The Battle of Muş, also known as the Ognot campaign, took place during World War I in the southeastern Anatolian region of the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), between forces of the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire. One of the commanders involved in the battle was Mustafa Kemal, who later became known as Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. The battle resulted in a Russian victory. After about three weeks of fighting, the Russians captured the city of Muş.Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 29. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier. 2000. p. 300. ISBN 0-7172-0133-3. In any case, Yudenich was able to recapture Muş and Bitlis on August 24 The Ottoman Second Army suffered heavy casualties and was nearly destroyed.
Battle Following major Russian victories in the northern theater, as well as the Russian capture of Bitlis in the south, the Ottoman forces faced significant setbacks. The Ottomans were forced to redeploy troops, including veterans from the successful defense of Gallipoli against Russia's Western allies.
On 3 August, with a significant manpower advantage of 2.5 to 1, the Ottomans launched a general offensive against Russian forces along the entire front. After heavy fighting, the Russians abandoned Muş by 8 August. Ultimately, however, the 1st Russian Division managed to turn the tide and decisively defeat four Ottoman divisions. Due to the remote location, the initial phase of the battle presented logistical challenges for the Russians, who in some areas faced Ottoman forces which outnumbered them as much as 4 to 1.Алексей Олейников. Огнотская операция Кавказской армии — триумф русской гаубичной артиллерии, июль-август 1916 г. // Битва гвардий. Дата обращения: 6 августа 2020
Through fierce resistance, as well as the effective deployment of new mobile artillery, the Russians inflicted significant casualties on the Ottomans.Allen W. E. D., Muratoff P. P. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border. 1828—1921 (англ.). — Cambridge: CUP, 1953. — 614 p. — ISBN 978-1-108-01335-2. Seizing the opportunity, Russian General Nikolai Yudnich launched a counteroffensive against Ottoman force across the entire front.Айрапетов О. Р. Участие Российской империи в Первой мировой войне (1914—1917): Серия из 4 книг. — М.: Кучково поле, 2014—2016
The Russians recaptured Muş on 23 August. Ottoman General Faik Pasha was reportedly killed during the battle. Some sources place General Pasha's death on 24 August or 25 August. However, other sources claim that he died after the battle, on 30 August.Sunguroğlu, İshak. Harput Yollarında, Vol. 1, p. 177: II.nci Kolordu kumandanı Faik Paşa, 30 Ağustosta vazife başında şehit düştü, cenazesi Elâziz'e getirilerek merasimle defnedildi [The commander of the II Corps, Faik Pasha, was martyred in the line of duty on 30 August. His body was brought to Elaziz and buried with a ceremony].
Aftermath
The Ottomans' defeat in the Battle of Muş solidified Russia's military dominance. In the aftermath, the Ottoman Second Army suffered heavy losses at the hands of Russian artillery, and it was eventually reduced to the size of a corps.
References
Notes
Literature
Allen W. E. D., Muratoff P. P. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border. 1828—1921 (англ.). — Cambridge: CUP, 1953. — 614 p. — ISBN 978-1-108-01335-2