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2. Russian-Iranian war 1804-1813

foreign policy military Türkiye

Iran has long had its interests in the Caucasus, and in this matter until the second half of the 18th century. competed with Turkey. Victory of Russian troops in the Russian-Turkish war of 1769-1774. put Russia among the contenders for the North Caucasus. The transition of Georgia under the protection of Russia in 1783 and its subsequent annexation to the empire in 1801 allowed Russia to extend its influence to Transcaucasia.

At the beginning, the Russian administration in the Caucasus acted very carefully, fearing to provoke a war with Iran and Turkey. This policy was carried out from 1783 to early XIX century. During this period, the Shamkhaldom of Tarkov, the principalities of Zasulak Kumykia, the khanates of Avar, Derbent, Kubinsk, the Utsmiystvo of Kaitag, the Maisum and Qadiy of Tabasaran came under the protection of Russia. But this did not mean joining Russia; the rulers retained political power over their subjects.

With the appointment in 1802 of the commander-in-chief of Georgia, Lieutenant General P.D., to the post of inspector of the Caucasian line. Tsitsianov, a supporter of energetic and drastic military measures to expand Russian power in the Caucasus, Russia's actions became less cautious.

Tsitsianov practiced mainly forceful methods. So, in 1803, he sent a detachment of General Gulyakov against the Jharians. The fortified point of Belokany was taken by storm, the residents were sworn to allegiance to Russia and subjected to tribute. At the beginning of January 1804, Russian troops under the command of Tsitsianov himself, after a month-long siege, captured the Ganja fortress by storm and annexed it to Russia, renaming it Elizavetpol.

With these and other careless actions, Tsitsianov hurt Iran’s interests in Transcaucasia. The Shah sharply demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Azerbaijani khanates, Georgia and Dagestan. Gerasimova, Yu.N. To ensure the fate of the Caucasus and destroy the hopes of the Turks / Yu.N. Gerasimova // Military Historical Journal. - 2010 - No. 8. - P. 7-8.

The number of tsarist troops in Transcaucasia was about 20 thousand people. The Iranian army was much larger, but the Russian troops were superior to the Iranian irregular cavalry in training, discipline, weapons and tactics.

The first clashes took place on the territory of the Erivan Khanate. On June 10, the detachments of generals Tuchkov and Leontyev defeated the Iranian forces led by the Shah's heir, Abbas Mirza. On June 30, troops took the Erivan fortress under siege, which lasted until early September. Repeated ultimatums and assaults did not produce results; the rebel Ossetians closed the Georgian Military Road. It was necessary to lift the siege on September 2 and retreat to Georgia. General Nebolsin's detachment was tasked with covering Georgia and the Shuragel region from the Erivan Khanate.

The tsarist administration in the Caucasus under Tsitsianov cruelly treated the local population, while he himself behaved arrogantly with the khans, sending them insulting messages. The uprisings of Ossetians, Kabardians, and Georgians were brutally suppressed using artillery.

In July 1805, a detachment under the command of Colonel P.M. Karyagin repelled the attacks of Abbas Mirza in Shah Bulah. This gave Tsitsianov time to gather forces and defeat the Iranian troops led by Feth Ali Shah.

In the same month, an expeditionary detachment of I.I. arrived by sea from Russia to the western coast of the Caspian Sea (in Anzeli). Zavalishin, who was supposed to occupy Rasht and Baku. However, the task could not be completed, and Zavalishin took the squadron with a detachment to Lenkoran.

At the end of November 1805, Tsitsianov ordered Zavalishin to go to Baku again and wait for his arrival there. At the beginning of February 1806, Tsitsianov with a detachment of 1,600 people approached Baku. He demanded that the Baku Khan surrender the city, promising to leave the Khanate behind him. He agreed, and on February 8 he arrived at the commander-in-chief with the keys to the city. During the negotiations, one of the nukers (servants) of Huseyn-Ali Khan killed Tsitsianov with a pistol shot. Zavalishin remained inactive in Baku for a month, and then took the squadron to Kizlyar. Gerasimova, Yu.N. To ensure the fate of the Caucasus and destroy the hopes of the Turks / Yu.N. Gerasimova // Military Historical Journal. - 2010 - No. 8. - pp. 9-11.

After assuming the post of Commander-in-Chief in the Caucasus, General I.V. Gudovich in 1806, the tsarist troops occupied Derbent, Baku, and Cuba. Derbent was annexed to Russia. Gudovich managed to mend damaged relationships with the feudal lords North Caucasus. At the end of December 1806, Türkiye also declared war on Russia. Gudovich's attempt in 1808 to take Erivan by storm was unsuccessful. He returned to Georgia and submitted his resignation.

He was replaced as commander-in-chief by General A.P. Tormasov, who continued the course of his predecessor and did a lot to develop trade with the North Caucasian peoples. Abbas Mirza's attempt to occupy Elizavetpol was unsuccessful, but on October 8, 1809 he managed to occupy Lankaran. In the summer of 1810, Abbas Mirza invaded Karabakh, but was defeated by Kotlyarevsky’s detachment at Migri. Gasanaliev, Magomed (candidate of historical sciences). Russian-Iranian War 1804-1813 / M. Gasanaliev // Questions of history. - 2009 - No. 9 - P. 152.

Iran's attempt to act against Russia jointly with Turkey also failed. Turkish troops were defeated on September 5, 1810 near Akhalkalaki. At the same time, the Iranian detachment standing nearby did not enter the battle. In 1811-1812 The Kuba and Kyura khanates of Dagestan were annexed to Russia.

At the beginning of 1811, with the help of the British, Iran reorganized its army. The new commander-in-chief in the Caucasus, General N.F. Rtishchev made an attempt to establish peace negotiations with Iran, but the Shah put forward impossible conditions: to withdraw Russian troops beyond the Terek.

On October 17, 1812, General Kotlyarevsky, without the permission of Rtishchev, with one and a half thousand infantry, 500 Cossacks with 6 guns crossed the river. Arak and defeated the forces of Abbas Mirza. Pursuing him, Kotlyarevsky defeated the detachment of the Shah's heir at Aslanduz. At the same time, he captured 500 people and captured 11 guns. On January 1, 1813, Kotlyarevsky captured Lankaran by storm. During the continuous 3-hour battle, Kotlyarevsky lost 950 people, and Abbas-Mirza - 2.5 thousand. The Tsar generously rewarded Kotlyarevsky: he received the rank of lieutenant general, the Order of St. George 3rd and 2nd degrees and 6 thousand rubles. Rtishchev was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In this battle, Kotlyarevsky was seriously wounded, and he military career ended.

At the beginning of April 1813, after the defeat at Kara-Benyuk, the Shah was forced to enter into peace negotiations. He instructed the English envoy to Iran, Auzli, to lead them. He tried to reach an agreement with minimal concessions from Iran or conclude a truce for one year. Rtishchev did not agree with this. Auzli advised the Shah to accept Russia's conditions. In his report, Rtishchev indicated that Auzli greatly contributed to the conclusion of peace. Ibragimova, Isbaniyat Ilyasovna. Relations of Russia with Iran and Turkey in the first half of the 19th century. / I.I. Ibragimova // Questions of history. - 2008 - No. 11 - P. 152 - 153.

First of October fighting were stopped for fifty days. On October 12 (24), 1813, in the town of Gulistan in Karabakh, the commander of the tsarist troops in the Caucasus, Rtishchev, and the representative of the Iranian Shah, Mirza Abdul Hassan, signed a peace treaty between the two countries.

The exchange of ratifications took place on September 15 (27), 1814. The agreement contained a clause (secret article) stating that the ownership of the disputed lands could subsequently be revised. However, it was omitted by the Russian side when ratifying the treaty.

Large territorial acquisitions received by Russia on the basis of this document led to complications in its relations with England. A year later, Iran and England entered into an agreement directed against Russia. England pledged to help Iran achieve a revision of certain articles of the Gulistan Treaty.

The Russian side was very pleased with the results of the war and the signing of the treaty. Peace with Persia protected with peace and security eastern limits Russia.

Feth Ali Shah also remained happy with that, that they managed to settle accounts with the winner with foreign territories. He gave Rtishchev 500 Tauriz batmans in silk, and also awarded him the insignia of the Order of the Lion and the Sun, on a gold enamel chain, to wear around his neck.

For the Peace of Gulistan, Rtishchev received the rank of infantry general and the right to wear the Diamond Order of the Lion and the Sun, 1st degree, received from the Persian Shah. Gasanaliev, Magomed (candidate of historical sciences). Russian-Iranian War 1804-1813 / M. Gasanaliev // Questions of history. - 2009 - No. 9 - P. 153

Article three of the Gulistan Treaty reads: “E. w. V. as proof of his sincere affection for H.V., the All-Russian Emperor, he hereby solemnly recognizes, both for himself and for the high successors of the Persian throne, the khanates of Karabagh and Ganzhin, now converted into a province called Elisavetpol, as belonging to the Russian Empire; as well as the khanates of Sheki, Shirvan, Derbent, Kuba, Baku and Talyshen, with those lands of this khanate that are now under the authority of the Russian Empire; moreover, all of Dagestan, Georgia with the Shuragel province, Imereti, Guria, Mingrelia and Abkhazia, as well as all the possessions and lands located between the now established border and the Caucasian line, with lands and peoples touching this latter and the Caspian Sea.”

Historians have different assessments of the consequences of this treaty for Dagestan. Dagestan at that time was not a single and integral country, but was fragmented into a number fiefs and more than 60 free societies. By the time the Gulistan Peace Treaty was signed, part of its territory had already been annexed to Russia (Kuba, Derbent and Kyura khanates). The first two of them are named separately in the agreement. This agreement legally formalized their accession.

Another part of the Dagestan feudal lords and some free societies swore an oath of allegiance to Russia, they were not annexed to Russia, but came under its protection (Shamkhaldom of Tarkov, Khanate of Avar, Utsmiystvo of Kaitag, Maisum and Kadiy of Tabasaran, principalities of Zasulak Kumykia, federation of Dargin free societies and some others). But there remained in Dagestan territories that did not enter into citizenship or under the protection of Russia (the Mekhtulin and Kazikumukh khanates and many free societies of the Avars). So, it is impossible to talk about Dagestan as a single entity.

The Persian representative, realizing this, did not want to sign the document in this wording. He stated that “... he does not dare even think of deciding, in the name of his Shah, to renounce any rights about peoples completely unknown to them, for fear of thereby giving his ill-wishers a sure chance...”.

With the signing of the Treaty of Gulistan, all possessions of Dagestan (annexed, those who accepted citizenship and those who did not) were included in Russia.

Another interpretation of Article 3 of this treaty could lead to negative consequences. However, until 1816, the tsarist government skillfully maintained protective relations with the Dagestan feudal lords.

The Dagestan rulers expressed their pro-Russian orientation by taking oaths, which indicated the consolidation of patronage relations that had existed previously. At that time, another type of “subjection” of Russia practically did not exist for the peoples of the Caucasus. Magomedova, Laila Abduivagitovna. Kabarda and Dagestan in Russian eastern policy in the last quarter of the 18th - early 19th centuries. / L.A. Magomedova // Questions of history. - 2010 - No. 10 - P. 157-160.

The feudal possessions of the North Caucasus were state associations with which the rulers of Russia, Iran and Turkey maintained constant contact and correspondence. Persia could renounce further claims to Dagestan, but could not dispose of other people's possessions. At the same time, the recognition of Iran did not give the tsarist autocracy the right to declare the Dagestan lands annexed to itself, except for the indicated three feudal estates, which by that time had already been annexed. Not a single Dagestan or North Caucasian feudal lord took part in either the preparation or the signing of this document. They were not even informed of their expected fate. More than two years royal authorities hid the contents of the article from the Dagestanis. 3 contracts.

Undoubtedly, it should be noted as a positive fact that the Gulistan Peace Treaty created the preconditions for the liquidation in the future feudal fragmentation Dagestan and other North Caucasian possessions, their inclusion in the pan-European market, familiarization with advanced Russian culture and the Russian liberation movement. Gasanaliev, Magomed (candidate of historical sciences). Russian-Iranian War 1804-1813 / M. Gasanaliev // Questions of history. - 2009 - No. 9 - P.154-155.

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Iran actively opposed the annexation of Transcaucasia to Russia. In this matter, Iran was supported by both England and France, who, in turn, were in conflict with each other.

In 1801, at the time of Georgia's annexation to Russia, England concluded political and trade agreements with Iran. The British were given broad political and economic privileges. The Anglo-Iranian alliance was directed against France and Russia. The peculiarity of England's policy in Iran was that it was always anti-Russian in nature, even in cases where both powers were allies in European affairs. Through the East India Company, England supplied Iran with weapons and economic assistance. In 1804, Iran started a war against Russia, for which this came as a big surprise. However, a few Russian troops managed to hold back the attack and inflict a series of defeats in Eastern Armenia and blockade Erivan. In 1805, military operations took place mainly in the territory of Northern Azerbaijan. In 1806, Russian troops occupied Derbent and Baku. By this time, France's victories in Europe and the extraordinary growth of its military power pushed the Shah of Iran to enter into active negotiations with Napoleon against Russia. In May 1807, an alliance treaty against Russia was signed between France and Iran, according to which Napoleon committed to force the Russians to leave Transcaucasia. A French military mission arrived in Iran and launched a variety of activities both against Russia and England.

French dominance in Iran was short-lived. In 1809, England managed to conclude a new treaty of alliance with Iran and expel the French mission from there. The new treaty did not bring relief to Russia. England began to pay Iran a military subsidy to wage war against Russia and resumed arms supplies. British diplomacy systematically thwarted the beginning attempts at Russian-Iranian peace negotiations.

The assistance provided by the British could not significantly improve the situation in Iran, although it drew Russia's economic and military resources away from the European theater of operations. In October 1812, after the Battle of Borodino, Russian troops defeated the Iranian army and peace negotiations began. In October 1813, the Gulistan Peace Treaty was signed, according to which Iran recognized the annexation of the main part of Transcaucasia to Russia, but retained the Yerevan and Nakhichevan khanates. Russia received a monopoly right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. Merchants of both sides received the right to unhindered trade.

At the same time, he waged the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813 in the east, a war barely noticeable to his contemporaries, preoccupied with world events, but nonetheless memorable to posterity both for the prowess of Russian weapons and the importance of its consequences. Marked by the exploits of Tsitsianov, Gudovich, Tormasov and Kotlyarevsky, the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813 established Russian dominance in the Caucasus.

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

Pavel Dmitrievich Tsitsianov

Capture of Ganja by Tsitsianov

Appointed in 1802 by the Russian commander-in-chief of Georgia in 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 to subdue the hostile khans who were disturbing Georgia from the east with a thunderstorm of weapons. 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, went over to the side of Persia and robbed the Tiflis merchants. Tsitsianov entered his region, besieged Ganja and took it by storm (1804). Khan was killed during the assault; his children died in the battle or fled. The people swore an oath of eternal allegiance to the Russian sovereign. Ganja was renamed Elizavetpol and with the entire khanate annexed to Georgia. From under the walls of Ganja, Tsitsianov dispatched General Gulyakov to subdue the rebellious Lezgins who were disturbing Kakheti. The brave Gulyakov drove them into the mountains, penetrated into the most inaccessible gorges, and although he paid with his life for his courage, for all that he brought such horror to 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 Elisu. Soon the princes of Mingrelia and Abkhazia submitted to the Russian sovereign; the Imeretian king Solomon also entered into eternal citizenship.

Beginning of the Russian-Persian War 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 Persian Shah Feth-Ali sent the Georgian prince Alexander to outrage the khans subject to us; meanwhile, he ordered his son Abbas Mirza to cross the Araks to pacify the rebellious vassal of his sardar of Erivan and to assist Prince Alexander. Thus began the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813. Tsitsianov, knowing the hostile disposition of Persia and foreseeing the inevitable Russian-Persian war, decided to take possession of 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 Zangi, at the Etchmiadzin monastery, he met Abbas Mirza with an army four times stronger than the Russian detachment, and defeated him (1804); after that he defeated the Persians a second time 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, due to lack of food and widespread disease, he was forced to return to Georgia. This failure had unfavorable consequences for the further course of the Russian-Persian war that had begun.

In the summer of 1805, the Persians, perked up, gathered an army of 40,000 against the Russians. The Persian prince Abbas Mirza moved with her to Georgia. In Karabakh, on the Askeran River, the 20,000-strong Persian vanguard was met by Colonel Karyagin’s Russian detachment of 500 people, who had only two cannons. Despite this inequality 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 battles in mountainous areas, Russian rangers needed to transport cannons through a crevice. There was no way to put her to sleep. Then Private Gavrila Sidorov suggested setting up a “living bridge.” Several soldiers lay down at the bottom of the pit, and the heavy guns drove right over them. Almost none of these brave men survived, but through a feat of self-sacrifice they saved their comrades. The delay of the Persian horde by the Russian detachment of Colonel Karyagin allowed Tsitsianov to gather troops and saved Georgia from bloody devastation.

F. A. Rubo. Living Bridge. Episode of the Russian-Persian War 1804-1813

The Persian Shah, with the assistance of Tsarevich Alexander, managed to outrage the entire Lezgistan, Ossetia, Kabarda, the khans of Derbent, Baku and Kuba. Military road, laid through the Caucasus, was stopped by the mountaineers; 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 Zagam. The Persian army retreated, stopping the campaign against Georgia. Successful expeditions of Russian troops into the mountains terrified the predatory inhabitants there and restored the communication between the Caucasian line and Georgia that they had interrupted; Ossetians were also brought to obedience.

All that remained was to humble the rebellious khans of Dagestan, the head of which was the ruler of Baku, the treacherous Hussein Quli Khan. Tsitsianov entered his region and, besieging Baku, demanded unconditional submission. Khan, expressing feigned humility, invited the commander-in-chief to accept the city keys. The prince with a small retinue went to the fortress and as soon as he approached it, he was struck down by two bullets fired on the secret orders of Hussein (February 1806).

The news of the death of the commander, fearless in battles, who kept the obstinate tribes in obedience by the mere thunder of his name, again excited the entire Transcaucasian region. Of all the khans under our control, only Shamkhal Tarkovsky did not raise the banner of rebellion and remained faithful to the oath; even King Solomon of Imereti entered into relations with the enemies of Russia. The Persians took heart and, continuing the war with the Russians, again crossed the Araks; the Turks, for their part, as a result of Russia’s break with Porto and the Russian-Turkish war that began in 1806, threatened to attack Georgia.

Continuation of the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813 by generals Gudovich and Tormasov

Tsitsianov’s successor, Count Gudovich, with 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 ravaged Anapa. However, the secondary 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 the pacification of the Transcaucasian region. With the capture of Poti and the secondary destruction of Anapa, he deprived the Turks of the opportunity to support the uprising in Imereti and Abkhazia; the king of Imereti renounced the throne; his state became part of the Russian possessions; calm has been restored in Abkhazia; and repeated victories over the combined Turkish and Persian troops protected Georgia from the invasion of its main enemies.

After Tormasov was recalled to Russia, where his talents were destined for a vast field in the fight against Napoleon, the leadership of the Transcaucasian region, after the short-term management of the Marquis Paulucci, was entrusted to General Rtishchev. The Peace of Bucharest of 1812, meanwhile, ended the Russian-Turkish war. Persia, frightened by a continuous series of failures in its war with Russia, also expressed its 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 capture of Lankaran

The negotiations were, however, unsuccessful and soon ended. Rtishchev returned to Tiflis, leaving General Kotlyarevsky with 2,000 people with 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 to destroy the Sheki and Shirvan regions with fire and sword, meanwhile he was preparing to cross to exterminate our small detachment on the left bank of the Araks.

Kotlyarevsky, with a brave and brilliant feat, thwarted the plans of the enemy and led the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813 to a happy outcome. He himself crossed the Araks, quickly attacked Abbas Mirza, knocked him out of the fortified camp, threw back his entire army to the town of Aslanduze and put it into disorderly flight (October 19, 1812). The Persians lost 1,200 people killed and more than 500 prisoners, while Russian losses amounted to only 127 people. The consequence of this victory, won by a weak Russian detachment over an enemy ten times stronger, was the cleansing of the entire left bank of the Araks from the Persians. The Persian Shah still persisted in the war, until Kotlyarevsky’s new feat, 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, the Persian stronghold subsequently fell to the Russian bayonet after a bloody assault, during which Kotlyarevsky lost about half of his soldiers, and the Muslim enemy lost nine-tenths.

Assault on Lankaran, 1813

Peace of Gulistan 1813

Frightened by the menacing movement of the Russians towards the borders of Persia, the Shah agreed to end the war and fulfill all the demands of the Russian court. The treaty 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 the dominance of Russia over the khanates of Karabakh, Ganja, Sheki, Shirvan, Derbent, Kuba, Baku, Talyshin and renounced all claims to Dagestan, Georgia, Imereti and Abkhazia.

Caucasus in the first half of the 19th century. Map indicating the change of borders following the Russian-Persian War of 1804-1813

The Russian emperor promised, for his part, in the Treaty of Gulistan, help and assistance to whichever son of the Shah he would appoint as heir to the Persian throne.

A good deed is done with effort, but when the effort is repeated several times, the same deed becomes a habit.

L.N. Tolstoy

In 1804, a war began between Russia and Persia. Since Persia changed its name in the twentieth century, the name of the event also changed - the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813. This was Russia's first war in Central Asia, which was complicated by the war with the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the victory of the army of Alexander 1, Russian interests in the East collided with the interests of the British Empire, which became the beginning of the so-called “Great Game”. In this article we provide an overview of the main causes of the war between Russia and Iran in 1804-1813, a description of the key battles and its participants, as well as characteristics of the results of the war and its historical significance For Russia.

The situation before the war

At the beginning of 1801, Russian Emperor Paul 1 signed a decree on the annexation of the Eastern Caucasus. In September of the same year, his son, Alexander 1, as the new emperor, gave the order to create the kingdom of Georgian province on the territory of Kartli-Kakheti. In 1803, Alexander annexed Mingrelia, thereby the Russian border reached the territory of modern Azerbaijan. There were several khanates there, the largest of which was Ganja with its capital in the city of Ganja. This state, like the territory of all modern Azerbaijan, was part of the sphere of interests of the Persian Empire.

January 3, 1804 Russian army begins the assault on the Ganja fortress. This significantly disrupted Persia's plans. Therefore, she began to look for allies to declare war on Russia. As a result, the Shah of Persia, Feth Ali, signed a treaty with Great Britain. England, according to tradition, wanted to solve its problems with someone else's hands. The strengthening of Russian influence in Asia was extremely undesirable for the British, who were guarding their main pearl - India. Therefore, London gives Persia all guarantees of the latter’s support in the event of military action against Russia. On June 10, 1804, the Sheikh of Persia declares war on the Russian Empire. And so began the Russian-Iranian war (1804-1813), which lasted for 9 long years.

Causes of the war of 1804-1813

Historians identify the following reasons for the war:

• Russia's annexation of Georgian lands. This expanded the influence of the Russians in Asia, which the Persians and the British were extremely unhappy with.
• Persia's desire to establish control over Azerbaijan, which was also of interest to Russia.
• Russia pursued an active policy of expanding its territory in the Caucasus, which violated the plans of the Persians, and in addition, in the future it could create a problem for the integrity and independence of their state.
• Great Britain's hegemony. For many years, England was a country that ruled independently in Asia. Therefore, she tried in every possible way to prevent Russia from reaching the borders of her influence.
• The desire of the Ottoman Empire to take revenge from Russia for the lost wars of the second half of the 18th century, they especially wanted to return Crimea and Kuban. This pushed Turkey to help any rivals of Russia who were located near its borders.

As a result, an alliance was formed between Persia, the Ottoman Empire and the Ganja Khanate. England provided patronage to this alliance. As for the Russian Empire, it entered the Russian-Iranian War of 1804-1813 without allies.

Fighting 1804-1806

Battle of Erivan

The first serious battle took place 10 days after the start of the war. On June 20, 1804, the Battle of Erivan took place. The Russian army under the command of Tsitsianov completely defeated the enemy, which opened the way into the depths of Iran.

On June 17, the Persian army carried out a counter-offensive, pushing Russian troops back to the same Erivan fortress. However, already on June 20, Russian troops launched an offensive, once again forcing the Persians to retreat. Interesting fact- Alexander Bagrationi, the Georgian king of the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom liquidated by Russia, fought on the side of Persia. Before the war, he was one of the organizers of the reform of the Iranian army. On August 21, 1804, his troops defeated the Tiflis Corps of the Russian Army. This was one of the first failures of the army of Alexander 1. Because of this defeat, the Russian army retreated to the territory of Georgia.

At the end of 1804, the Emperor of Russia decided not to rush into military action with Persia, but to begin annexing other states on the territory of Azerbaijan. In January 1805, troops under the command of Nesvetaev annexed the Shuragel Sultanate to Russia, and already in May an agreement was signed with the Karabakh Khanate on voluntary entry into Russia. The Karabakh Khan even allocated a large army for the war with Iran.

Map of the Russian-Iranian War

Battles for Karabakh and Shirvan

The Russian-Iranian War of 1804-1813 moved to the Karabakh region. At this moment, a small army of Major Lisanevich was on the territory of Karabakh. Already at the beginning of June, news appeared that the 20 thousand army of the heir to the throne of Persia, Abbas Mirza, had entered the territory of Karabakh. As a result, Lisanevich’s troops found themselves completely surrounded in the city of Shusha. Lacking large military reserves, General Tsitsianov sent a detachment of 493 military men led by Colonel Karyagin from Ganja to help. This event went down in history as the Karyaginsky raid. In 3 days the troops covered about 100 kilometers. After this, the battle with the Persians began in the Shahbulag region, near Shusha.

The Persian forces were significantly superior to the Russian ones. However, the battle lasted more than 5 days, then the Russians took the Shahbulag fortress, however, there was no point in holding it, since the Persians sent an additional army to this area from near Shusha. After this, Karyagin decided to retreat, but it was too late, as the troops were completely surrounded. Then he resorted to a trick, offering negotiations on surrender. During the negotiations, an unexpected blow was struck, and the troops were able to break through the encirclement. The withdrawal of troops began.

According to eyewitnesses, in order to move carts with weapons and supplies across the ditch, it was thrown with the bodies of the dead. According to another version, these were living volunteers who agreed to lie in the ditch and give their lives to allow Russian soldiers to escape from encirclement. Based on this tragic and scary story Russian artist Franz Roubaud painted the painting “The Living Bridge”. On July 15, 1805, the main Russian army approached Shusha, which was able to help both the Karyagin troops and the blocked army of Lisanevich, which was in Shusha.

After this success, Tsitsianov’s army conquered the Shirvan Khanate on November 30 and headed for Baku. On February 8, 1806, the Baku Khanate became part of Russia, however, during a meeting with the khan, his brother Ibrahim Beg killed Tsitsianov and Colonel Eristov. The head of the Russian general was sent to the Sheikh of Persia as a demonstration of the Baku Khanate's devotion to his greatness. The Russian army left Baku.

I. Gudovich was appointed as the new commander-in-chief, who immediately conquered the Baku and Kuba khanates. However, after these successes, the armies of Russia and Persia took a break. In addition, in November 1806, Turkey attacked the Russian Empire, and another war began between these countries. Therefore, in the winter of 1806-1807, the Uzun-Kilis truce was signed, and the Russian-Persian war was temporarily suspended.

Truce and new participants in the conflict

Both sides of the conflict understood that the agreement of 1806-1807 was not peace, but just a truce. In addition, the Ottoman Empire tried to quickly return Persia to the war in order to stretch Russian troops over several fronts. Sheikh Feth Ali promised Turkey to begin soon new war, and also, taking advantage of the truce, signed an agreement with Napoleon on an anti-Russian alliance. However, it did not last long, because already in June Russia and France signed the Peace of Tilsit. The idea of ​​creating a bloc of European and Asian states against Russia failed. This was a gigantic success for Russian diplomacy. Britain remained Persia's only European ally. At the beginning of 1808, Russia, despite the continuation of the war with Turkey, resumed military operations against Persia.

Battles of 1808-1812

The Russian-Iranian War of 1804-1813 actively continued in 1808. This year, the Russian army inflicted a number of defeats on the Persians, the largest of which was at Karabab. However, the state of affairs in the war was ambiguous and victories alternated with defeats. Thus, in November 1808, the Russian army was defeated near Yerevan. Alexander's reaction was immediate: Gudovich was removed from the post of commander. He was replaced by Alexander Tormasov, future hero in the war with Napoleon.

In 1810, the troops of Colonel P. Kotlyarevsky defeated the Persians at the Mirgi fortress. The main turning point in the war happened in 1812. At the beginning of the year, Persia proposed a truce, but after learning about Napoleon’s attack on Russia, it continued hostilities. The Russian Empire found itself in the most difficult situation:

1. Since 1804, there has been a protracted war with Persia.
2. In 1806-1812, Russia fought a successful but exhausting war with Turkey.
3. In 1812, France attacked Russia, thereby complicating the task of defeating Persia.

However, the emperor decided not to give up his position in Asia. In 1812, Abbas Mirza's troops invaded Karabakh and inflicted a crushing defeat Russian troops. The situation seemed catastrophic, but on January 1, 1813, troops under the command of P. Kotlyarevsky stormed the key fortress of Lankaran (Talysh Khanate, near the border with Persia). The Shah understood that it was possible for the Russian army to advance into Persia itself, so he proposed a truce.

Historical information: the hero of the battle himself, Pyotr Kotlyarevsky, was seriously wounded in the battle, but survived and received the Order of St. George of the second degree from the Emperor of Russia.

End of the war - Peace of Gulistan

On October 12, 1813, Russia and Persia signed the Treaty of Gulistan on the territory of Karabakh. According to its terms:

1. Persia recognized Russia's annexation of Eastern Georgia, as well as the khanates on the territory of Azerbaijan (Baku, Ganja and others).
2. Russia received a monopoly right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea.
3. All goods exported to Baku and Astrakhan were subject to an additional 23% tax.

Thus the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813 was completed. Surprisingly, today very little is said about the events of those days, since everyone is only interested in the war with Napoleon. But it was precisely as a result of the Persian War that Russia strengthened its position in Asia, thereby weakening the position of Persia and Turkey, which was extremely important. This must be remembered, even though the war with Persia pales in comparison Patriotic War 1812.

Historical meaning

The historical significance of the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813 was extremely positive for Russia. Modern historians say that the victory gave the Russian Empire several huge advantages:

• On the Russian side, over almost 10 years of conflict, about 10 thousand people died.
• Despite the large number of victims, Russia strengthened its influence in the Caucasus, but at the same time it found a big problem in this region for many years in the form of the struggle of local peoples for independence.
• At the same time, Russia received additional access to the Caspian Sea, which had a positive impact on Russia’s trade, as well as its status in the region.

But, perhaps, the main result of the Russian-Iranian war was that it was the first clash of interests between Great Britain and Russia, which became the beginning of the “Great Game” - the largest geopolitical confrontation that lasted until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the countries became members of one bloc, the Entente . In addition, the clash of interests continued after two world wars, but in the place of the Russian Empire there was already the Soviet Union.