Russian-Iranian wars. Iran and European countries in the XVIII

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian Empire and Persia were arguing for influence in the Transcaucasus and on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Between these powers were such countries as Georgia, Armenia and Dagestan. In 1804, the first Russian-Persian war began. It ended after nine years. According to its results, enshrined in the Gulistan peace agreements, Russia annexed Georgian and partially Armenian lands.

The defeat did not suit the Persians. Revanchist sentiments have become popular in the country. The Shah wanted to regain the lost provinces. Because of this irresolvable conflict of interests, the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) began. The causes of the conflict and the tense situation in the region made it inevitable.

Diplomatic environment

Preparations for a new war began in Persia immediately after the defeat in 1813. First of all, Feth Ali Shah tried to enlist the support of the European powers. Prior to that, he had relied on Napoleon Bonaparte, who made an alliance with the Persians on the eve of his attack on Russia in 1812. Its terms were stipulated in the Finkestein Treaty.

However, since then the situation in the world has changed a lot. The Napoleonic Wars ended with the defeat of France and the ambitious emperor, who ended up in exile on the island of St. Helena. The Shah needed a new ally. Before the Russo-Persian war of 1826-1828 began, Great Britain began to show signs of attention to Persia.

This colonial power had its own interests in the Asian region. The kingdom owned India, and the British ambassadors obtained from the Iranians a promise not to let any of London's enemies into this country. At the same time, conflict broke out between Persia and Turkey. The British played the role of peacekeepers in negotiations with the Ottoman Empire, trying to persuade the Shah to go to war with another neighbor - Russia.

On the eve of the war

At this time, the second son of Feth Ali Shah Abbas Mirza was made commander in chief of the Persian army. He was instructed to prepare the army for new trials and carry out all the necessary reforms. The modernization of the army took place with the support of Great Britain. The soldiers received new weapons and uniforms, partly purchased in Europe. Thus, Abbas-Mirza tried to overcome the technical lag of his subordinates from the Russian units. Strategically, these were steps in the right direction, but in their reforms, the Iranian headquarters was in a hurry, trying not to lose time. It played a cruel joke. When the Russian-Persian war began, those who participated in the past conflict could notice changes in the enemy camp. But they were not enough to overcome the abyss that was between the armies and the Shah.

In 1825, the Iranian militarists gladly received the news that the Russian Emperor Alexander I died unexpectedly in Taganrog. His death led to a short-lived dynastic crisis and (more importantly) an uprising of the Decembrists. Alexander had no children and the throne was to pass to the next brother, Constantine. He refused, and as a result, Nikolai, who had never prepared for this, began to rule. He was a military man by education. The Decembrist uprising infuriated him. When the coup attempt failed, a lengthy trial began in St. Petersburg.

It was in those days that the advisers of the new king began to inform the monarch that the southern neighbor was openly preparing for an armed conflict. The famous general Alexei Yermolov was the commander-in-chief in the Caucasus. The last Russian-Persian war took place before his eyes, and he, like no one else, was aware of the danger of a new conflict. It was this general who more often than others reminded Nicholas of the prospects in the Caucasus.

The emperor answered rather sluggishly, but nevertheless agreed to send Prince Alexander Menshikov to Tehran. The future naval minister did not find a common language with the Persian diplomats. The king gave instructions to his ward, according to which he was ready to cede part of the disputed Talish Khanate in exchange for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. However, Tehran did not accept such proposals. Menshikov was even arrested along with all the ambassadors, although he was released already in 1827.

Persian intervention

The failure of preliminary negotiations led to the fact that the Russo-Persian war still began. On July 16, 1826, the Iranian army crossed the border in the region of modern Azerbaijan, where the Talysh and Karabakh khanates were located. This operation was carried out secretly and treacherously, there was no official declaration of war.

On the border there were only defensive detachments, assembled in haste and consisting of local Azerbaijanis. They could not offer serious resistance to the prepared Persian army. Some residents who professed Islam even joined the interventionists. According to the plans of Abbas Mirza, the Persian army was to move northwest along the valleys of the Kura River. The main target was the provincial city of Tiflis. Ideally, Russian troops should have been thrown to the other side of the Terek.

The war in the Caucasus region has always had several tactical features associated with the specifics of the area. It was possible to cross the ridge by land only through certain passes. Operating in Transcaucasia, the Persians sent auxiliary detachments to the north, hoping to block all routes for the main Russian army.

War in Karabakh

The main grouping under the direct supervision of Abbas Mirza consisted of 40 thousand soldiers. This army crossed the frontier and headed towards the Shushi fortress. Even the day before, the Persian command tried to enlist the support of the local khans, who were the leaders of the Azerbaijanis living in the city. Some of them actually promised support to Abbas-Mirza.

Shusha also had an Orthodox Armenian population, which, on the contrary, was loyal to the Russian authorities. The garrison of the fortress consisted of a detachment of Cossacks. The besieged decided to take hostage those Muslim khans who were suspected of betrayal and collaboration with the Persians. A hasty training of the militia, which consisted mainly of Armenians, began. Despite the energetic actions of the Cossacks, Shusha did not have at least a large supply of food and weapons necessary for successful defense during an assault or siege.

At this time, the Karabakh khan, who became a vassal of Russia after the war of 1804-1813, announced his support for the Persian invaders. Abbas Mirza, for his part, promised patronage to all local Muslims. He also announced that he was only fighting the Russians, hoping that this would help him convert the population to his side.

Siege of Shusha

A new Russo-Persian war started from Shusha. The attackers and defenders were separated by fortifications from the walls. To get rid of this obstacle, the Persians planted mines obtained with European assistance. In addition, Abbas-Mirza ordered several demonstrative executions of Karabakh Armenians right under the walls, hoping that this act of intimidation would quarrel the Armenians and Russians who had settled in the fortress. This did not happen.

The Persian army besieged Shusha for seven weeks. Such a delay greatly changed the course of the entire military campaign. The Iranians decided to divide the army and send an 18,000-strong detachment towards Elisavetpol (Ganja). Abbas Mirza hoped that this maneuver would allow him to reach Tiflis from the east, which would come as a complete surprise to the Cossacks.

Shamkhor battle

The commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Caucasus, General Yermolov, was in Tiflis at the beginning of the war and gathered regiments. His first plan was to quickly retreat into the depths of the region, luring the Persians away from their own territory. Already in the new positions, the Cossacks would have a noticeable advantage over the Shah's army.

However, by the time a detachment of 8,000 soldiers was assembled in Tiflis, it became clear that the interventionists were stuck under the walls of Shusha for a long time. So, unexpectedly for everyone, the Russian-Persian war began. The year 1826 was in full swing, and Yermolov decided to launch a counterattack before the onset of cold weather. An army led by Major General Madatov was sent towards Elisavetpol to stop the enemy and lift the siege of Shusha.

This detachment collided with the vanguard of the enemy near the village of Shamkir. The ensuing battle in historiography was called the Battle of Shamkhor. It was she who influenced the results of the Russian-Persian war of 1826-1828. Until that moment, the Iranians had been advancing with little or no organized resistance. Now they had to face the real Russian army.

By the time Madatov was in Azerbaijan, the Persians had already laid siege to Elisavetpol. To break through to the blockaded city, the Russian army needed to break the enemy vanguard. On September 3, in the ensuing battle, the Persians lost 2 thousand people killed, while Madatov lost 27 soldiers. Because of the defeat in the Battle of Shamkhor, Abbas-Mirza had to lift the siege of Shusha and move to the rescue of the regiments stationed near Elisavetpol.

Expulsion of the Persians from Russia

Valerian Madatov commanded only 6 thousand people. They were clearly not enough to drive the Persians away from Elizabethpol. Therefore, after the victory near Shamkhor, he made a small maneuver, during which he joined up with fresh reinforcements that had come from Tiflis. The meeting took place on 10 September. The new regiments were commanded by Ivan Paskevich. He also took command of the entire army, marching to liberate Elizavetpol.

September 13 Russian troops were near the city. There were also Persians. The parties began to prepare for a general battle. It began with intense artillery shelling. The first Persian infantry attack bogged down because the regiments ran into a ravine and, being trapped, came under enemy fire.

The decisive role in the offensive of the Russian units was played by the Kherson regiment, which was directly led by Paskevich. Neither the artillery nor the cavalry, which tried to attack the Georgian militias from the flank, could help the Iranians. The Russo-Persian war, the reasons for which were the desire of the Shah to strike at his neighbor, showed once again how the eastern type of army was ineffective against Russian units trained in the European manner. The counterattack of Paskevich's units led to the fact that the Iranians first retreated to their original positions, and by the evening completely surrendered them.

The losses of the parties were again distinguished by surprising disproportion. General Paskevich counted 46 dead and about two hundred wounded. The Iranians killed two thousand people. About the same number of soldiers surrendered. In addition, the Russians got enemy artillery and banners. The victory at Elisavetpol led to Now Russia was deciding what the Russo-Persian war would be like. The results of the battle were announced throughout the country and accepted as a gift to the new emperor, who needed to publicly prove his own competence as a ruler.

Campaign of 1827

Paskevich's success was appreciated. He was appointed commander in chief and viceroy of the king in the Caucasus. By October, Iranian troops were pushed back beyond the Araks. Thus the status quo was restored. The soldiers hibernated, and a temporary calm set in at the front. However, all parties understood that the Russian-Persian war (1826-1828) had not yet ended. In short, Nicholas decided to take advantage of the successes of the army and not only drive out the interventionists, but also complete the annexation of Orthodox Armenia, part of which still belonged to the Shah.

The main goal of Paskevich was the city of Erivan (Yerevan) and the Erivan Khanate, which was a vassal of Iran. The military campaign began in late spring. In the summer, the important fort of Sardar-Abad surrendered to Russian troops. Until August, the army of the king did not meet serious resistance. All this time, Abbas-Mirza was in his homeland, gathering new regiments.

Oshakan battle

In early August, the Persian heir with 25,000 troops entered the Erivan Khanate. His army attacked the city of Etchmiadzin, which had only a small Cossack garrison, as well as an ancient Christian fortified monastery. The fortress had to be rescued by a detachment led by Lieutenant General Afanasy Krasovsky.

On August 17, a small Russian army of 3,000 people attacked the 30,000-strong army of Abbas Mirza. It was one of the brightest episodes that the Russian-Persian war is known for. The date of the Battle of Oshakan (as it is known in historiography) coincided with the unbearable heat of the Caucasus, which equally tormented all the soldiers.

The goal of Krasovsky's detachment was to break through to the besieged city through the dense ranks of the enemy. The Russians were carrying an extensive convoy and provisions needed for the garrison. The path had to be laid with bayonets, because there was not a single road left where there would be no Persians. To contain the enemy attacks, Krasovsky used artillery, which from the very beginning of the operation occupied strategically convenient heights for shelling. The firing of the guns did not allow the Persians to attack the Russians with all their might, which was reflected in the result of the battle.

As a result, Krasovsky's detachment managed to break through to Echmiadzin, despite the fact that every second soldier from this army died, repulsing the Muslim attacks. The failure had an extremely strong demoralizing effect on the entire Persian leadership. Abbas Mirza still tried to besiege the city for some time, but soon prudently retreated.

The main forces of the empire under the leadership of Paskevich at that time planned to invade Azerbaijan and go to Tabriz. But at the end of August, the commander-in-chief received news of the events in Etchmiadzin, because of which the Russian-Persian war (1826-1828) moved to another stage. The reasons why Paskevich sent a small detachment to the west were simple - he believed that Abbas Mirza was in a completely different region. Realizing that the main Iranian army was behind him, the commander-in-chief refused to march on Tabriz and advanced towards the Erivan Khanate.

Capture of Yerevan

On September 7, Paskevich and Krasovsky met in Etchmiadzin, from which the siege was lifted the day before. At the council, it was decided to take the Armenian Erivan. If the army managed to capture this city, then the Russo-Persian war would end. The year 1828 was already approaching, so Paskevich immediately set off, hoping to complete the operation before the onset of winter.

The Russian-Persian war, the years of which fell on a period of turbulence in the Russian state, nevertheless showed that, in spite of everything, the tsarist army can solve operational problems in the most difficult conditions. Nicholas I, not without reason, believed that he needed to establish a protectorate over the whole of Armenia. The indigenous people of this country were also Orthodox Christians and for centuries suffered from Muslim dominance.

The first attempts of Armenians to establish contact with St. Petersburg took place as early as that time. Since then, the Russian army has been liberating province after province in Transcaucasia. Paskevich, once in eastern Armenia, was greeted with enthusiasm by the locals. Most of the men joined the general as militias.

The Russian-Persian war of 1828 was a chance for Armenians to start living again in a Christian country. There were many of them in Erivan. Realizing this, the Persian commandant of the fortress expelled from the city members of influential Armenian families who could incite the townspeople to revolt. But the precautionary measures did not help the Iranians. The city was taken by Russian troops on October 1, 1827 after a short assault.

Negotiation

Two weeks after this victory, the headquarters learned that another royal detachment had captured Tabriz. This army was commanded by Georgy Eristov, sent by Paskevich to the southeast after the commander-in-chief left for Erivan. This victory was the last front-line event for which the Russian-Persian war (1826-1828) is known. The Shah needed a peace treaty. His army lost all the strategically important battles. In addition, now the royal regiments occupied part of its territory.

Therefore, with the onset of winter, both states began to exchange diplomats and parliamentarians. They met in Turkmanchay, a small village not far from captured Tabriz. The treaties signed in this place on February 10, 1828 summed up the results of the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828). All the conquests that the tsarist army had made in the previous conflict were recognized for Russia. In addition, the imperial crown received new territorial acquisitions. It was eastern Armenia with its main city Yerevan, as well as the Nakhichevan Khanate. The Iranians agreed to pay a large indemnity (20 million rubles in silver). They also guaranteed their non-interference in the process of resettlement of Orthodox Armenians to their homeland.

End of the conflict

It is curious that the diplomat and writer Alexander Griboyedov was a member of the royal embassy. He took part in the discussion of the conditions under which the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) ended. In short, the treaty did not sit well with the Iranians. A few months later, a new one began and the Persians tried to violate the terms of the peace.

In order to settle the conflict, an embassy was sent to Tehran, headed by Griboyedov. In 1829, this delegation was brutally murdered by Islamic fanatics. Dozens of diplomats were killed. The Shah sent rich gifts to St. Petersburg to make amends for the scandal. Nikolai did not go for a confrontation, and since then there has been a long peace between the neighbors.

The mutilated body of Griboyedov was buried in Tiflis. While in Yerevan, which had just been liberated from the Iranians, for the first time he staged his most famous performance, Woe from Wit, on stage. Thus ended the Russian-Persian war. The peace treaty allowed the creation of several new provinces, and since then Transcaucasia remained part of the empire until the fall of the monarchy.

At the same time, he waged the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813 in the east, a war hardly noticeable to contemporaries preoccupied with world events, nevertheless memorable for posterity both for the valor of Russian weapons and for the importance of the consequences. Marked by the exploits of Tsitsianov, Gudovich, Tormasov and Kotlyarevsky, the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813 established Russia's dominance over the Caucasus.

The voluntary allegiance of Kartli, Kakheti and Somkhetia, under the common name of Georgia, to Emperor Paul I should have inevitably resulted in the accession to Russia and other small possessions of the Transcaucasus, already prepared by previous events: the kings of Imereti and the princes of Mingrelian who were of the same faith to us sought the protection of our court even under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ; shamkhal of Tarkovsky, khans of Derbent and Baku have expressed allegiance to the Russian throne since the time of Peter the Great; and the rulers of Shirvani, Sheki, Ganja and Karabakh, frightened by the victories of Count Zubov, surrendered to the patronage of Catherine II. It remained to finally bring them under Russian citizenship and subdue many more independent khans, beks, usmeys and sultans who dominated between the Caucasus and the Araks, without which the possession of Georgia could not be either safe or useful for Russia. Alexander entrusted the execution of this important task to General Prince Peter Tsitsianov, a Georgian by birth, Russian at heart, who passionately loved Russia, equally brave commander and skillful ruler, briefly familiar with the Transcaucasian region, where his house belonged to the number of noble families and was related to the latter. Georgian king George XIII, married to Princess Tsitsianova.

Pavel Dmitrievich Tsitsianov

The capture of Ganja by the Tsitsianovs

Appointed in 1802 by the Russian commander-in-chief of Georgia in the place of General Knorring, Tsitsianov, with tireless activity, took up the internal improvement and external security of the region entrusted to him. For the first purpose, he tried to awaken the people's industry, introduce more order in government and ensure justice. For the second, he hurried with a thunderstorm of weapons to subdue the hostile khans who were disturbing Georgia from the east. The most dangerous of all was the strong ruler of Ganja, Jevat Khan, a treacherous and bloodthirsty despot. Having submitted to Catherine II in 1796, he subsequently betrayed the Russians, defected to the side of Persia and robbed Tiflis merchants. Tsitsianov entered his region, laid siege to Ganja and took it by storm (1804). Khan was killed during the assault; his children died in the battle or fled. The people swore allegiance to the Russian sovereign. Ganja was renamed Elizavetpol and annexed to Georgia with the entire khanate. From under the walls of Ganja, Tsitsianov ordered General Gulyakov to subdue the recalcitrant Lezgins who were disturbing Kakheti. The brave Gulyakov drove them into the mountains, penetrated the most impregnable gorges, and although he paid for his courage with his life, he instilled such horror in the predatory inhabitants of Lezgistan that they sent deputies to Tiflis asking for mercy. Their example was followed by the Khan of Avar and the Sultan of Elisuy. Soon the princes of Mingrelia and Abkhazia submitted to the Russian sovereign; King Solomon of Imereti also entered into eternal citizenship.

Beginning of the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813

Persia looked with envy and fear at the rapid successes of Russian weapons beyond the Caucasus. Alarmed by the fall of Ganja, the Shah of Persia, Feth-Ali, sent the Georgian prince Alexander to revolt the khans subject to us; meanwhile, he ordered his son Abbas-mirza to cross the Araks to pacify the recalcitrant vassal of his sardar of Erivan and to assist prince Alexander. Thus began the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813. Tsitsianov, knowing the hostile disposition of Persia and foreseeing the inevitable Russian-Persian war, decided to seize Erivan (Yerevan), dependent on the Persians, which, due to its strongholds, famous in the east, could serve him as a reliable support for military operations. On the banks of the Zanga, at the monastery of Etchmiadzin, he met Abbas Mirza with an army four times stronger than the Russian detachment, and defeated him (1804); after that he again struck the Persians under the walls of Erivan; finally defeated the Persian shah himself, who came to the aid of his son, but could not take the fortress and after a grueling siege, from a lack of food and epidemic diseases, he was forced to return to Georgia. This failure had unfavorable consequences for the further course of the Russo-Persian war that had begun.

Perked up in the summer of 1805, the Persians gathered a 40,000-strong army against the Russians. The Persian prince Abbas Mirza moved with her to Georgia. In Karabakh, on the river Askeran, the 20,000th Persian avant-garde was met by the Russian detachment of Colonel Karyagin of 500 people, who had only two guns. Despite this disparity of forces, Karyagin's rangers for two weeks - from June 24 to July 8, 1805 - repelled the enemy onslaught, and then managed to secretly retreat. During the fighting in the mountainous area, the Russian chasseurs needed to transport the guns through the crevice. There was no way for her to fall asleep. Then Private Gavrila Sidorov proposed to arrange a "living bridge". Several soldiers lay down at the bottom of the pit, and heavy guns drove right over them. Almost none of these brave men survived, but by a feat of self-sacrifice they saved their comrades. The delay of the Persian hordes by the Russian detachment of Colonel Karyagin allowed Tsitsianov to gather troops and saved Georgia from bloody devastation.

F. A. Roubaud. Living bridge. Episode of the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813

The Persian Shah, with the assistance of Tsarevich Alexander, managed to anger all of Lezgistan, Ossetia, Kabarda, the khans of Derbent, Baku and Cuba. The military road laid through the Caucasus was stopped by the highlanders; Georgia was attacked by agitated Lezgins and Ossetians. But Tsitsianov managed to put out such a dangerous fire. On July 28, 1805, he defeated Abbas Mirza at Zagama. The Persian army retreated, stopping the campaign against Georgia. The successful expeditions of the Russian troops into the mountains terrified the predatory inhabitants there and restored the communication of the Caucasian line with Georgia interrupted by them; the Ossetians were also brought into obedience.

It remained to subdue the rebellious khans of Dagestan, whose head was the ruler of Baku, the insidious Hussein-Kuli-khan. Tsitsianov entered his region and, besieging Baku, demanded unconditional obedience. Khan, expressing feigned humility, suggested that the commander-in-chief accept the city keys. The prince with a small retinue went to the fortress and barely approached it, was hit by two bullets fired on the secret orders of Hussein (February 1806).

The news of the death of the commander, fearless in battles, who with one thunderstorm of his name kept the obstinate tribes in obedience, again excited the entire Transcaucasian region. Of all the khans subject to us, only Shamkhal Tarkovsky did not raise the banner of rebellion and remained faithful to the oath; even the king of Imereti Solomon entered into relations with the enemies of Russia. The Persians cheered up and, continuing the war with the Russians, again crossed over the Araks; the Turks, for their part, as a result of Russia's break with Porto and the Russo-Turkish war that began in 1806, threatened to attack Georgia.

Continuation of the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813 by Generals Gudovich and Tormasov

The successor of Tsitsianov, Count Gudovich, by repeated expeditions to the mountains, on both sides of the Caucasus, curbed the Lezgins, Chechens and their allies; took Baku (1806), humbled the Khan of Derbent; defeated the Turks at the Arpachay River (June 1807) and drove the Persians beyond the Araks. Admiral Pustoshkin, acting from the sea, took and ruined Anapa. However, the second assault on Erivan undertaken by Gudovich on November 17, 1808 again ended in failure.

Gudovich's successor, General Tormasov, successfully continued the Russian-Persian war and pacified the Transcaucasian region. With the capture of Poti and the secondary ruin of Anapa, he deprived the Turks of the opportunity to support the uprising in Imeretin and Abkhazia; the king of Imereti renounced the throne; his state became part of Russian possessions; calm has been restored in Abkhazia; and repeated victories over the united Turkish and Persian troops secured Georgia from the invasion of its main enemies.

After Tormasov was recalled to Russia, where his talents were assigned the most extensive field in the fight against Napoleon, the leadership of the Transcaucasian region, after a brief administration of the Marquis Paulucci, was entrusted to General Rtishchev. The peace of Bucharest in 1812, meanwhile, ended the Russo-Turkish war. Persia, frightened by the continuous series of failures in its war with Russia, also expressed readiness for peace, and Abbas Mirza entered into negotiations with the commander-in-chief on the banks of the Araks through the mediation of the English envoy.

Battle of Aslanduz and the capture of Lankaran

The negotiations were, however, unsuccessful and soon ended. Rtishchev returned to Tiflis, leaving General Kotlyarevsky with 2,000 men and 6 guns on the left bank of the Araks to monitor the actions of the Persians. The Persian prince Abbas Mirza concentrated his main forces (30 thousand) on the right bank against the Russians and sent several thousand people with fire and sword to ravage the Sheki and Shirvan regions, meanwhile he was preparing for the crossing to exterminate our small detachment on the left bank of the Araks.

Kotlyarevsky, with a brave and brilliant feat, frustrated the plans of the enemy and led the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813 to a happy outcome. He himself crossed the Araks, swiftly attacked Abbas Mirza, drove him out of the fortified camp, threw back his entire army to the town of Aslanduz and turned it into a disorderly flight (October 19, 1812). The Persians lost 1,200 killed and over 500 captured, while the Russians lost only 127. The consequence of this victory, won by a weak Russian detachment over an enemy ten times stronger, was the cleansing of the Persians from the entire left bank of the Araks. The Shah of Persia still persisted in the war, until the new feat of Kotlyarevsky, even more glorious than the first, the assault and capture of the Lankaran fortress (January 1, 1813), persuaded him to peace. Strong Lankaran was defended by 4 thousand Persian soldiers under the command of Sadyk Khan. Kotlyarevsky had only 2 thousand people. However, after the Persian stronghold fell before the Russian bayonet after a bloody assault, in which Kotlyarevsky lost about half of his fighters, and the Muslim enemy nine-tenths.

Storming of Lankaran, 1813

Peace of Gulistan 1813

Frightened by the formidable movement of the Russians to the borders of Persia, the shah agreed to stop the war and fulfill all the requirements of the Russian court. The agreement that ended the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813 was signed in the Gulistan tract, in the Karabakh region and was called the Gulistan peace. According to it, Persia recognized Russia's dominance over the khanates of Karabakh, Ganja, Sheki, Shirvan, Derbent, Cuban, Baku, Talyshinsky and renounced any claims to Dagestan, Georgia, Imeretia and Abkhazia.

Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century. Map showing the change of borders following the results of the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813

The Russian emperor, for his part, promised in the Treaty of Gulistan assistance and assistance to that of the sons of the Shah, who would be appointed heir to the Persian throne.

Russo-Persian War 1804-1813

The reason for the war was the annexation of Eastern Georgia to Russia, adopted by Paul I on January 18, 1801. On September 12, 1801, Alexander the First (1801-1825) signed the "Manifesto on the establishment of a new government in Georgia", the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was part of Russia and became the Georgian province of the empire. Further, the Baku, Cuban, Dagestan and other kingdoms voluntarily joined. In 1803, Mengrelia and the Imereti kingdom joined. January 3, 1804 - the assault on Ganja, as a result of which the Ganja Khanate was liquidated and became part of the Russian Empire.

On June 10, the Persian Shah Feth-Ali (Baba Khan) (1797-1834), who entered into an alliance with Great Britain, declared war on Russia. Shah Fath Ali Shah vowed to "drive out of Georgia, massacre and exterminate all Russians to the last man."

General Tsitsianov had only 8 thousand people, and even then they were scattered throughout the Transcaucasus. And only the main forces of the Persians - the army of Crown Prince Abbas Mirza, numbered 40 thousand people. This army moved to Tiflis. But on the Askerami River, the Persians met a detachment of Colonel Karyagin consisting of the 17th regiment and the Tiflis musketeers. From June 24 to July 7, they repulsed the attacks of 20 thousand Persians, and then broke through their ring, transporting both of their guns over the bodies of the dead and wounded. Karyagin had 493 people, and after the battle no more than 150 remained in the ranks. On the night of June 28, Karyagin's detachment managed to capture the Shah-Bulakh castle with a surprise attack, where they held out for ten days until the night of July 8, when they secretly left there, unnoticed by the enemy .

With the beginning of navigation in 1805, a squadron was formed in Astrakhan under the command of Lieutenant Commander F.F. Veselago. A landing force was landed on the ships of the squadron under the command of Major General I.I. Zavalishin (about 800 people with three guns). On June 23, 1805, the squadron approached the Persian port of Anzali. Three galliots under the fire of the Persians landed troops. The Persians, not accepting the battle, fled. However, Zavalishin's attempt to capture the city of Rasht failed, and the landing detachment was taken on board. The Russian squadron went to Baku. After unsuccessful negotiations on the surrender of the city, a landing force was landed, and the ships began to bombard the fortress, which responded with the fire of its artillery. The Russian landing, having overcome the stubborn resistance of the Baku people, captured the heights dominating the fortress, to which, in the absence of horses, the people had to drag the guns.

In September 1806, Russian troops under the command of General Bulgakov again moved to Baku. The local Khan Hussein-Kuli fled to Persia, and on November 3 the city surrendered and swore allegiance to the Russians. The Baku and then the Quba khanates were declared Russian provinces and, thus, by the end of 1806, Russian dominion was established on the entire coast of the Caspian Sea to the mouths of the Kura. By the same time, the Djaro-Belokan region was finally annexed to Georgia. In place of Prince Tsitsianov, Count Gudovich was appointed, who had to wage war on two fronts with weak forces - against Persia and against Turkey (with which the war had begun by that time), and at the same time maintain order in the newly pacified country. During 1806, Cuba, Baku and all of Dagestan were occupied, and the Persian troops, who tried to advance again, were defeated at Karakapet. In 1807, Gudovich took advantage of the inconsistency in the actions of his opponents and concluded a truce with the Persians.

In 1809, General Tormasov was appointed commander in chief. In this campaign, the fighting was carried out mainly on the Black Sea coast. There were unsuccessful negotiations with the Persians, and the Turks were gradually forced out of the Transcaucasus. At the end of 1811, a truce was concluded with the Turks, and in May of the following year, the Bucharest Peace. But the war with Persia continued.

On October 19, 1812, General Kotlyarevsky defeated the Persian army with a daring attack at the small fortress of Aslanduz. August 9, 1812 The Persian army under the command of Serdar Emir Khan, which consisted of English instructors led by Major Harris, took possession of the Lankaran fortress. The Russian command decided to recapture Lankaran. On December 17, 1812, General Kotlyarevsky with a detachment of two thousand men set out from Akh-Oglan and, after a hard campaign in a cold and snowstorm through the Mugan steppe, on December 26 approached Lankaran. On the night of January 1, 1813, the Russians stormed the fortress. From the sea, Lankaran was fired upon by the ships of the Caspian flotilla.

On October 12, 1813, in the Gulistan tract in Karabakh on the Zeyve River, Russia and Persia signed a treaty (Gyulistan peace). Russia finally acquired the khanates of Karabakh, Ganzhin, Shirvan, Shikin, Derbent, Cuba, Baku, part of the Talysh, Dagestan, Georgia, Imeretia, Guria, Mingrelia and Abkhazia. Russian and Persian subjects were allowed to travel freely by land and sea to both states, live in them as much as they wish, "and send merchants, and also have a return trip without any delay."

In addition, Persia refused to keep a navy in the Caspian Sea. “In the reasoning of the military courts, then, just as before the war, just as in times of peace and always the Russian military flag alone existed on the Caspian Sea, then in this respect even now it is granted the former right alone with the fact that, apart from the Russian state, no other power may have a military flag on the Caspian Sea".

However, the Gulistan peace did not contribute to the establishment of good neighborly relations between Russia and Persia. The Persians did not want to put up with the loss of the vassal Transcaucasian khanates, and border skirmishes occurred quite often.

Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813; - the reason for the war was the annexation of Eastern Georgia to Russia, adopted by Paul I on January 18, 1801.

On September 12, 1801, Alexander I (1801-1825) signed the "Manifesto on the establishment of a new government in Georgia", the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom was part of Russia and became the Georgian province of the empire. Further, the Baku, Cuban, Dagestan and other kingdoms voluntarily joined. In 1803, Mengrelia and the Imereti kingdom joined.

January 3, 1804 - the assault on Ganja, as a result of which the Ganja Khanate was liquidated and became part of the Russian Empire.

On June 10, the Persian Shah Feth-Ali (Baba Khan) (1797-1834), who entered into an alliance with Great Britain, declared war on Russia.

On June 8, the vanguard of the Tsitsianov detachment under the command of Tuchkov set out towards Erivan. On June 10, near the Gyumri tract, Tuchkov's vanguard forced the Persian cavalry to retreat.

On June 19, a detachment of Tsitsianov approached Erivan and met with the army of Abbas Mirza. The vanguard of Major General Portnyagin on the same day was unable to take control of the Etchmiadzin Monastery on the move and was forced to retreat.

On June 20, during the battle of Erivan, the main Russian forces defeated the Persians and forced them to retreat.

On June 30, a detachment of Tsitsianov crossed the Zanga River, where, during a fierce battle, he captured the Persian redoubts.

July 17; near Erivan, the Persian army under the command of Feth Ali Shah attacked the Russian positions, but did not achieve success.

On September 4, due to heavy losses, the Russians lifted the siege from the Erivan fortress and retreated to Georgia.

At the beginning of 1805, a detachment of Major General Nesvetaev occupied the Shuragel Sultanate and annexed it to the possession of the Russian Empire. The ruler of Erivan, Mohammed Khan, with 3,000 horsemen, was unable to resist and was forced to retreat.

On May 14, 1805, the Kurekchay Treaty was signed between Russia and the Karabakh Khanate. According to its terms, the khan, his heirs and the entire population of the khanate passed under the rule of Russia. Shortly before this, the Karabakh Khan Ibrahim Khan completely defeated the Persian army at Dizan.

Following this, on May 21, Sheki Khan Selim Khan expressed a desire to enter Russian citizenship and a similar agreement was signed with him.

In June, Abbas Mirza occupied the Askeran fortress. In response, the Russian detachment of Karyagin drove the Persians out of the Shah-Bulakh castle. Upon learning of this, Abbas-Mirza surrounded the castle and began to negotiate its surrender. But the Russian detachment did not think about surrender, their main goal was to detain the Persian detachment of Abbas Mirza. Having learned about the approach of the Shah's army under the command of Feth Ali Shah, Karyagin's detachment left the castle at night and went to Shusha. Soon, near the Askeran Gorge, Karyagin's detachment collided with Abbas-Mirza's detachment, but all attempts by the latter to set up a Russian camp were unsuccessful.

On July 15, the main Russian forces released Shusha and the Karyagin detachment. Abbas-Mirza, having learned that the main Russian forces had left Elizavetpol, set out in a roundabout way and laid siege to Elizavetpol. In addition, he opened the way to Tiflis, which was left without cover. On July 27, in the evening, a detachment of 600 bayonets under the command of Karyagin unexpectedly attacked the camp of Abbas Mirza near Shamkhor and utterly defeated the Persians.

On November 30, 1805, the Tsitsianov detachment crosses the Kura and invades the Shirvan Khanate, and on December 27, the Shirvan Khan Mustafa Khan signs an agreement on the transfer to the citizenship of the Russian Empire.

Meanwhile, on June 23, the Caspian flotilla under the command of Major General Zavalishin occupied Anzeli and landed troops. However, already on July 20 they had to leave Anzeli and head for Baku. On August 12, 1805, the Caspian flotilla anchored in the Baku Bay. Major-General Zavalishin proposed to the Baku Khan Huseingul Khan a draft agreement on the transfer to the citizenship of the Russian Empire. However, the negotiations were not successful, the people of Baku decided to put up serious resistance. All the property of the population was taken out in advance to the mountains. Then, for 11 days, the Caspian flotilla bombarded Baku. By the end of August, the landing detachment captured the advanced fortifications in front of the city. The Khan's troops leaving the fortress were defeated. However, heavy losses from clashes, as well as a lack of ammunition, forced on September 3 to lift the siege from Baku and on September 9 to completely leave the Baku Bay.

On January 30, 1806, Tsitsianov approaches Baku with 2,000 bayonets. Together with him, the Caspian flotilla approaches Baku and lands troops. Tsitsianov demanded the immediate surrender of the city. On February 8, the transfer of the Baku Khanate to the citizenship of the Russian Empire was to take place, but during a meeting with the Khan, General Tsitsianov and Lieutenant Colonel Eristov were killed by the Khan's cousin Ibrahim Bek. Tsitsianov's head was sent to Feth Ali Shah. After that, Major General Zavalishin decided to leave Baku.

Appointed instead of Tsitsianov I.; V. ; Gudovich in the summer of 1806 defeated Abbas-Mirza at Karakapet (Karabakh) and conquered the Derbent, Baku (Baku) and Cuban khanates (Cuba).

The Russian-Turkish war that began in November 1806 forced the Russian command to conclude the Uzun-Kilis truce with the Persians in the winter of 1806-1807. But in May 1807, Feth-Ali entered into an anti-Russian alliance with Napoleonic France, and in 1808 hostilities resumed. The Russians took Etchmiadzin, in October 1808 they defeated Abbas-Mirza at Karababe (south of Lake Sevan) and occupied Nakhichevan. After the unsuccessful siege of Erivan, Gudovich was replaced by A.;P. Tormasov, who in 1809 repulsed the offensive of the army led by Feth-Ali in the Gumry-Artik region and thwarted Abbas-Mirza's attempt to capture Ganja. Persia broke the treaty with France and restored the alliance with Great Britain, which initiated the conclusion of the Persian-Turkish agreement on joint operations on the Caucasian front. In May 1810, the army of Abbas-Mirza invaded Karabakh, but a small detachment of P.;S. ; Kotlyarevsky defeated her at the Migri fortress (June) and on the Araks River (July), in September. the Persians were defeated near Akhalkalaki, and thus the Russian troops prevented the Persians from connecting with the Turks.

After the end of the Russian-Turkish war in January 1812 and the conclusion of a peace treaty, Persia also began to lean towards reconciliation with Russia. But the news of Napoleon I's entry into Moscow strengthened the military party at the Shah's court; in southern Azerbaijan, an army was formed under the command of Abbas Mirza to attack Georgia. However, Kotlyarevsky, having crossed the Araks, on October 19-20 (October 31; - November 1) defeated the many times superior Persian forces at the Aslanduz ford and on January 1 (13) took Lenkoran. The Shah had to enter into peace negotiations.

On October 12 (24), 1813, the Gulistan Peace (Karabakh) was signed, according to which Persia recognized the entry into the Russian Empire of eastern Georgia and the North. Azerbaijan, Imereti, Guria, Mengrelia and Abkhazia; Russia received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea.

Russo-Persian Wars

Russian-Persian wars - a series of military conflicts between Russia and Persia in the XVII-XX centuries. The wars went mainly for the Caucasus, first the North, then the South.

Background to the conflict

In the middle of the 16th century, Russia conquered the Astrakhan Khanate and reached the coast of the Caspian Sea and the foothills of the Caucasus. The Nogai Horde and Kabarda were also in vassal dependence on Russia.

1651-1653 years

In the 17th century, the main pillar of the Russian state in the North Caucasus was the fortress of Terki.

Here were the royal governors and troops. In the middle of the 17th century, seventy families of Kabardian uzdens (nobles), many merchants (Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani and Persian) and artisans lived in the suburbs of the Terek city. On the right bank of the Terek at the confluence of the Sunzha River, northeast of modern Grozny, in 1635 Persian influence extended to the possessions of the Kumyk feudal lords in Dagestan. The largest was the Tarkov shamkhalate, whose rulers had the title of ruler of Buynaksky, Vali (governor) of Dagestan, and for some time Khan of Derbent. Another important possession of the Kumyks was the Enderi shamkhaldom. At the beginning of the 17th century, it separated from the Tarkovsky shamkhalate. In the 50s of the 17th century, the “Endereevsky owner” Murza Kazan-Alp ruled there. To the north-west of Derbent was the Kaitag Utsmiystvo. In 1645, the Shah of Persia expelled the ruler Rustam Khan, who was loyal to Russia, and appointed Amirkhan Sultan as the Kaitag owner.

In the Caucasus, the interests of Persia inevitably collided with the interests of Russia. Shah Abbas II at the beginning of his reign, he maintained peaceful relations with Russia, offering friendship and commercial cooperation to the tsar, having achieved a positive response. However, soon the Shah led the fight not only for the mastery of Dagestan, but also for the complete exclusion of Russians from the North Caucasus, and began to interfere in the internal affairs of the highlanders.

Two campaigns of the Persian army against the Sunzha prison followed. As a result of the second campaign, he was taken. Following this, the conflict was resolved. The result of the war was some strengthening of the position of Persia in the North Caucasus.

1722-1723 years

Persian campaign (1722-1723)

After the end of the Northern War, Peter I decided to make a trip to the western coast of the Caspian Sea, and, having mastered the Caspian, to restore the trade route from Central Asia and India to Europe, which would be very useful for Russian merchants and for enriching the Russian Empire. The path was supposed to pass through the territory of India, Persia, from there to the Russian fort on the Kura River, then through Georgia to Astrakhan, from where it was planned to deliver goods throughout the entire Russian Empire. The reason for the start of a new campaign was an uprising in the coastal provinces of Persia.

Peter I announced to the Persian Shah that the rebels were making sorties into the territory of the Russian Empire and robbing merchants, and that Russian troops would be brought into the territory of northern Azerbaijan and Dagestan to assist the Shah in pacifying the inhabitants of the rebellious provinces.

On July 18, the entire flotilla of 274 ships went to sea under the command of Mr. General-Admiral Count Apraksin.

On July 20, the fleet entered the Caspian Sea and followed the western coast for a week. On July 27, the infantry landed at Cape Agrakhan, 4 versts below the mouth of the Koysu (Sulak) River.

A few days later the cavalry arrived and linked up with the main body. On August 5, the Russian army continued to move towards Derbent.

On August 6, on the Sulak River, the Kabardian princes Murza Cherkassky and Aslan-Bek joined the army with their detachments.

On August 8, she crossed the Sulak River. On August 15, the troops approached Tarki, the seat of the shamkhal. On August 19, the attack of the 10,000-strong detachment of the Utyamysh sultan Magmud and the 6,000-strong detachment of the utsmi of the Kaitag Akhmet Khan was repulsed. Peter's ally was the Kumyk shamkhal Adil-Girey, who captured Derbent and Baku before the Russian army approached. On August 23, Russian troops entered Derbent. Derbent was a strategically important city, as it covered the coastal route along the Caspian Sea.

Further progress to the south was stopped by a strong storm, which sank all the ships with food. Peter I decided to leave the garrison in the city and returned with the main forces to Astrakhan, where he began preparations for the campaign of 1723.

This was the last military campaign in which he directly took part. In September Vakhtang VI he entered Karabakh with an army, where he fought against the rebellious Lezgins.

After the capture of Ganja, the Georgians were joined by Armenian troops led by Catholicos Isaiah. Near Ganja, in anticipation of Peter, the Georgian-Armenian army stood for two months, however, having learned about the departure of the Russian army from the Caucasus, Vakhtang and Isaiah returned with the troops to their possessions. In November, an assault force from five companies was landed in the Persian province of Gilan under the command of Colonel Shipov to occupy the city of Ryashch (Rasht). Later, in March of the following year, the Ryashchi vizier organized an uprising and, with a force of 15 thousand people, tried to dislodge the Shipov detachment that occupied Ryashch. All Persian attacks were repulsed. During the second Persian campaign, a much smaller detachment was sent to Persia under the command of Matyushkin, and Peter I only directed the actions of Matyushkin from the Russian Empire. 15 heckbots, field and siege artillery and infantry took part in the campaign. On June 20, the detachment moved south, followed by a fleet of geckbots from Kazan. On July 6, ground forces approached Baku. On the offer of Matyushkin to voluntarily surrender the city, its residents refused. On July 21, with 4 battalions and two field guns, the Russians repulsed the sortie of the besieged. Meanwhile, 7 geckboats anchored next to the city wall and began to fire heavily at it, thereby destroying the fortress artillery and partially destroying the wall. On July 25, an assault was planned from the side of the sea through the gaps formed in the wall, but a strong wind rose, which drove the Russian ships away. The residents of Baku managed to take advantage of this by filling up all the gaps in the wall, but anyway, on July 26, the city capitulated without a fight.

The successes of the Russian troops during the campaign and the invasion of the Ottoman army in Transcaucasia forced Persia to conclude a peace treaty in St. Petersburg on September 12, 1723, according to which Derbent, Baku, Rasht, the provinces of Shirvan, Gilan, Mazandaran and Astrabad were ceded to Russia.

Russo-Persian War (1796)

In the spring of 1795, the Persians invaded Georgia and Azerbaijan, and on September 12 (23) of the same year they captured and plundered Tbilisi. Albeit belatedly, fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty of St. George in 1783, the Russian government sent the Caspian Corps (12,300 men with 21 guns) from Kizlyar through Dagestan to the Azerbaijani provinces of Iran. Speaking on April 18 (29), 1796, Russian troops besieged May 2 (13), and captured Derbent by storm on May 10 (21). On June 15 (26), 1796, Russian detachments simultaneously entered Cuba and Baku without a fight.

In mid-November, the 35,000-strong Russian corps under the command of Lieutenant General Zubov reached the confluence of the Kura and Araks rivers, preparing for further advance deep into Iran, but after the death of Catherine II in the same year, Paul I came to the throne, the Zubovs fell into disgrace, in Russian policy changed, and in December 1796, Russian troops were withdrawn from Transcaucasia.

Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)

On September 12, 1801, Alexander I (1801-1825) signed the "Manifesto on the establishment of a new government in Georgia", the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom was part of Russia and became the Georgian province of the empire. In 1803 Megrelia and the Kingdom of Imereti joined Russia.

January 3, 1804 - the assault on Ganja, as a result of which the Ganja Khanate was liquidated and became part of the Russian Empire.

June 10 Persian Shah Feth Ali (Baba Khan) (1797-1834), who entered into an alliance with Great Britain, declared war on Russia.

On June 8, the vanguard of the Tsitsianov detachment under the command of Tuchkov set out towards Erivan. On June 10, near the Gyumri tract, Tuchkov's vanguard forced the Persian cavalry to retreat.

On June 19, a detachment of Tsitsianov approached Erivan and met with the army of Abbas Mirza. The vanguard of Major General Portnyagin on the same day was unable to take control of the Etchmiadzin Monastery on the move and was forced to retreat.

On June 20, during the battle of Erivan, the main Russian forces defeated the Persians and forced them to retreat.

On June 30, a detachment of Tsitsianov crossed the Zanga River, where, during a fierce battle, he captured the Persian redoubts.

On July 17, near Erivan, the Persian army under the command of Feth Ali Shah attacked the Russian positions, but did not achieve success.

On August 21, under Karkalis, the Persians, under the command of Sarkhang Mansur and the Georgian prince Alexander, destroyed an ambushed detachment of the Tiflis Musketeer Regiment numbering 124 people, of which 5 officers, 1 artilleryman, 108 musketeers, 10 Armenian militias, under the command of Major Montresor.

On September 4, due to heavy losses, the Russians lifted the siege from the Erivan fortress and retreated to Georgia.

At the beginning of 1805, a detachment of Major General Nesvetaev occupied the Shuragel Sultanate and annexed it to the possessions of the Russian Empire. The ruler of Erivan, Mohammed Khan, with 3,000 horsemen, could not resist and was forced to retreat.

On May 14, 1805, the Kurekchay Treaty was signed between Russia and the Karabakh Khanate. According to its terms, the khan, his heirs and the entire population of the khanate passed under the rule of Russia. Shortly before this, the Karabakh Khan Ibrahim Khan completely defeated the Persian army at Dizan.

Following this, on May 21, Sheki Khan Selim Khan expressed a desire to enter Russian citizenship, and a similar agreement was signed with him.

In June, Abbas Mirza occupied the Askeran fortress. In response, the Russian detachment of Karyagin drove the Persians out of the Shah-Bulakh castle. Upon learning of this, Abbas-Mirza surrounded the castle and began to negotiate its surrender. But the Russian detachment did not think about surrender, their main goal was to detain the Persian detachment of Abbas Mirza. Having learned about the approach of the Shah's army under the command of Feth Ali Shah, Karyagin's detachment left the castle at night and went to Shusha. Soon, near the Askeran Gorge, Karyagin's detachment collided with Abbas-Mirza's detachment, but all attempts by the latter to set up a Russian camp were unsuccessful.

On July 15, the main Russian forces released Shusha and the Karyagin detachment. Abbas-Mirza, having learned that the main Russian forces had left Elizavetpol, set out in a detour and laid siege to Elizavetpol. In addition, he opened the way to Tiflis, which was left without cover. On July 27, in the evening, a detachment of 600 bayonets under the command of Karyagin unexpectedly attacked the camp of Abbas Mirza near Shamkhor and utterly defeated the Persians.

On November 30, 1805, the Tsitsianov detachment crosses the Kura and invades the Shirvan Khanate, and on December 27, the Shirvan Khan Mustafa Khan signs an agreement on the transfer to the citizenship of the Russian Empire.

Meanwhile, on June 23, the Caspian flotilla under the command of Major General Zavalishin occupied Anzeli and landed troops. However, already on July 20 they had to leave Anzeli and head for Baku. On August 12, 1805, the Caspian flotilla anchored in the Baku Bay. Major General Zavalishin proposed to the Baku Khan Huseingul Khan a draft agreement on the transfer to the citizenship of the Russian Empire. However, the negotiations were not successful, the people of Baku decided to put up serious resistance. All the property of the population was taken out in advance to the mountains. Then, for 11 days, the Caspian flotilla bombarded Baku. By the end of August, the landing detachment had captured the advanced fortifications in front of the city. The Khan's troops that left the fortress were defeated. However, heavy losses from clashes, as well as a lack of ammunition, forced on September 3 to lift the siege from Baku and on September 9 to completely leave the Baku Bay.

On January 30, 1806, Tsitsianov approaches Baku with 2,000 bayonets. Together with him, the Caspian flotilla approaches Baku and lands troops. Tsitsianov demanded the immediate surrender of the city. On February 8, the transfer of the Baku Khanate to the citizenship of the Russian Empire was to take place, but during a meeting with the Khan, General Tsitsianov and Lieutenant Colonel Eristov were killed by the Khan's cousin Ibrahim Bek. Tsitsianov's head was sent to Feth Ali Shah. After that, Major General Zavalishin decided to leave Baku.

In the summer of 1806, I. V. Gudovich, who was appointed to replace Tsitsianov, defeated Abbas-Mirza at Karakapet (Karabakh) and conquered the Derbent, Baku (Baku) and Quba Khanates (Cuba).

The Russian-Turkish war that began in November 1806 forced the Russian command to conclude the Uzun-Kilis truce with the Persians in the winter of 1806-1807. But in May 1807, Feth-Ali entered into an anti-Russian alliance with Napoleonic France, and in 1808 hostilities resumed. The Russians took Etchmiadzin, in October 1808 they defeated Abbas-Mirza at Karababe (south of Lake Sevan) and occupied Nakhichevan. After the unsuccessful siege of Erivan, Gudovich was replaced by A.P. Tormasov, who in 1809 repulsed the offensive of the army led by Feth-Ali in the Gumry-Artik region and thwarted Abbas-Mirza's attempt to capture Ganja. Persia broke the treaty with France and restored the alliance with Great Britain, which initiated the conclusion of the Persian-Turkish agreement on joint operations on the Caucasian front. In May 1810, the army of Abbas-Mirza invaded Karabakh, but a small detachment of P. S. Kotlyarevsky defeated it at the Migri fortress (June) and on the Araks River (July), in September the Persians were defeated near Akhalkalaki, and thus the Russian troops prevented the Persians to join the Turks.

Kotlyarevsky changed the situation in Karabakh. Having crossed the Araks, on October 19-20 (October 31 - November 1) he defeated the many times superior forces of the Persians at the Aslanduz Ford and on January 1 (13) took Lenkoran by storm. The Shah had to enter into peace negotiations.

On October 12 (24), 1813, the Treaty of Gulistan (Karabakh) was signed, according to which Persia recognized the entry into the Russian Empire of Eastern Georgia and Northern Azerbaijan, Imeretia, Guria, Mengrelia and Abkhazia; Russia received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. The war was the beginning of the "Great Game" between the British and Russian empires in Asia.

For more information about the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813, see the website: For Advanced - Battles - The Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813.

Russo-Persian War (1826-1828)

On July 16, 1826, the Persian army, without declaring war, crossed the borders in the Mirak region and invaded the borders of Transcaucasia into the territory of the Karabakh and Talysh khanates. The bulk of the border "zemstvo guards", consisting of armed horse and foot Azerbaijani peasants, with rare exceptions, surrendered their positions to the invading Persian troops without much resistance or even joined them.

The main task of the Iranian command was to capture Transcaucasia, capture Tiflis and push back the Russian troops beyond the Terek. The main forces were therefore sent from Tabriz to the Kura region, while the auxiliary forces were sent to the Mugan steppe in order to block the exits from Dagestan. The Iranians also counted on the blow of the Caucasian highlanders from the rear against the Russian troops, who were stretched out in a narrow strip along the border and did not have reserves. The help of the Iranian army was promised by the Karabakh beks and many influential people in neighboring provinces, who maintained constant contacts with the Persian government and even offered to cut the Russians in Shusha and hold it until the Iranian troops approached.

Transcaucasian region at the time of the outbreak of the war (borders are indicated according to the Gulistan Treaty and the Bucharest Peace)

In the Karabakh province, the Russian troops were commanded by Major General Prince V. G. Madatov, a Karabakh Armenian by origin. At the time of the attack, he was replaced by Colonel I. A. Reut, commander of the 42nd Jaeger Regiment, stationed in the area of ​​​​the Shushi fortress. Yermolov demanded that he keep Shusha with all his might and transfer all the families of influential beks here - thereby it was supposed to ensure the safety of those who supported the Russian side, and those who were hostile to be used as hostages.

The first blow on July 16 on Russian territory was delivered by a 16,000-strong group of the Erivan serdar Hussein Khan Qajar, reinforced by Kurdish cavalry (up to 12,000 people). Russian troops on the border of Georgia, throughout Bombak (Pambak) and Shurageli (Shirak) numbered about 3,000 people and 12 guns - the Don Cossack regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Andreev (about 500 Cossacks scattered in small groups throughout the territory), two battalions of the Tiflis infantry regiment and two companies of carabinieri. The head of the border line was the commander of the Tiflis regiment, Colonel Prince L. Ya. Sevarsemidze.

The Russian units were forced to retreat in battle to Karaklis (modern Vanadzor). Gumry and Karaklis were soon surrounded. The defense of Greater Karaklis, together with the Russian troops, was held by two detachments of the Armenian (100 people) and Tatar (Azerbaijani) Borchali cavalry (50 people). Strong Persian detachments also headed for Balyk-chai, sweeping away small scattered Russian posts on their way.

At the same time, Gassan-aga, brother of the Erivan Sardar, with a 5,000-strong cavalry detachment of Kurds and Karapapahis, crossed into Russian territory between Mount Alagyoz (Aragats) and the Turkish border, robbing and burning Armenian villages on the way to Gumry, capturing livestock and horses, exterminating the resisting local residents - Armenians. Having destroyed the Armenian village of Lesser Karaklis, the Kurds began methodical attacks on the defenders in Greater Karaklis.

On July 18, the forty-thousandth army of Abbas-Mirza crossed the Araks near the Khudoperinsky bridge. Having received news of this, Colonel I.A. Reut ordered that all troops in the Karabakh province be withdrawn to the Shusha fortress. At the same time, three companies of the 42nd regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nazimka and a hundred Cossacks who joined them failed to break through to Shusha from Geryusy, where they were stationed. The Iranians and the rebellious Azerbaijanis overtook them, and in the course of a stubborn battle, half of the personnel died, after which the rest, by order of the commander, laid down their arms.

The garrison of the Shushi fortress was 1300 people (6 companies of the 42nd Jaeger regiment and Cossacks from the Molchanov 2nd regiment). A few days before the complete blockade of the fortress, the Cossacks drove the families of all the local Muslim nobility behind its walls as hostages. The Azerbaijanis were disarmed, and the khans and the most honored beks were taken into custody. The inhabitants of the Armenian villages of Karabakh and the Azerbaijanis, who remained loyal to Russia, also took refuge in the fortress. With their help, dilapidated fortifications were restored. Colonel Reut armed 1,500 Armenians to strengthen the defense, who, along with Russian soldiers and Cossacks, were on the front line. A certain number of Azerbaijanis also participated in the defense, declaring their loyalty to Russia. However, the fortress did not have stocks of food and ammunition, so the grain and livestock of the Armenian peasants who had taken refuge in the fortress had to be used for the meager food of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, the local Muslim population, for the most part, joined the Iranians, and the Armenians, who did not have time to hide in Shusha, fled to mountainous places. Mekhti Kuli Khan, the former ruler of Karabakh, declared himself Khan again and promised to generously reward all who join him. Abbas Mirza, for his part, said that he was fighting only against the Russians, and not against the locals. Foreign officers who were in the service of Abbas Mirza took part in the siege. In order to destroy the walls of the fortress, according to their instructions, mines were brought under the fortress towers. Continuous fire was fired at the fortress from two artillery batteries, but at night the defenders managed to restore the destroyed areas. To create a split among the defenders of the fortress - Russians and Armenians - Abbas Mirza ordered several hundred local Armenian families to be driven under the walls of the fortress and threatened to execute them if the fortress was not surrendered - however, this plan was not successful either.

The defense of Shushi lasted 47 days and was of great importance for the course of hostilities. Desperate to capture the fortress, Abbas-Mirza eventually separated 18,000 people from the main forces and sent them to Elizavetpol (modern Ganja) to attack Tiflis from the east.

Having received information that the main Persian forces were pinned down by the siege of Shusha, General Yermolov abandoned the original plan to withdraw all forces deep into the Caucasus. By this time, he managed to concentrate up to 8,000 people in Tiflis. Of these, a detachment was formed under the command of Major General Prince V. G. Madatov (4300 people), who launched an offensive against Elizavetpol in order to stop the advance of the Persian forces to Tiflis and lift the siege from Shushi.

Meanwhile, in the Bombak province, the Russian units, reflecting the raids of the Kurdish cavalry on Greater Karaklis, on August 9 began to retreat north, beyond Bezobdal, and by August 12 concentrated in the camp at Jalal-Ogly. Meanwhile, the Kurdish detachments spread like a wide avalanche over the nearest area, destroying the villages and massacring the Armenian population. On August 14, they attacked the German colony of Ekaterinfeld, just 60 km from Tiflis, after a long battle they burned it and massacred almost all the inhabitants.

After several weeks of calm, on September 2, the 3,000-strong Kurdish detachment of Gassan-aga crossed the Dzhilga River, 10 km above Jalal-Ogly (modern Stepanavan), and attacked Armenian villages, destroying them and stealing cattle. Despite the intervention of Russian units and significant losses, the Kurds managed to steal 1,000 heads of cattle.

Subsequent attacks were carried out only by small detachments. By early September, the situation had changed in favor of Russia. On March 16 (28), 1827, General Paskevich was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops and governor in the Caucasus region, replacing General Yermolov.

In June, Paskevich moved to Erivan, on July 5 (17) he defeated Abbas-Mirza at the Jevan-Bulak stream, and on July 7 (19) he forced the Sardar-Abad fortress to surrender.

In early August, Abbas Mirza, trying to prevent the Russian invasion of Azerbaijan, invaded the Erivan Khanate with a 25,000-strong army and, uniting with the troops of the Erivan Sardar Hussein Khan, laid siege to Etchmiadzin on August 15 (27), protected only by a battalion of the Sevastopol Infantry Regiment (up to 500 people) and a hundred cavalry from the Armenian volunteer squad. On August 16 (28), A. I. Krasovsky with a detachment (up to 3000 fighters with 12 guns) came to the aid of the besieged Echmiadzin and the next day was attacked from all sides by the troops of Abbas Mirza and Hussein Khan (total numbering up to 30 thousand infantry and cavalry with 24 guns). However, the Russian detachment, having suffered huge losses (killed, wounded and missing - 1154 people), managed to break through to Etchmiadzin, after which the siege was lifted. The losses of the Persian army amounted to about 3000. This battle went down in history as the Oshakan (or Ashtarak) battle.

Military failures forced the Persians to go to peace negotiations. On February 10 (22), 1828, the Turkmanchay peace treaty was signed (in the village of Turkmanchay near Tabriz), concluded between the Russian and Persian empires, according to which Persia confirmed all the conditions of the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813, recognized the transition to Russia of part of the Caspian coast to the river. Astara, Eastern Armenia (On the territory of Eastern Armenia, a special administrative entity was created - the Armenian region, with the resettlement of Armenians from Iran there). The Araks became the border between the states.

In addition, the Shah of Persia was obliged to pay Russia an indemnity (10 kururs of fogs - 20 million rubles). As for Iranian Azerbaijan, Russia undertook to withdraw troops from it on payment of indemnity. The Persian Shah also undertook to grant amnesty to all residents of Iranian Azerbaijan who collaborated with the Russian troops.

See more details on the website: For Advanced - Battles - Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828

Russian intervention in Persia 1909-1911

On April 20, 1909, to the governor of the Caucasus and the commander of the troops of the Caucasian Military District, Adjutant General Mr. Raf Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov secret directive No. 1124 was sent, which stated: “In view of the expected attack on the consulate and European institutions and subjects in Tabriz by the revolutionaries and the population of Tabriz, driven to despair by hunger ... protection of Russian and foreign institutions and subjects, the supply of food to them, as well as to maintain a secure communication between Tavriz and Julfa.

Soon, two battalions of the 1st Caucasian Rifle Brigade, four mounted hundreds of Kuban Cossacks, a sapper company and three eight-gun artillery batteries were sent to Persia. This detachment was commanded by the head of the 1st Caucasian Rifle Brigade, Major General Snarsky I.A. The instructions given to him stated:

“All communications between military commanders in cities occupied by Russian troops with local Persian authorities and with the population should be carried out through diplomatic agents of the Russian Imperial Government; joint stay with the Russian troops in settlements and movement along the roads guarded by the Russian troops of any armed detachments and parties whose activities were of a predatory nature are not allowed ... The decision on the use of weapons in business depends solely on the military authorities ... Once the decision must be enforced irrevocably and with full energy.

The Russian troops had to act mainly against the nomads (Kurds and Yomud Turkmens), whom the weak Persian army could not cope with.

For each case of robbery and robbery by the Kurds, the Russian troops collected a sum of money from their tribal leaders in favor of the injured party. The murders of subjects of the Russian Empire were punishable by death sentences, which were pronounced by the Russian military field court. The Russian consuls reported to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The merchants, together with the entire civilian population of the surrounding villages, bless the arrival of our troops."

After a short period of calm in the fall of 1911, the situation escalated again - there were attacks by numerous armed groups on the Russian detachment in Tabriz, cases of shelling of Russian consular offices and convoys in Rasht became more frequent. Nomads attacked trade caravans. Detachments of pro-Turkish governors of the western provinces, as well as representatives of the revolutionary groups of the Russian Transcaucasus, took part in the sorties against the Russian troops. On October 29 (November 11), 1911, in Tehran, the Russian ambassador delivered an ultimatum to the government of Persia demanding the restoration of order in Persia and ensuring the protection of Russia's economic interests. After the expiration of the ultimatum dated November 11, 1911, Russian troops crossed the Russian-Persian border and occupied the city of Qazvin. On November 10 (23) in Tehran, after the occupation of northern Persia by Russian troops, the Persian government agreed to satisfy all the demands of Russia.

The entry of troops was carried out in three operational directions - from Julfa, Astara and Anzali - to Tehran. The direct operational leadership of the Russian troops in Persia was carried out by the quartermaster general of the headquarters of the Caucasian Military District, Major General Nikolai Yudenich. The contingent of Russian troops included: the 14th Georgian and 16th Mingrelian grenadier regiments of the Caucasian Grenadier Division, regiments from the 21st, 39th and 52nd infantry divisions (81st Apsheron, 84th Shirvan, 156th Elizavetpolsky, 205th Shemakhinsky, 206th Salyansky and 207th Novobayazetsky) with artillery and machine guns. The transportation of troops by sea, their landing in the port of Anzali and its fire cover was carried out by Caspian military flotilla.

Communication support was provided by the 2nd Caucasian railway battalion and the Caucasian automobile team. The railway battalion began the construction of the Julfa-Tehran railway line. Arrangement of temporary headquarters was carried out by the 1st Caucasian sapper battalion. Communication was provided by the Caucasian spark company.

Infantry units with hundreds of Kuban and Terek Cossacks attached to the cavalry were consolidated into detachments. At the same time, two detachments - Meshedsky and Kuchansky formed the troops of the Turkestan military district - two battalions of the 13th and 18th Turkestan rifle regiments, two horse-hunting teams from the same units, two machine-gun platoons and a hundred of the Turkmen cavalry division.

When the Russian troops seized large consignments of weapons in Tabriz and Rasht, riots broke out, which led to civilian casualties. Real battles began around these cities. Turkish troops entered the western border lands of Persia, disputed territories, and took control of the passes in the mountain passes between Khoi and Dilman.

Russian troops began operations to oust Turkish troops from Persian territory. Russian units approached the Turkish bivouacs at dawn and, placing cannons and machine guns on the heights, demanded that they leave Persian territory. The Turks offered no resistance.

The commander of the 11th Turkish corps, Jabir Pasha, in the presence of foreign consuls, said: “Having convinced in practice what the Persian constitution is and what kind of anarchy reigns in Persia, I personally believe that the arrival of Russian troops in Persia is a manifestation of humanity and humanity, and not the result of any aggressive intent. The Russians act in Persia very skillfully and cautiously, and therefore the sympathy of almost the entire population is on their side.

After ensuring stability, most of the Russian troops left Persia, however, individual Russian units were on Persian territory until the outbreak of the First World War.

1941 years

Iranian operation

The Anglo-Soviet operation of World War II to occupy Iran, codenamed " Operation "Consent" "(Eng. Operation Countenance) was held from August 25, 1941 to September 17, 1941.

Its purpose was to protect the Anglo-Iranian oil fields from their possible capture by German troops and their allies, as well as to protect the transport corridor (southern corridor), along which the allies carried out lend-lease supplies to the Soviet Union.

These actions were taken due to the fact that, according to the assessments of the political leadership of both the UK and the USSR, there was a direct threat of involving Iran on the side of Germany as an ally in World War II.

Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi refused Britain and the Soviet Union their request to station their troops in Iran. Motivating its participation in this military operation against Iran, the Soviet government referred to paragraphs 5 and 6 of the 1921 Treaty between Soviet Russia and Iran in force at that time, which provided that in the event of a threat to its southern borders, the Soviet Union had the right to send troops to the territory of Iran.

During the operation, Allied forces invaded Iran, overthrew Shah Reza Pahlavi, and took control of the Trans-Iranian Railway and Iran's oil fields. At the same time, British troops occupied the south of Iran, and the USSR - the north.

Read more about the operation “Consent” on the website: WWII - operation “Consent” “