Capture of Trabzon (1918)
| Trabzon campaign (1918) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofCaucasus Campaign | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
 Russian Republic Pontic Greeks Armenian fedayi[1] | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Enver Pasha | Unknown | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Third Army (Ottoman Empire) | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
|
250 casualties[6] | ||||||||
TheCapture of Trabzonrefers to the military operation carried out by the reorganized Ottoman Third Army, under the command ofWehip Pasha,which resulted in the seizure ofTrabzonon February 24, 1918. This event took place duringWorld War I.[7]
Seizure[edit]
In the context of theOttomanfront duringWorld War I,the German government had initially opposed Turkish advances into theCaucasus region.However, due to their growing frustration with the actions of Trotsky, the Germans abandoned their previous objections and agreed in the final version of theBrest-Litovsk Treatyto the clearance of Russian troops from the districts ofArdahan,Kars,andBatum.[7]
Taking advantage of this shift in German policy, the reorganizedOttoman Third Army,which incorporated divisions from the disbanded Second Army, undertook an offensive to capture Trabzon.Vehip Pasha,the commander of theOttoman Third Army,led this operation.[7]
On February 24, 1918,Trabzonwas successfully seized byOttoman forces.[8]However, the capture of the city was not without bloodshed. Approximately 600 individuals lost their lives, and 700 others were wounded, primarily due to an explosion in an ammunitions depot. The circumstances surrounding the explosion remain uncertain, as it is unclear whether it was an accident or an intentional act. The casualties included 1,050Russiansand 250Greeks,[9]highlighting the diverse ethnic composition of the region.[7]
Notes and references[edit]
- ^Gingeras, Ryan (2016-03-24).Fall of the Sultanate: The Great War and the End of the Ottoman Empire 1908-1922.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-108692-2.
Ottoman units approached Erzurum andTrabzon[... ] by retreatingArmenian troops...
- ^Bilton, David (2014-02-11).The Central Powers on the Russian Front 1914–1918.Pen and Sword.ISBN978-1-4738-3453-8.
- ^(McMeekin 2015,p. 424) "Commanded byVehip Pasha,took Trabzonon February 24 "
- ^Erickson, Edward J. (2021-05-24).The Turkish War of Independence: A Military History, 1919–1923.ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-1-4408-7842-8.
General Vehip Pasha's Ottoman troops went forward,capturingErzincan andTrabzon
- ^(McMeekin 2015,p. 424) "the casulities included 1,050 Russians"
- ^(McMeekin 2015,p. 424) "and 250 Greeks"
- ^abcd(McMeekin 2015,p. 424)
- ^Heper, Metin; Sayari, Sabri (2013-05-07).The Routledge Handbook of Modern Turkey.Routledge.ISBN978-1-136-30963-2.
- ^(McMeekin 2015,p. 424) "The casualties included 1,050 Russians and 250 Greeks"
Books[edit]
- McMeekin, Sean (2015-10-13).The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908-1923.Penguin Books Limited.ISBN978-0-7181-9972-2.