Battle of Bitlis
Битлисское сражение
Բաղեշի ճակատամարտ
Bitlis Savaşı

| Date| July 1915 – August 1916

|

Location|

Bitlis Vilayet, Ottoman Empire

Result|  Russian victory
Belligerents

Russian Empire

* Armenian volunteer units

Ottoman Empire

* Kurdish tribesmen

Commanders and leaders
Nikolai Yudenich
Andranik Ozanian|  Ahmed Izzet Pasha
Faik Pasha †
Mustafa Kemal Pasha
Strength
Russian Caucasus Army
Armenian Fedayi|  Second Army
Kurdish Tribesmen
Casualties and losses
Unknown|  34,000

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* t
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Caucasus campaign

* Bergmann Offensive
* Sarikamish
* Ardahan
* Van
* Manzikert
* Kara Killisse
* Erzurum
* Koprukoy
* 1st Trebizond
* 1st Bitlis
* Muş
* Erzincan
* 2nd Trebizond
* Choloki
* German expedition
* Sardarabad
* Abaran
* Karakilisa
* Goychay
* Aghsu
* Kurdamir
* Binagadi
* Baku

* * *

Associated articles

* Dunsterforce
* Norperforce

The Battle of Bitlis refers to a series of engagements in the summer of 1916 for the town of Bitlis and to a lesser extent nearby Muş, between Russian Imperial forces and their Ottoman counterparts. The town was the last stronghold of the Ottoman Empire preventing the Russians from entering Anatolia and Mesopotamia.

The first military confrontation at Bitlis occurred in July 1915, when Russian troops launched an unsuccessful assault on the town's fortifications. The second confrontation began in February 1916 and ended with the capture of Bitlis by new Russian corps, which largely consisted of the 1st Battalion of the Armenian volunteer units under the command of Andranik Ozanian. The Allied withdrawal from Gallipoli gave opportunity for Turkish forces to redeploy to the Caucasus region. Russian commander Nikolai Yudenich intended to attack the Turks before they could organize their forces to launch an attack.[1] After a series of clashes in Koprukoy, Erzurum, Muş, the Russian IV Caucasian Corps captured Bitlis on 2 March.[2]

The Ottoman troops of Ahmed Izzet Pasha were composed of veterans from the Gallipoli campaign. They were to outflank the Russians in Bitlis before the end of March, but communications were terrible, and troops had to march from Ankara for a month. The Turkish Second Army's (belated) offensive began on 2 August 1916 and successfully took back Bitlis (and Muş) but lost other territories in the Euphrates region to the Russians.[3] On 24 August, the Russian forces had recaptured both Mush and Bitlis.[4][1][5][6][7][8][9] The Ottomans suffered 34,000 casualties, around half of which were POWs.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c Tucker, Spencer (2002). The Great War, 1914-1918. UCL Press. pp. 180–181. ISBN 1-85728-390-2. "But Yudenich retook both on 24 August, whereupon both sides retired into winter"
2. ^ Burg, David F. (2010). Almanac of World War I. University of Kentucky Press. p. 104\. ISBN 9780813127453.
3. ^ Tucker, Spencer; Wood, Laura Matysek; Murphy, Justin D. (1999). The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia. Garland Publishing. p. 175\. ISBN 0-8153-3351-X.
4. ^ Jaques 2006, p. 143.
5. ^ Chalabian, Antranig (1988). General Andranik and the Armenian Revolutionary Movement. pp. 273–275. ISBN 0962274119.
6. ^ Herman, Gerald (1992). The Pivotal Conflict: A Comprehensive Chronology of the First World War, 1914-1919. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 268\. ISBN 0-313-22793-4.
7. ^ The International Military Digest Annual: A Review of the Current Literature of Military Science for 1915. New York City: The International Military Digest. 1916. p. 224\. "Noteworthy in this theater is the Russian success in recapturing Mush and Bitlis (Aug 25), which the Turks had won earlier in the month."
8. ^ Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 29\. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier. 2000. p. 300\. ISBN 0-7172-0133-3. "In any case, Yudenich was able to recapture Mus and Bitlis on August 24."
9. ^ Encyclopedia Americana International Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier. 1970. p. 299\. "To the south, the Turkish Second Army took Mus and Bitlis in mid-August, but the Russians recaptured the two towns a week later."

## Sources[edit]

* The Berlin-Baghdad Express: the Ottoman Empire and Germany's bid for world power, Sean McMeekin, page 243
* Jaques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles. Vol. 1, A–E. Greenwood Press. "While Russian General Nikolai Yudenich seized Erzincan, Ahmet Izzet Pasha's Second Army advanced agains the Russian left flank, where his corps cammder Mustafa Kemal seized Bitlis and Mus. Yudenich counter-attacked and, after prolonged combat west of Lake Van, he retook Bitlis and the Turks abandoned Mus before winter ended the fighting.""

* v
* t
* e

Ottoman battles in the 20th century

Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912)|

* Preveza
* Tobruk
* Benghazi
* Kunfuda Bay
* Derna
* Beirut
* Rhodes
* Zanzur

Balkan Wars (1912–1913)|

* Sarantaporo
* Yenidje
* Kırcalı (Kardzhali)
* Beşpınar (Pente Pigadia)
* Sorovich
* Kumanovo
* Kirk Kilise
* İşkodra (Scutari)
* Lüleburgaz
* 1st Edirne (Adrianople)
* Prilep
* Himara
* Monastir
* 1st Çatalca
* Varna (Kaliakra)
* Merhamli
* İmroz (Elli)
* Korytsa
* Lemnos
* 2nd Edirne (Adrianople)
* Bolayır
* Şarköy
* Bizani
* 2nd Çatalca

First World War (1914–1918)|

* Köprüköy (Bergmann)
* Sarikamish
* Ardahan
* Suez Canal
* Naval operations
* Katya
* Seddülbayır (Cape Helles)
* Kumkale
* 1st Arıburnu (Anzac Cove)
* Baby 700
* 1st Kirte
* Battle of Dilman
* 2nd Arıburnu (2nd Anzac Cove)
* 2nd Kirte
* No.3 Post
* 3rd Arıburnu (3rd Anzac Cove)
* 3rd Kirte
* Zığındere
* Manzikert
* Kara Killisse
* Kirte Bağları (Krithia Vineyard)
* Kanlısırt (Lone Pine)
* Anafartalar
* Conkbayır
* Sarıbayır
* Kılıçbayır (The Nek)
* Hill 60
* Yusufçuktepe (Scimitar Hill)
* Selman’ı Pak (Ctesiphon)
* 1st Kut
* Sağ Sahil
* Erzurum offensive
* Wadi
* Felahiye (Hanna)
* Sabis
* Trebizond
* Mecca
* Erzincan
* Aqaba
* Bitlis
* Romani
* Bir el Abd
* Yanbu
* Magdhaba
* Rafa
* Nekhl
* Bir el Hassana
* 2nd Kut
* Samarrah
* Jebel Hamlin
* 1st Gaza
* 2nd Gaza
* Istabulat
* Aqaba
* Ramadi
* Wadi Musa
* Beersheba
* Khuweilfe
* 3rd Gaza
* Baghdad
* Hareira and Sheria
* Wadi el Hesi
* Huj
* Mughar Ridge
* Ayun Kara
* Jerusalem
* Jaffa
* Jericho
* Tell 'Asur
* Khan Baghdadi
* Hijla
* 1st Amman
* Berukin and 1st Arara
* 2nd Transjordan
* Abaran
* Sardarabad
* Karakilisa
* Goychay
* Aghsu
* Kurdamir
* Binagadi
* Baku
* Arsuf
* German Expedition
* Abu Tellul
* 2nd Arara
* Megiddo
* Tabsor
* Tulkarm
* Afulah and Beisan
* Nazareth
* Jenin
* Haifa
* Samakh
* Tiberias
* Irbid
* Jisr Benat Yakub
* Kaukab
* Damascus
* Kiswe
* Jisr ed Damieh
* Sharqat
* Aleppo
* Khan Ayash
* 2nd Amman
* Haritan

* For the battles before 1900 see List of battles involving the Ottoman Empire

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