Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)

Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)
Conflict	Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)
Partof	Ottoman–Russian wars
Date	1735–1739
Place	Crimea, Azov, Don, Dniester, Danube, Black Sea
Result	Treaty of Belgrade (1739)
Combatant1	Russian Empire, Crimean Khanate (defectors), Imperial Russia allies
Combatant2	Ottoman Empire, Crimean Khanate, Tatar allies
Commander1	Empress Anna of Russia, Field Marshal Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, Alexander Rumyantsev, Mikhail Lacy
Commander2	Sultan Mahmud I, Grand Vizier Ivaz Mehmed Pasha, Topal Osman Pasha
Strength1	Estimates vary
Strength2	Estimates vary

Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739) The conflict was a mid-18th century military confrontation between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire fought principally over control of the northern Black Sea, Crimea Peninsula, and access to the Azov Sea. Initiated during the reign of Empress Anna of Russia and the sultanate of Mahmud I, the war intersected with contemporaneous conflicts such as the War of the Polish Succession and affected diplomatic relations involving the Habsburg Monarchy, the Persian Empire under Nader Shah, and the Holy Roman Empire. The campaign combined steppe operations, sieges, and naval expeditions and concluded with the Treaty of Belgrade.

Background and Causes

Rivalry over the Crimea and access to the Black Sea had earlier produced clashes like the Azov campaigns (1695–1696) and the Treaty of Karlowitz, while Russian southern expansion under rulers such as Peter the Great and policies debated in the Imperial Russian Army and court of Empress Anna revived friction with the Ottoman Porte. Ottoman internal politics involving the Grand Vizier and frontier unrest with the Crimean Khanate and Zaporozhian Cossacks combined with Russo‑Persian interactions—especially maneuvers linked to Nader Shah and the Safavid dynasty—to create a strategic context prompting Russian intervention. European dynamics including the War of the Polish Succession and alliances with the Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia influenced diplomatic calculations preceding hostilities.

Belligerents and Commanders

The Russian side was led politically by Empress Anna and militarily by figures such as Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, Alexander Rumyantsev, Mikhail Lacy, and naval commanders tied to the Imperial Russian Navy. Opposing commanders included Sultan Mahmud I, Grand Vizier Ivaz Mehmed Pasha, regional Ottoman governors like Topal Osman Pasha, and Crimean leaders associated with the Crimean Khanate. External actors who featured in diplomatic or operational roles included representatives of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of France, envoys from the Dutch Republic, and emissaries linked to Nader Shah of Persia.

Major Campaigns and Battles

Russian land campaigns commenced with operations in the Azov region and advances along the Don River and the northern Black Sea littoral, involving sieges and steppe maneuver warfare reminiscent of earlier engagements such as the Pruth River Campaign era contestations. Notable actions included sieges of Ottoman fortresses, clashes near the Dniester River and the Danube River frontier, and Russian incursions into Crimea that engaged Tatar forces and Ottoman field armies. Commanders like Münnich directed sieges while generals such as Rumyantsev led mobile columns; Ottoman commanders including Topal Osman Pasha organized relief attempts and counterattacks. Battles and sieges in this period influenced contemporaneous operations in the Austro-Turkish War (1737–1739).

Naval Operations and Black Sea Theater

Naval effort centered on establishing Russian presence in the Black Sea and augmenting control over the Sea of Azov with squadrons drawn from the Imperial Russian Navy and shipyards influenced by reforms dating to Peter the Great. Ottoman naval operations emanated from bases such as Istanbul and relied on Mediterranean‑Black Sea coordination using fleets tied to traditional Ottoman admiralty structures. Engagements at sea included blockades, amphibious expeditions toward Kerch and Perekop, and naval logistics supporting sieges; maritime contest influenced grain and trade routes linking Odessa‑adjacent regions and the Bosphorus.

Diplomacy and Treaty of Belgrade

Diplomacy involved envoys from the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and intermediaries from states like the Kingdom of Prussia and the Dutch Republic. The sequence of military setbacks, the diversion of Ottoman attention toward the Austrian front, and Russian strategic calculations culminated in negotiations resulting in the Treaty of Belgrade in 1739. The treaty outcomes adjusted territorial control and modified prior arrangements established by treaties such as the Treaty of Niš and had implications for later agreements including the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca.

Aftermath and Consequences

Immediate consequences included a reshuffling of influence in the northern Black Sea and the Crimea, shifts in Ottoman frontier defense policy under Mahmud I, and changes in Russian strategic priorities that presaged later conflicts like the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). The war affected the balance of power involving the Habsburg Monarchy, prompted reforms within the Imperial Russian Army and the Ottoman military establishment, and intersected with diplomatic realignments involving the Persian Empire under Nader Shah. Long term effects included renewed Russian focus on shipbuilding at ports associated with Taganrog and nascent developments that would influence the status of Odessa and the Danubian Principalities.

Military Equipment and Logistics

Russian logistics relied on supply chains running from Moscow and the Russian Navy logistics bases, employing siege artillery models influenced by Western European engineers and ordnance evolving from practices in the Great Northern War era. Ottoman arsenals in locations like Istanbul and provincial forts produced artillery and supplied cavalry forces including Tatar horsemen from the Crimean Khanate. Transport and siegecraft made use of wagon trains, pontoon bridges over rivers such as the Don and Dniester, and naval transports operating between the Azov Sea and Black Sea littoral; logistical constraints shaped campaign tempo and outcomes in the same manner seen in other 18th‑century European theaters.

Category:Russo-Ottoman wars Category:18th century in Russia Category:18th century in the Ottoman Empire