Russo–Turkish War (1787–1792)

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Russo–Ottoman Wars
1676–1681
1686–1700
1687–1689
1695–1696
1710–1711
1735–1739
1768–1774
1787–1792
1806–1812
1828–1829
1853–1856
1877–1878
1914–1918

The Russo–Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved a futile attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to Russia in the course of the previous Russo–Turkish War, 1768–1774.

In 1786 Catherine II of Russia made a triumphal progress through the annexed Crimea in company with her ally, Emperor Joseph II. These events and the friction caused by mutual complaints of infringements of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji, which had closed the previous war, stirred up public opinion in Constantinople, while the British and French ambassadors lent their unconditional support to the war party.

In 1788 war was declared and the Russian ambassador Yakov Bulgakov was thrown into prison, but Turkey's preparations were inadequate and the moment was ill-chosen, now that Russia and Austria were in alliance, a fact of which Turkey became aware only when the horsetails were planted for the campaign. The Turks drove back the Austrians from Mehadia and overran the Banat (1789); but in Moldavia Field-Marshal Rumyantsev was successful and captured Iaşi and Khotin. After a long winter siege Ochakov fell to Prince Potemkin, and all its inhabitants were massacred. This news affected the Ottoman Sultan so deeply as to cause his death.

Turkish generals were incompetent and the army mutinous; expeditions for the relief of Bender and Akerman failed, Belgrade was taken by Laudon of Austria, the impenetrable fortress of Izmail was captured by Suvorov by surprise attacks using combined infantry and artillery, Ushakov shattered the Ottoman Fleet at Fidonisi, Tendra, Kerch Strait, and Cape Caliacria, and the fall of Anapa to Ivan Gudovich completed the series of Turkey's disasters.

The young sultan Selim III was anxious to restore his country's prestige by a victory before making peace, but the condition of his troops rendered this hope unavailing; while Prussia, though on 31 January 1790 she had signed an offensive treaty with Turkey, gave her no help during the war.

Accordingly the Treaty of Jassy was signed with Russia on 9 January 1792 by which Russia's 1783 annexation of the Crimean Khanate was recognized, Yedisan (Hacibey and Ochakov) was ceded to Russia, and the Dniester was made the frontier in Europe, while the Asiatic frontier — Kuban River — remained unchanged.