Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) | |||||||||
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Part of Great Eastern Crisis (1875–78) | |||||||||
The Battle of Shipka Pass in August 1877 |
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Russian Empire Romania Bulgaria Montenegro Serbia |
Ottoman Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Alexander II Carol I of Romania Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich Mikhail Loris-Melikov Mikhail Skobelev Joseph Gourko Ivan Lazarev Alexander of Battenberg Prince Nikola Kosta Protić |
Abdul Hamid II Ahmed Pasha Osman Pasha Suleiman Pasha Mehmed Pasha Abdülkerim Nadir Pasha Ahmed Eyüb Pasha Mehmed Riza Pasha |
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Strength | |||||||||
Russian Empire – 185,000 in the Army of the Danube, 75,000 in the Caucasian Army |
Ottoman Empire – 281,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Russian Empire – 15,567 killed, Bulgaria – 2,456 dead and wounded |
30,000 killed, 90,000 died from wounds and diseases |
Russian Empire – 185,000 in the Army of the Danube, 75,000 in the Caucasian Army
Romania – 66,000
Bulgaria – 12,000
Montenegro – 45,000
190 cannons
Russian Empire – 15,567 killed,
56,652 wounded,
6,824 died from wounds
Romania — 4,302 killed and missing,
3,316 wounded,
19,904 sick
Bulgaria – 2,456 dead and wounded
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 (Turkish: 93 Harbi (Battle of '93), Russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-Turetskaya voyna) was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. Fought in the Balkans and in the Caucasus, it originated in emerging 19th-century Balkan nationalism. Additional factors included Russian hopes of recovering territorial losses suffered during the Crimean War, re-establishing itself in the Black Sea and supporting the political movement attempting to free Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire.
The Russian-led coalition won the war. As a result, Russia succeeded in claiming several provinces in the Caucasus, namely Kars and Batumi, and also annexed the Budjak region. The principalities of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro, each of whom had had de facto sovereignty for some time, formally proclaimed independence from the Ottoman Empire. After almost five centuries of Ottoman domination (1396–1878), the Bulgarian state was re-established as the Principality of Bulgaria, covering the land between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains (except Northern Dobrudja which was given to Romania), as well as the region of Sofia, which became the new state's capital. The Congress of Berlin in 1878 also allowed Austria-Hungary to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina and Great Britain to take over Cyprus.