Battle of Kars
Kars, Kars Province, Turkey
What happened
A Russian army under Count Mikhail Loris-Melikov and Ivan Lazarev fought the Ottoman garrison of Kars, in the army of Ahmed Muhtar Pasha. In the Russo-Turkish War, Kars was a strong fortress city in eastern Anatolia. After two weeks of preparation and bombardment, the Russians launched a night attack from several directions. After fighting through the night, the city fell the next day and about 17,000 soldiers surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It largely ended the war on the Caucasus front. Kars and the surrounding lands were handed to Russia, and many people moved across the new border.
What came next
Russia held Kars until 1918. The Treaty of Kars in 1921 set today's north-eastern border of Turkey.
Did you know?
The composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote a march called 'The Capture of Kars' in 1880.
Timeline
- 17-18 November 1877Russia captures Kars.
- 1878Kars is ceded to Russia after the war.
- 1880Mussorgsky writes 'The Capture of Kars'.
- 3 March 1918Russia gives Kars back under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
- 1921The Treaty of Kars sets Turkey's north-eastern border.