BATTLE OF SHIPKA PASS

SHIPKA, BULGARIA, JULY 1877-JANUARY 1878

- Mark Simner

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 was fought between the Russian Empire (more correctly, an Eastern Orthodox coalition led by Russia, which included Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro) and the Ottoman Empire. It was the last, and most important, of a series of conflicts fought between the two empires dating back to the 17th century. Its causes are deep-rooted and complex, but the 1877 conflict began on 24 April, when the Russian Tsar, Alexander II, declared war on the Ottomans to come to the aid of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria, who had begun a rebellion against Ottoman rule. It would end in a Russian coalition victory ten months later following a savage campaign that saw tens of thousands killed and countless more wounded. There were several sizeable actions fought during the conflict, one of the most notable being the Battle of Shipka Pass, itself a series of bloody actions fought for control of the vital pass in the Balkan Mountains.

RUSSIAN STRATEGY

Bitter experience of earlier conflicts between the Russians and Ottomans had led to Turkey building a string of fortresses to guard its European provinces from future attacks. Nevertheless, Prussian-born Russian general Hans Karl von Diebitsch had managed to break through these formidable defences in 1829 and advance on Constantinople, allowing Russia to dictate subsequent peace terms. In 1877, Russian strategy was simply to repeat Diebitsch's earlier victory.