Battle of Kagul
Near Cahul, southern Moldova
What happened
A Russian army under Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev fought a much larger Ottoman army under Grand Vizier Ivazzade Halil Pasha. In the Russo-Turkish War, Rumyantsev's army of about 40,000 found itself facing a far larger Ottoman force near the Kagul River. He arranged his infantry in squares and attacked first. Russian artillery silenced the Ottoman guns, Ottoman cavalry charges failed, and the Russians broke into the Ottoman camp.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the decisive land battle of the war. It opened the Danube to the Russians, who then captured the main fortresses of the Danube Delta.
What came next
The Ottoman Grand Vizier was removed from office. The war ended four years later with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca.
Did you know?
Empress Catherine II had an obelisk built at Tsarskoe Selo to celebrate the victory, and the town of Cahul is named after the battle.
Timeline
- 1768The Russo-Turkish War begins.
- 1 August 1770Russia wins at Kagul.
- 1774The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ends the war.