5: Battles of Shipka Pass – 1877-78
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 ended in defeat for the Ottomans, and it lost a significant amount of territory in Europe. The four Battles of Shipka Pass were crucial to the outcome of the war and took place over a six-month period. The first battle took place in July 1877 and the Russian Army, led by Joseph Gourko, forced an Ottoman garrison of up to 5,000 men to flee Shipka Pass.
The second battle occurred in August 1877 and was arguably the most crucial moment of the four conflicts. The Russian General Stoletov and his garrison of 7,500 men (which consisted of 5,500 Bulgarians) took up defensive positions on the Pass and faced an army of 38,000 Ottomans led by Suleiman Pasha. The defenders held firm for five days until reinforcements came. By the end, the Russian and Bulgarians troops had almost run out of ammunition and resorted to hurling rocks at the enemy.
Pasha made another attempt to take the Pass in September with a force of 25,000 men. Although the Russians had worked to improve their defenses around Shipka Pass, there were only 8,000 defenders as the siege of Plevna prevented further reinforcements. After four days of bombardment, the defenders once again held firm until a relief force came and drove the Ottomans back.
The Russians took the fortress of Plevna in December 1877, and General Gourko brought a 65,000 strong force to deal with the Ottomans at Shipka Pass once and for all. The final battle took place from 5-9 January and ended in a resounding defeat for the Ottomans. On 16 January, Gourko defeated Suleiman Pasha’s forces at the Battle of Philippopolis. The Turks retreated and lost an array of European territory including Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro.