The Russian fleet originated on the White Sea. The king was pleased, but not for long. He soon saw that the sea he had chosen was inconvenient for trade. For three quarters of the year it stands under ice, it lies in a remote region in which only timber and flax can be traded. AND Peter I began to carefully look at the map of Russia and study the direction of the rivers. The Volga flows into the Caspian sea Sea, closed on all sides. Along the Volga you can only trade with the Persians; The Russians have been trading with them for a long time, but they haven’t learned much. The Don flows into the Sea of Azov, and from the Sea of Azov you can go to the Black Sea and further to the Mediterranean. There, according to foreigners, lie the richest countries, from where education comes to all of Europe. But the access to the Sea of Azov is in the power of the Turks, there lies a strong fortress Azov. Crimea is in power Crimean Khan, subordinate to the Turkish Sultan. Peter's sister, Princess Sophia, tried to conquer Crimea twice, but both times Russian army failed. In order to take possession of the Crimea and the Sea of Azov, first of all, it was necessary to take Azov from the Turks. And Tsar Peter began to question knowledgeable people about Azov. And then he heard that Azov had been in the hands of the brave Don Cossacks more than once, and that now Don Cossacks they know how to deceive the vigilance of Turkish sentries and sail in bold villages on boats along the Black Sea. Peter decided to go to the Don Cossacks, explore the Sea of Azov with them and settle down there firmly, from there start trading with foreign lands. March 16, 1695 Don Ataman Frol Minaev received a secret letter from the king. The Tsar informed him that the Tsar's army would gather in Tambov under the command of the hired German general Gordon and go to the Khoper River, and from Khoper to the Don, to Cherkassk. The Tsar ordered the Don army to secretly prepare for the conquest of Azov. The Tsar reminded Ataman Frol Minaev that his decree should remain a secret and that no one except the Ataman and military elders would know anything about it, and that the army would gather quietly and that the arrival of Russian regiments on the Don in Azov would not be known “before time.” At the same time, the old Moscow troops, a huge cavalry army, under the command of boyar Sheremetyev, went to the Dnieper to fight against the Turks along with the Little Russian Cossacks. New regiments, trained by Peter according to German regulations, went to the Don: Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Butyrsky and Lefortov, Moscow archers, city soldiers and royal servants went. A total of 31 thousand people marched. The troops were commanded by governors, already called generals in a foreign language: Golovin, Lefort and Gordon. With the army was the tsar himself, who assumed the title of commander of an artillery company and called himself “bombardier Pyotr Alekseev.” This army first marched on ships along the Volga to Tsaritsyn. From Tsarina we traveled by land to the town of Panshina on the Don. During this journey, the young soldiers of Tsar Peter were very tired. They, tired from the long rowing on ships on the Volga, had to carry heavy guns on their hands all this way. There were not enough supplies in Panshin. The young royal army had to starve. From Panshin we went along the Don on Cossack plows. The Tsar of Moscow appeared for the first time on the Don. For the first time he saw the freedom of Zadonye and the steep right bank covered with wooded gullies. Everything occupied the young king. HE talked for a long time with the Cossack rowers, listened to their songs, admired their ability to shoot. During an overnight stay in the Verkhne-Kurmoyarskaya village, the tsar stopped with a Cossack woman Chebachikhi. But he couldn’t sit in the stuffy hut. He went to the bank of the Don and admired the free steppe. Noticing a duck on the other bank, the tsar ordered one of the young Moscow men accompanying him to shoot it. He shot and missed. The king asked: “Is there a Cossack who could do this?” The young Cossack Pyadukh volunteered. He took his arquebus and, without aiming, killed the duck at a glance. “Execute, Cossack,” the sovereign told him. “Although I will kill, I will only kiss!” On June 26, 1695, Tsar Peter arrived in Cherkassk. Here the troops rested for three days. On June 29, the Russian army, reinforced by 7,000 Cossacks of Ataman Frol Minaev, approached Azov. But no matter how secretly the tsar’s army gathered near Azov, the Turks found out about it. On June 6 they received reinforcements and large supplies. Without ships, the tsarist army could not approach Azov. The Turks built towers on both banks of the Don - towers, firmly built and equipped with artillery. Between the towers, piles were driven along the Don and chains were stretched. Without taking the towers, it was impossible to approach Azov. They called out to the Don Cossack hunters and promised 10 rubles to each hunter. The Donets, together with one of the guards regiments, surrounded one of the towers; The artillery demolished its top and part of the wall with its cannonballs. At dawn on June 14, two hundred Cossacks, who volunteered for the attack by hunting, jumped into the watchtower located on the left bank of the river. The next day, the Turks made a sortie, attacked the infantry division of General Gordon, who was in the middle of the Russian position, during the midday rest they captured 7 guns from the Russians, nailed most of the rest and killed and wounded about a thousand sleepy young Russian soldiers. But the next day the Cossacks avenged the Russians and occupied the second tower. Russian troops began to surround the fortress more closely. After a heated affair, Peter built a strong trench, or, as they called it then, a trench on the right bank of the Don and armed it with cannons and mortars. Siege of Azov in 1796. Engraving by A. Schonebeck. By August, our siege ramparts approached the very walls of Azov, and an assault on the fortress was scheduled for August 5th. But the Turks repulsed this assault, and our troops lost one and a half thousand people. There was no need to blow up the fortress walls with gunpowder, as the Cossacks did in 1637. Only by September 25 did Gordon manage to detonate a mine and destroy the city walls for 20 fathoms. Troops burst into the city, but the Russian regiments, not accustomed to fighting in the streets with the Turks, who were advancing with extraordinary ardor, were driven back, and Gordon ordered a retreat. Just at this time, Ataman Frol Minaev with 1000 Donets on kayaks, and behind him the guard regiments mounted on boats: Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, under the command of Apraksin, approached Azov from the sea, captured the fortifications and also broke into the city; but they were not supported, and they were forced to retreat... Here the Don Cossacks became teachers of maritime affairs for Peter's young amusing regiments. These repulsed assaults and the approaching autumn with winds and bad weather forced Peter to postpone the capture of Azov. On September 28, the siege was lifted, the tsarist army retreated first to Cherkassk, and then went to Valuiki for the winter. Don hundreds dispersed to the villages. In the Azov towers taken by the Cossacks, 3,000 soldiers were left. Stories about the young tsar spread throughout the Don. He made a strong impression on the Cossacks. The king was of enormous height, less than two inches tall, broad in the shoulders, with a round open face and big, clear, bold eyes. He wore German clothes and spoke authoritatively and at the same time affably. "An eagle, a real eagle!" - the Cossacks said in delight and were ready to give everything for their sovereign. (From the book "Pictures of the Past" Quiet Don", St. Petersburg, 1909).
The Azov campaigns are the historical name of two military campaigns conducted under the leadership of the Russian Tsar Peter 1 in 1695 and 1696 and directed against the Ottoman Empire.
Were a logical continuation Russian-Turkish War, started by Princess Sophia in 1686. They became the first serious achievement at the beginning of the reign of the young ruler.
The completion of both campaigns was the capture of the large Turkish fortress of Azov.
First trip
After the defeat of Princess Sophia and her supporters, military campaigns against the Tatars and Turks were temporarily stopped. However, the Tatars themselves continued to stubbornly attack Russia, which forced the new government to decide to quickly resume attack operations against foreign enemies.
This time the blow was to be struck not at the villages of the Crimean Tatars, as during Golitsyn’s previous campaigns, but at a large Turkish fortress called Azov. The route of the hike was also changed: instead of moving through hot desert areas, a path along the areas of the Volga and Don rivers was chosen.
In the spring of 1695, when all preparations for the upcoming actions were completed, the Russian army, divided into 3 large groups, went south on transport ships. Peter himself was both the leader of the campaign and the first bombardier.
In a few days (July 30 - August 3) in the battles on the Dnieper Russian troops captured three Turkish fortresses: Kyzy-Kermen, Eski-Tavan and Aslan-Kermen. Meanwhile, towards the end of July, preparations began for the assault on Azov.
Peter's First Azov Campaign 1 photo
The commander of the first group, Gordon, positioned himself south of the fortress, and the leaders of other detachments, Lefort and Golovin, soon joined him. During the period July 14-16, Russian soldiers captured two defensive towers - massive stone towers located on both banks of the Don and interconnected by large chains that did not allow enemy ships to go to sea.
In fact, this event became the main success of the first Azov campaign. Several thousand Turks, led by Bey Hassan-Araslan, settled inside Azov itself. Over the next few months, two attempts were made to storm the fortress, which ended in failure and serious losses on the part of the Russian army.
Realizing that it would no longer be possible to win, Peter recalled his troops, and on October 2 the siege of Azov was over. About three thousand riflemen were left in the towers to hold the conquered territories.
Second trip
In the winter of 1695, more thorough preparations were made for a new military campaign. Many combat and transport ships were built, and the number of ground forces was increased to 70 thousand soldiers, after the tsar’s decree on the possibility of voluntary joining the army, granting freedom to all brave peasants.
Peter's Second Azov Campaign 1 photo
Thus, on May 16, 1696, the second siege of the Azov fortress began. A few days later, on May 20, several enemy cargo ships were destroyed, leaving the fortress garrison without the necessary supplies. After several infantry and artillery attacks, on July 19, the Turks of Azov surrendered to the mercy of Peter I.
Results of the campaigns of Peter 1
The Russian government has realized the importance sea vessels during the wars, and on October 20 the first navy was officially formed. The success of the second campaign proved to the Russian people the strength and intelligence of their new ruler, increasing Peter's reputation both in his own country and in others.
- Voivode ground army After completing the second campaign, Shein became the first Russian generalissimo.
- The war with Turkey ended in 1700, 4 years after the capture of Azov.
Before the era of Peter the Great, Russia did not have access to an ice-free sea. This state of affairs slowed down the development of trade and partnerships with Western countries.I understood this perfectly well. In 1693, he visited Arkhangelsk, the only city at that time with a seaport.
After his visit to Arkhangelsk, the tsar finally realizes that White Sea not enough for the development of foreign policy relations. He sees the need for Russia to access the Black Sea, which is dominated by the Ottoman Empire.
Some time later, in January 1695, an upcoming campaign to the south was announced. For the campaign, the Russians gathered 30 thousand soldiers, whose command was entrusted. Peter I was also in the army, a bombardier.
The march of Russian troops to the south in national history received the name "Azov Campaigns". The beginning of the “Azov Campaigns” is the first independent step of the new sovereign on his throne. The Russian tsars repeatedly undertook campaigns against the Crimea, but failed over and over again. Crimea remained a dream, and at the same time, a painful reminder of Russia’s weakness.
First of all, Peter I decided to strike at the Azov fortress, which was located at the mouth of the Don and blocked the exit to the Black Sea. It was a powerful fortress, which was surrounded by ramparts and ditches. In July 1695, Russian troops began a siege. The city, besieged by land, continued to receive supplies and shells from the sea.
Russian troops did not have ships, and therefore the siege was not as productive as the Russian Tsar would have liked. In October 1695, he gave the order to lift the siege from Azov. Despite the fact that it was not possible to take Azov, he does not give up this idea. On the Voronezh River, at the place where it flows into the Don, the sovereign orders the construction of warships to begin.
Already in April 1696, two ships, 4 fire ships, 23 galleys and 1300 big boats. The size of the army was doubled, and Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks actively joined it. The second siege of Azov went off with a bang. The fortress was blocked from the sea and Russian troops were able to take possession of it. The Russian army obtained 16 Turkish battle flags and 130 cannons.
To consolidate the success of the “Azov Campaign,” Peter I orders the construction of the Taganrog fortress, which will become the first Russian fortress on the Sea of Azov. He understood that in order to consolidate previous successes and future great victories, Russia needed to greatly increase the size of its fleet. The issue of shipbuilding was resolved at a meeting of the Boyar Duma on October 20, 1696. The question was resolved: there will be a fleet! This day is considered the birthday of the Russian Navy.
The sage avoids all extremes.
Lao Tzu
The Azov campaigns began in 1695, when Peter 1 began military campaigns against the Turkish-Tatar fortress of Azov, which was located at the mouth of the Don River and was an important Azov sea port. The young tsar set out to lead Russia to the sea. After the first campaign failed, Peter did not hesitate and within half a year began the second campaign. This time everything went well for Russia: for the first time the country gained access to ice-free Sea of Azov. However, further advance to the Black Sea required a full-fledged war with the then powerful Ottoman Empire, so Peter 1 began to prepare for a new, Northern War with Sweden. The article is devoted to a description of the causes, course and results of the Azov campaigns, as well as an analysis of assessments of the Azov campaigns by famous historians.
Prerequisites for the Azov campaigns
In 1689, the official reign of Peter 1 began. The young tsar saw one of his main tasks as ensuring Russia's access to the sea. Firstly, to create a powerful fleet, and secondly, to develop trade and ensure cultural ties. There were two options: the Baltic and the Black Sea. The first option required wars with Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Second - with Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. After signing " Eternal peace"with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1686, the Muscovite kingdom not only established friendly relations with its western neighbor, but also began to join the anti-Turkish coalition in Europe. As a result, Crimean campaigns(1687.1689), which, however, did not bring success to Russia. However, wars Turkish army in Europe, as well as the powerful alliance of Poland, Austria and the Venetian Republic against Turkey significantly weakened the Ottoman Porte.
Reasons, goals and objectives of the parties
After Peter came to power, he decided to continue his previous direction foreign policy, referring to possible weakening of Turkish-Tatar power. However, the Turkish-Tatar fortress of Azov was chosen as a new target. Peter literally raved about the sea, so the Azov campaigns were only a matter of time.
The main tasks of Russia during the Azov campaigns were:
- The assault and capture of the Azov fortress to provide a bridgehead with which to begin the struggle for access to the Black Sea.
- Transform the Azov sea fortress into a creation center Russian fleet.
- Establishing control over the territory of the Don River, which made it possible to develop a fleet in other cities on the Don, and, if necessary, lower them to the Sea of Azov.
- Weakening of Turkey's influence in the Azov Sea region.
Actual preparations for the campaign began in 1694. The Don Cossacks, as well as the Ukrainian Cossacks led by Hetman Mazepa, were involved in organizing the campaigns.
Progress of the campaigns
There were two trips in total. Since the first one was unsuccessful, Peter 1 had to organize a second one. Let's take a closer look at them.
First campaign: July - October 1695
To ensure a successful campaign, Peter 1 created two armies. The first was headed by Boris Sheremetev, it was supposed to perform a diversionary role, attacking the Crimean Khanate in the Dnieper region. This was supposed to force the Turks to transport the fleet from Azov. This is exactly what the second army had to wait for, whose task was the direct capture of the Azov fortress. This army was led by three generals: F. Lefort, F. Golovin and P. Gordon.
In June 1695, Russian troops approached Azov and began shelling. Food was delivered by rivers, so Russian troops were prepared to carry out a long siege. However, the Turks stretched chains across the Don, which prevented them from leaving Russian courts into the Sea of Azov and intensify shelling. In addition, the presence of three generals did not benefit the Russian army: they often acted uncoordinatedly, which determined the ineffectiveness of the campaign for Russia. In September 1695, the Russian army returned to Moscow. However, the young king did not fold his arms. He gave the command to prepare for a new campaign, but at the same time tried to learn as many lessons as possible from this defeat.
The first of the Azov campaigns was not successful. The reason is that Russia did not have a fleet, without which it would be impossible to siege a sea fortress.
Map of Peter's first Azov campaign
Second campaign 1696
The Tsar hired several Western engineers who were tasked with starting the creation of a modern Russian fleet. Voronezh was chosen as the location for the experiment. At the end of 1695, the tsar became very ill, and on January 20, 1696, his brother Ivan died. However, even this did not stop the plans of Peter 1. He personally went to the shipyards to oversee the production of the Russian fleet. In addition, the king prepared a new 70,000-strong army, led by A. Stein. It was decided to launch a swift strike with the help of the fleet (it was led by F. Lefort), which made it possible to enter the Sea of Azov and surround the Azov fortress. By the way, B. Sheremetyev was supposed to carry out a diversionary attack on the Crimean peninsula for the second time.
From April to July 1696, the siege and shelling of the Turkish-Tatar fortress lasted. On July 18, Russian troops achieved success - Azov was captured, and Russia was able to reach the sea. In addition, the commander of this campaign, A. Stein, received the rank of generalissimo for the first time in the history of the country.
Map of Peter's second Azov campaign
Evaluation of the Azov campaigns of Peter 1
Despite the fact that the Azov campaigns were successful (at least there was a positive outcome in the form of the capture of Azov), there is no clear opinion among historians regarding the campaigns. Having analyzed the main views on the Azov campaigns, we can describe the main positive and negative components of this historical event.
Positive evaluations of the hikes
For example, the historian S. Soloviev claims that after the first Azov campaign, the birth of the Russian Tsar-reformer Peter 1 began. The scientist believes that the defeat in the first campaign forced the Tsar to cultivate perseverance, and the victory in the second finally convinced him of the correctness and need to seek for Russia way to the sea.
Scientists who specialize in military history, I note that in the Azov campaigns the importance of artillery for waging siege warfare was finally proven. The experience of the Azov campaigns was used not only by Russia, but also by many European countries.
Historians call another positive aspect of the Azov campaigns that in 1696 the Boyar Duma decided “to have courts”, in fact this meant the creation of a full-fledged navy. In addition, huge amounts of money were allocated for this. Also after these campaigns, Russia began colonizing the mouth of the Don, Taganrog was built, and later Rostov.
Negative ratings
Some historians focus on the actual ineffectiveness of the campaigns. Indeed, despite the capture of Azov, access to the Black Sea required a further full-fledged war with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate, which required enormous resources. In 1700, the Northern War began, Russia completely switched to a war with Sweden for access to Baltic Sea, abandoning the idea of going to the Black Sea, which during Rus' was called “Russian”.
Thus, despite the presence of historians who critically examine the Azov campaigns of Peter 1, we can say that they brought Russia their results, and most importantly, they gave a new challenge, a desire to fight overseas and build its own fleet. In addition, they convinced Peter 1 of the need to reform the country.