashtarak. After that, Paskevich laid siege to Erivan and on October 22 took the fortress. Four days later, a detachment of General Eristov occupied Tabriz without a fight, where the Grand Vizier of Persia Allayar Khan surrendered to him, there were arsenals, artillery of the Iranian army and the families of many high dignitaries (in Tabriz there was a residence of the heir to the Shah's throne).

The Shah's government started talking about negotiations, which the British now began to insist on, fearing that the continuation of the war would lead to an even greater strengthening of Russia in the East. British Prime Minister George Canning offered his mediation, but the Russian tsar did not want to make any concessions, answering through his ambassador in London, Prince H. A. Lieven, "that Persian affairs concern exclusively the interests of Russia."

However, after the three powers - Russia, France and Great Britain - defeated the Turkish-Egyptian fleet in Navarin Bay on October 20, 1827, Russia had new aggressive plans against Turkey. It was necessary to urgently end the war with Iran.

After the capture of Tabriz, peace negotiations began, interrupted in January 1828 by order of the Shah. Then the Russian troops resumed the offensive and on January 27 occupied Urmia, and on February 6 - Ardabil. The whole of Azerbaijan was under their control, and the Shah had no choice but to conclude the Turkmenchay peace treaty on February 22, 1828 (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3

According to official data, the loss of the Russian army killed in 1826-1828 amounted to 1530 people. There is no reliable data on Iranian losses, but, according to estimates of that time, they were several times higher than the Russians. As in the war of 1804-1813, the number of deaths from disease on both sides was several times greater than the number of those killed in battle.

Russia's victory in the war was achieved thanks to a much higher combat capability and better organization of the supply of Russian troops.

Negotiations on peace, friendship and harmony were held in the village of Turkmanchay near Tabriz by I. Paskevich and A. Obreskov with the active participation of the Russian writer A. Griboedov, who served as a diplomatic official at the office of the Caucasian governor, from the Russian side and Prince Abbas-Mirza from the Iranian side, in during which an agreement was signed that replaced the terms of the Gulistan Treaty.

The Persian Shah ceded to the Russian Empire the Erivan khanate on both sides of the Araks and the Nakhichevan khanate. The border between Russia and Persia was established along the rivers Kara, Arak, the watershed of the Talysh mountains and along the course of the Astara river before its confluence with the Caspian Sea (st. 3-4).

The Turkmenchay treaty completed the Russian occupation of almost the entire territory of Georgia, as well as Eastern Armenia and Northern Iran (Azerbaijan).

One of the important articles of the treaty was the article on the return to the territories occupied by Russia of the Armenian captives who were earlier driven to Iran, which marked the beginning of the consolidation of the Armenian people. After the signing of the Turkmanchay peace treaty, more than 140 thousand Armenians moved from Turkey and Persia to the Transcaucasus.

The annexation of Transcaucasia to Russia was a turning point in the historical destinies of the Georgian, Armenian and, with some stretch, the Azerbaijani peoples. In fact, one colonial policy was replaced by another, but in this case, the peoples of Transcaucasia were offered the lesser of two evils. At that time, Turkey and Iran were backward Eastern despotisms. Being under the protection of one state strengthened the security against invasion by another. In addition, the Christian peoples of Georgia and Armenia were able to get rid of religious oppression.

In addition, the shah was obliged to pay Russia an indemnity (10 tumans - 20 million rubles), after which Russia had to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan. The Shah also undertook to grant amnesty to all the inhabitants of Azerbaijan who collaborated with the Russian troops and the occupying authorities, which was fixed in separate articles to the peace treaty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80% D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B0_1826%E2% 80%941828 - cite_note-6.

During the conclusion of the Turkmanchay Treaty, the English resident in Tehran, John MacDonald, by providing Iran with a large sum (£200,000) and with the consent of London, achieved the exclusion of Articles III and IV of the Iranian-English Treaty of 1814. They concerned military assistance to Iran. The Shah needed this amount, since he did not have enough funds to pay military indemnity to Russia under the terms of the Turkmenchay Treaty. The British, on the other hand, sought its timely payment, fearing that Russia might launch new military operations against Iran.

In Art. 8, the exclusive right of Russia to have a navy in the Caspian Sea was confirmed. Merchant ships of both powers retained the right to move freely and moor on its shores. The Russian government recognized Abbas-Mirza as the heir to the Persian throne (Article 7). According to Art. 9 of the treaty, the countries were obliged to receive ambassadors, ministers and chargé d'affaires in accordance with a special protocol, which meant the restoration of diplomatic relations.

An additional act - the Treatise on Trade - determined the economic and trade relations between the two states, according to which Russian merchants received the right to free trade throughout Iran. The amount of Iranian duties was set at 5% of the value of the goods. Citizens of the Russian Empire received the right to buy real estate in Iran.

The treaty strengthened Russia's position in the Transcaucasus, contributed to the strengthening of Russia's influence in the Middle East and undermined Britain's position in Persia.

Although the Treaty of Turkmenchay ended the Iranian-Russian wars, relations between Iran and Russia continued to be tense. In April 1828, A.S. Griboyedov was appointed Russian resident minister in Iran. The Russian envoy had to demand strict observance of all articles of the treaty. The most acute were questions about the payment of indemnities, the attitude towards the Christian population of Iran and the return of prisoners of war.

The firm position of the Russian envoy caused discontent of the Iranian government. Across the country, not without British approval, there was fierce anti-Russian propaganda. On January 30, 1829, a fanatical crowd, at the call of the clergy, attacked the Russian embassy. Almost all members of the mission died, including Griboedov.

The events in Tehran forced Iran and Russia to reconsider the foundations of their policies. The conflict could become a pretext for a new Russian-Iranian war, which was not in the interests of both states, therefore, at the initiative of Russia, it was settled diplomatically. An Iranian embassy was sent to Petersburg with apologies. A new stage has begun in Iranian-Russian relations. The Russian government postponed the payment of regular indemnity payments, border settlement began, and Iranian-Russian trade relations began to develop successfully.

Thus, revanchist sentiments in Iran and incitement from European diplomacy led to the beginning of the second Russian-Iranian war, in which Persia was defeated and, in addition to recognizing the dominion of the Russian state in the Caspian, was forced to make new territorial concessions and confirm the exclusive influence of the Russian Empire on Caucasus.

The situation in the East on the eve of the war

In the 16th century, Georgia broke up into several small feudal states that were constantly at war with Muslim empires: Turkey and Iran. In 1558, the first diplomatic relations between Moscow and Kakheti began, and in 1589 the Russian Tsar Fyodor I Ioannovich offered his protection to the kingdom. Russia was far away, and it was not possible to provide effective assistance. In the 18th century, Russia regained interest in the Transcaucasus. During the Persian campaign, he made an alliance with King Vakhtang VI, but there were no successful military operations. Russian troops retreated to the north, Vakhtang was forced to flee to Russia, where he died.

Ekaterina II rendered all possible assistance to the king of Kartli-Kakheti, Heraclius II, who sent insignificant military forces to Georgia. In 1783, Heraclius signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia, which established a Russian protectorate in exchange for military protection.

In 1801, Paul I signed a decree on the annexation of the Eastern Caucasus to Russia, and in the same year, his son Alexander I created the Georgian province on the territory of the Kartli-Kakheti Khanate. With the annexation of Megrelia to Russia in 1803, the borders reached the territory of modern Azerbaijan, and there the interests of the Persian Empire already began.

On January 3, 1804, the Russian army launched an assault on the Ganja fortress, which greatly violated the plans of Persia. The capture of Ganja ensured the security of the eastern borders of Georgia, which were constantly attacked by the Ganja Khanate. Persia began to look for allies for the war with Russia. England became such an ally, which was by no means interested in strengthening Russia's position in this region. London gave guarantees of support, and on June 10, 1804, the Sheikh of Persia declared war on Russia. The war lasted nine years. Another ally of Persia was Turkey, which constantly waged wars against Russia.

Causes of the war

Historians are inclined to believe that the main causes of the war should be considered:

Expansion of the territory of Russia at the expense of Georgian lands, strengthening the influence of Russians in this region;

Persia's desire to gain a foothold in Transcaucasia;

The unwillingness of the UK to allow a new player into the region, and even more so Russia;

Assistance to Persia from Turkey, which tried to take revenge from Russia for the lost wars at the end of the 18th century.

An alliance was formed against Russia between Persia, the Ottoman Empire and the Ganja Khanate, with Great Britain helping them. Russia had no allies in this war.

The course of hostilities

The results of the war

With the signing of the Treaty of Gulistan on October 12 (24), 1813, Persia recognized the entry of Eastern Georgia and the northern part of modern Azerbaijan, as well as Imeretia, Guria, Megrelia and Abkhazia into the Russian Empire. Russia also received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. Russia's victory in this war intensified the confrontation between the British and Russian empires in Asia.

Russian-Iranian war of 1826-1828

Situation before the war

Unfortunately, the hostilities did not end there. In Persia, they constantly thought about revenge and revision of the peace treaty concluded in Gulistan. The Persian Shah Feth Ali declared that the Gulistan treaty was invalid, and began to prepare for a new war. Once again, Great Britain became the main instigator of Persia. She provided financial and military support to the Shah of Iran. The reason for the start of hostilities were rumors about the St. Petersburg uprising (Decembrists) and the interregnum. The Persian troops were led by Crown Prince Abbas Mirza.

The course of hostilities

The results of the war

The end of the war and the conclusion of the Turkmanchay peace treaty confirmed all the conditions of the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813. Under the agreement, the transition to Russia of part of the Caspian coast to the Astara River was recognized. The Araks became the border between the two states.

At the same time, the Shah of Persia had to pay an indemnity of 20 million rubles. After the Shah pays an indemnity, Russia undertakes to withdraw its troops from the territories controlled by Iran. The Persian Shah promised to grant an amnesty to all residents who collaborated with the Russian troops.

Table: Russian-Iranian war 1804 - 1813 Minimum for the exam.

The Khan of Ganja, under the auspices of the Persian Shah, made raids in the Transcaucasus. Prince P. D. Tsitsianov went on a campaign to Ganja, in January 1804 he conquered it and renamed it Elizavetpol.

Causes, goals, objectives of the war

The main causes of the war:

• rivalry between Russia and Iran in Transcaucasia;
• entry of the Georgian principalities into the Russian Empire: in 1804, Russian troops conquered Ganja;
• the desire of Persia to influence Azerbaijan;
• the desire of the Ottoman Empire to return the Crimea and Kuban;
• geopolitical interests of England.

To stop the spread of Russian influence in the Caucasus, the Persians in the summer of 1804 began military operations against Russia.

Military actions

Map Russian-Iranian War 1804 - 1813

End of the war

Having suffered a crushing defeat at Aslanduz, Abbas-Mirza asked the commander-in-chief N.F. Rtishchev to resume peace negotiations. They took place in the village of Gulistan (Karabakh). Under the peace treaty, Persia recognized Russia as a significant part of the Transcaucasus.

In accordance with the agreement, Russia received the right to deploy a fleet in the Caspian.

The Treaty of 1813 was made public only in 1818, after which trade resumed between Russia and Persia.

Thanks to the accession of most of the Transcaucasus to Russia, the raids of the Persians and Turks stopped, the peoples of this region breathed freely. The economic development of Transcaucasia and the gradual elimination of feudal fragmentation began.

Pavel Mikhailovich Karyagin

In 1805 Abbas-Mirza went to fight Tiflis. At Askeran, a small detachment of Colonel P. M. Karyagin blocked his path. June 24 - July 7, 493 huntsmen and musketeers of the 17th regiment fought off the 20,000th enemy army. And then they broke out of the ring and, having built a crossing from the bodies of soldiers, transported the guns through the obstacle. The idea of ​​using a "living bridge" belonged to Private Gavrila Sidorov, who paid with his life for his dedication.

On the night of June 28, the detachment secretly approached the Shah-Bulakh castle and captured it by a sudden assault. The remnants of the heroic detachment managed to hold out in the besieged fortress until June 8 and saved Georgia with their resistance.

P. M. Karyagin was awarded a golden weapon for courage. The war undermined the health of the valiant commander, and 2 years later, on May 7, 1807, he was gone.

Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyarevsky

P. S. Kotlyarevsky was born on June 12, 1782 in the family of a priest in the village. Olkhovatka, Kharkov Province. The Caucasian officer I.P. Lazarev advised the father of Pyotr Stepanovich to send his son to the army. Soon the young man was already serving under the command of I.P. Lazarev.

At the age of 17, he was transferred to the 17th Jaeger Regiment as Lazarev's adjutant. With him, at the invitation of George XII, he made the transition to Georgia, overcoming the Caucasus Mountains.

When Lazarev was meanly killed in Tiflis, Pyotr Kotlyarevsky took command of the Jaeger company. He stormed Ganja with her and was seriously wounded. Fortunately, Count Vorontsov noticed the wounded man and saved him from the battlefield.

In 1805, he fought on the banks of Askeran, near Shah-Bulakh and Mukhrat, and was again wounded.

In 1810, the commander-in-chief A.P. Tormasov ordered Kotlyarevsky to occupy Migri (Meghri). The soldiers made their way through the mountain paths and captured the village and batteries.

Ahmed Khan approached Migri with a 10,000th Persian corps, surrounded the detachment of Kotlyarevsky. As a result of a night sortie into the Persian camp, the Russians destroyed the enemy corps.

Alexander I appointed Kotlyarevsky chief of the 17th Grenadier Regiment and awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree for the capture of Migri.

General Tormasov was replaced by Marquis Paulucci. He decided to clear the fortress of Akhalkalaki from the Turks. Again, Kotlyarevsky took the garrison of the fortress by surprise, overcoming the Triolet mountains. The enemy fled, leaving their guns and banners behind.

In 1812, Napoleon launched a war with Russia. Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, Abbas-Mirza entered the Talysh Khanate and conquered Lankaran. The new commander-in-chief N.F. Rtishchev did not dare to attack the enemy. On October 19, General Kotlyarevsky crossed the Araks with a 2,000-strong detachment and suddenly appeared in the Persian camp. The enemy fled in panic.

Abbas Mirza gathered all his forces in Aslanduz. Under the cries of "Hurrah!" Russian grenadiers mercilessly stabbed the enemy, leaving no survivors. Aslandus castle fell. Abbas Mirza hid in Tabriz.

In December 1812, a detachment of Lieutenant General Kotlyarevsky approached Lankaran, and an assault began. Soldiers on ladders overcame the walls of the fortification. A bloody battle ensued. The fortress fell.

The seriously wounded Kotlyarevsky was found after the battle among the bodies of the dead. He miraculously survived thanks to the regimental doctor. One and a half thousand soldiers fought in the ranks of those who took Lankaran. Only a handful of brave men survived.

After the capture of Lankaran, the Gulistan peace was concluded. The 31-year-old commander received an award - the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

References:

• Kersnovsky A.A. History of the Russian army in 4 volumes. T.1. From Narva to Paris 1700-1814 - M., Voice, 1992, 304 p.
• Potto V.A. Caucasian war in separate essays, episodes, legends and biographies. T.1. From ancient times to Yermolov. - SPb., Type. E. Evdokimova, 1887, 737p.
• Painting by Franz Roubaud "Living Bridge"

At that time, Persia was in a state of collapse and anarchy. The weakness of the Persian state opened the way for Turkish expansion into the Caspian region. This did not suit Russia in any way, which itself sought to control the Caspian zone.

First Persian campaign (1722-1723) i>

8 months after the end of the Northern War, in May 1722, Peter I set out on the Persian campaign. The reason for it was the fact that Russian merchants were robbed in Persia for a total of 500 thousand rubles. The reason for such decisive actions was the desire to seize the shores of the Caspian Sea and forestall Turkey's access to them. At that time, Persia was in a state of collapse and anarchy. The weakness of the Persian state opened the way for Turkish expansion into the Caspian region. This did not suit Russia in any way, which itself sought to control the Caspian zone. It should be noted that back in 1721, almost all the princes of Dagestan swore allegiance to the Russian emperor, and the Kartli king Vakhtang VI asked to send Russian troops to Georgia. About 50 thousand people took part in the Persian campaign, including 5 thousand sailors, 22 thousand infantrymen, 9 thousand cavalry, as well as irregular troops (Cossacks, Kalmyks, etc.). In the summer of 1722, the Russian army, led by Peter I, left Astrakhan on ships, and the cavalry went on foot from Tsaritsyn. Having united in the area of ​​the Agrakhan Bay, the Russians moved to Derbent, in the area of ​​which they defeated the troops of the Utemish Sultan Mahmud. On August 23, 1722, the naib of Derbent handed Peter the keys to the fortress. On this campaign in 1722 actually ended. Its continuation was prevented by autumn storms in the Caspian Sea, which complicated the delivery of food by sea. From a leak in the courts, flour supplies partially deteriorated, which put the Russian army in a difficult position. Then Peter left a garrison in Derbent under the command of Colonel Juncker, and he himself moved on foot back to Russia with the troops. The troops maintained strict discipline. In particular, refusing a patient a place on a cart was punishable by death. On the road near the Sulak River, the tsar founded a new fortress of the Holy Cross to cover the Russian border. From there, Peter went to Astrakhan by sea. Further military operations in the Caspian were led by General Matyushkin. They actually boiled down to the landing of Russian troops on the western and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. At the same time, negotiations were underway with the Persian government. Peter offered the Persian Shah Tahmasp help in the fight against Turkey, the Afghans and other aggressors. For this, the king demanded that the shah cede the eastern and southern coasts of the Caspian to Russia.

Petersburg Treaty (1723). In December 1722, a detachment of Colonel Shilov was occupied to guard against attacks by opponents of the Shah of Rasht. In July 1723, General Matyushkin occupied Baku. According to the Russian-Persian treaty (1723), signed in St. Petersburg, Russia provided military assistance to Persia. In return, Russia ceded the entire western and southern coast of the Caspian Sea (Derbent and Baku, the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astrabad) to Russia. The firm position of Russian diplomacy did not allow Turkey, whose troops invaded Transcaucasia at that time, to continue the offensive against Persia. According to the Russian-Turkish treaty (1724), Transcaucasia (Armenia, eastern Georgia and part of Azerbaijan) remained with the Ottoman Empire, and the Caspian coast - with Russia. The death of Peter crossed out the surge of Russian activity in the south. After the death of the king, Persia tried to return the lost lands in the Caspian. In the next decade, frequent military clashes between Russians and Persians took place in this area, not only with the troops of local princes. As a result, a quarter of the entire Russian army was used in the Caucasian-Caspian region in the second half of the 1920s. In parallel, negotiations were underway on the return assignment of these areas. Constant military clashes, raids, as well as high mortality from diseases (only in 1723-1725, diseases claimed the lives of 29 thousand people in this area) made the Caspian possessions of Russia of little use both for trade and for economic exploitation. In 1732, the powerful ruler Nadir Shah came to power in Persia. In 1732-1735. Empress Anna Ioannovna returned to Persia the Caspian lands conquered by Peter the Great. The last impetus for the return of the lands was the preparation of Russia for the war with Turkey (1735-1739). The successful conduct of hostilities with the Turks required, in particular, the settlement of territorial relations with Persia in order to ensure a peaceful rear in the south.

Second Persian Campaign (1796) i>

The campaign of Russian troops in the Azerbaijani provinces of Persia in response to the invasion of Persian troops in Georgia in 1795. In December 1796, the troops were recalled by Emperor Paul I.

War of 1804-1813 i>

The activity of Russia's policy in the Transcaucasus was connected mainly with Georgia's persistent requests for protection from the Turkish-Iranian onslaught. During the reign of Catherine II, the Georgievsky Treaty (1783) was concluded between Russia and Georgia, according to which Russia was obliged to defend Georgia. This led to a clash first with Turkey, and then with Persia (until 1935 the official name of Iran), for which the Transcaucasus has long been a sphere of influence. The first clash between Russia and Persia over Georgia took place in 1796, when Russian troops repulsed the invasion of Iranian troops into Georgian lands. In 1801, Georgia, by the will of its king George XII, joined Russia. This forced St. Petersburg to get involved in the complex affairs of the troubled Transcaucasian region. In 1803, Mingrelia joined Russia, and in 1804, Imeretia and Guria. This caused dissatisfaction in Iran, and when in 1804 Russian troops occupied the Ganja Khanate (for raids by Ganja detachments on Georgia), Persia declared war on Russia. In this conflict, the number of Persian troops many times exceeded the Russian ones. The total number of Russian soldiers in Transcaucasia did not exceed 8 thousand people. They had to operate on a large territory: from Armenia to the shores of the Caspian Sea. In terms of armament, the Iranian army, equipped with British weapons, was not inferior to the Russian one. Therefore, the final success of the Russians in this war was associated primarily with a higher degree of military organization, combat training and courage of the troops, as well as with the military leadership talents of military leaders. The Russian-Persian conflict marked the beginning of the hardest military decade in the history of the country (1804-1814), when the Russian Empire had to fight almost along the entire perimeter of its European borders from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. This demanded from the country an unprecedented tension since the Northern War.

Campaign of 1804. The main hostilities of the first year of the war unfolded in the area of ​​Erivan (Yerevan). The commander of the Russian troops in Transcaucasia, General Pyotr Tsitsianov, began the campaign with offensive actions. He moved into the Erivan Khanate, dependent on Iran (the territory of present-day Armenia), and laid siege to its capital, Erivan. But although the troops of Tsitsianov in the battle of Kanagir (near Erivan) defeated the Iranian army under the command of Crown Prince Abass-Mirza, Russian forces were not enough to take this stronghold. In November, a new army under the command of Shah Feth-Ali approached the Persian troops. The Tsitsianov detachment, which had already suffered significant losses by that time, was forced to lift the siege and retreat to Georgia.

Campaign of 1805. The failure of the Russians under the walls of Erivan strengthened the confidence of the Persian leadership. In June, a 40,000-strong Persian army under the command of Prince Abbas Mirza moved through the Ganja Khanate to Georgia. On the Askeran river (the region of the Karabakh ridge), the vanguard of the Persian troops (20 thousand people) met stubborn resistance from the Russian detachment under the command of Colonel Karyagin (500 people), which had only 2 guns. From June 24 to July 7, the rangers of Karyagin, skillfully using the terrain and changing positions, heroically repelled the onslaught of a huge Persian army. After a four-day defense in the Karagach tract, on the night of June 28, the detachment fought its way into the Shah-Bulakh castle, where it was able to hold out until the night of July 8, and then secretly left its fortifications. The selfless resistance of Karyagin's warriors actually saved Georgia. The delay in the advance of the Persian troops allowed Tsitsianov to gather forces to repel the unexpected invasion. On July 28, in the battle of Zagama, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas Mirza. His campaign against Georgia was stopped and the Persian army retreated. After that, Tsitsianov transferred the main hostilities to the Caspian coast. But his attempts to carry out a naval operation with the aim of capturing Baku and Rasht ended in vain.

Campaign of 1806. In February 1807, Tsitsianov set off on a campaign against Baku, but on February 8 he was treacherously killed by the Baku people during negotiations with the local khan under the walls of the fortress. General Ivan Gudovich was appointed commander-in-chief, who continued the offensive in Azerbaijan. In 1806, the Russians occupied the Caspian territories of Dagestan and Azerbaijan (including Baku, Derbent, and Cuba). In the summer of 1806, the troops of Abbas-Mirza, who were trying to go on the offensive, were defeated in Karabakh. However, the situation soon became more complicated. In December 1806, the Russian-Turkish war began. In order not to fight on two fronts with his extremely limited forces, Gudovich, taking advantage of the hostile relations between Turkey and Iran, immediately concluded a truce with the Iranians and began military operations against the Turks. The year 1807 passed in peace negotiations with Iran, but they did not lead to anything. In 1808 hostilities resumed.

Campaign of 1808-1809. In 1808 Gudovich transferred the main military actions to Armenia. His troops occupied Etchmiadzin (a city west of Yerevan) and then laid siege to Erivan. In October, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas Mirza at Karababa and occupied Nakhichevan. However, the assault on Erivan ended in failure, and the Russians were forced to retreat from the walls of this fortress a second time. After that, Gudovich was replaced by General Alexander Tormasov, who resumed peace negotiations. During the negotiations, troops under the command of the Iranian Shah Feth-Ali unexpectedly invaded northern Armenia (the Artik region), but were repelled. The attempt of Abbas-Mirza's army to attack Russian positions in the Ganja region also ended in failure.

Campaign of 1810-1811. In the summer of 1810, the Iranian command planned to launch an offensive against Karabakh from its Meghri stronghold (a mountainous Armenian village located on the left bank of the Arak River). To prevent offensive actions of the Iranians, a detachment of rangers under the command of Colonel Kotlyarevsky (about 500 people) went to Meghri, who on June 17 managed to seize this stronghold with a surprise attack, where there was a garrison of 1.5 thousand with 7 batteries. Russian losses amounted to 35 people. Iranians lost more than 300 people. After the fall of Meghri, the southern regions of Armenia received reliable protection from Iranian invasions. In July, Kotlyarevsky defeated the Iranian army on the Arak River. In September, Iranian troops attempted to launch a western offensive against Akhalkalaki (southwestern Georgia) to link up with Turkish troops there. However, the Iranian offensive in the area was repulsed. In 1811 Tormasov was replaced by General Paulucci. However, the Russian troops did not take active actions during this period due to the limited number and the need to wage a war on two fronts (against Turkey and Iran). In February 1812 Paulucci was replaced by General Rtishchev, who resumed peace negotiations.

Campaign of 1812-1813. At this time, the fate of the war was actually decided. A sharp turn is connected with the name of General Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyareveky, whose bright talent as a commander helped Russia to win the protracted confrontation victoriously.

Battle of Aslanduz (1812). After Tehran received news of the occupation of Moscow by Napoleon, the negotiations were interrupted. Despite the critical situation and the obvious lack of forces, General Kotlyarevsky, who was given freedom of action by Rtishchev, decided to seize the initiative and stop the new offensive of the Iranian troops. He himself moved with a 2,000-strong detachment towards the 30,000-strong army of Abbas Mirza. Using the surprise factor, Kotlyarevsky's detachment crossed the Arak in the Aslanduz region and on October 19 attacked the Iranians on the move. They did not expect such a quick attack and retreated in confusion to their camp. In the meantime, night fell, hiding the real number of Russians. Having inspired his soldiers with unshakable faith in victory, the fearless general led them to attack against the entire Iranian army. Courage trumped strength. Breaking into the Iranian camp, a handful of heroes with a bayonet charge caused an indescribable panic in the camp of Abbas Mirza, who did not expect a night attack, and put the whole army to flight. The damage to the Iranians amounted to 1,200 people killed and 537 captured. The Russians lost 127 people. This victory of Kotlyarevsky did not allow Iran to seize the strategic initiative. Having crushed the Iranian army near Aslanduz, Kotlyarevsky moved to the Lankaran fortress, which covered the way to the northern regions of Persia.

Capture of Lankaran (1813). After the defeat near Aslanduz, the Iranians pinned their last hopes on Lankaran. This strong fortress was defended by a 4,000-strong garrison under the command of Sadyk Khan. Sadyk Khan answered the offer to surrender with a proud refusal. Then Kotlyarevsky ordered his soldiers to take the fortress by storm, declaring that there would be no retreat. Here are the words from his order, read out to the soldiers before the battle: “Having exhausted all means to force the enemy to surrender the fortress, finding him adamant to that, there is no longer any way left to conquer the fortress with this Russian weapon, as soon as by the force of the assault ... We must take the fortress or everyone to die, why are we sent here ... so we will prove, brave soldiers, that nothing can resist the power of the Russian bayonet ... " On January 1, 1813, an attack followed. Already at the beginning of the attack, all the officers were knocked out in the forefront of the attackers. In this critical situation, Kotlyarevsky himself led the attack. After a cruel and ruthless assault, Lankaran fell. Less than 10% of its defenders survived. Russian losses were also great - about 1 thousand people. (50% composition). During the attack, the fearless Kotlyarevsky also received severe injuries (he became disabled and left the armed forces forever). Russia has lost a bright successor of the Rumyantsev-Suvorov military tradition, whose talent was only just beginning to work "Suvorov's miracles."

Peace of Gulistan (1813). The fall of Lankaran decided the outcome of the Russian-Iranian war (1804-1813). It forced the Iranian leadership to stop hostilities and agree to the signing of the Gulistan peace [concluded 12(24). October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now the village of Gulustan in the Goranboy region of Azerbaijan)]. A number of Transcaucasian provinces and khanates (Derbent Khanate) went to Russia, which received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. Russian and Iranian merchants were allowed to trade freely on the territory of both states.

War of 1826-1828

The war was started by Persia with the aim of returning Eastern Transcaucasia. Russian troops took Nakhichevan, Erivan (later - Yerevan), Tabriz. It ended with the Turkmanchay Peace of 1828 [concluded on February 22, 1828, in p. Turkmanchay (near Tabriz)]. Erivan (Armenia) and Nakhichevan khanates went to Russia. The Gulistan peace of 1813 confirmed the right of Russia to keep a navy in the Caspian Sea. The basis of Russian-Iranian relations until 1917.

"From Ancient Russia to the Russian Empire". Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.