Battle of Kars

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Battle of Kars

Date	17 November 1877
Location	Kars, Turkey
Result	Russian victory

Belligerents

Russian Empire

Ottoman Empire

Commanders

Count Mikhail Loris-Melikoff, Lazarev Ivan Davidovich

Hussein Pasha

Strength

24,000

Casualties and losses

2,273 total

2,500 killed
4,500 wounded
17,000 captured

Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878

Kızıl-Tepe – Simnitza – Svistov – Nikopol – 1st Shipka Pass – 2nd Shipka Pass – Lovcha – 3rd Shipka Pass – Gorni-Dubnik – Kars – Pleven – Tashkessen – 4th Shipka Pass – Plovdiv

For the 1855 siege during the Crimean War, see Siege of Kars.

The Battle of Kars was a decisive Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78.

In June, 1877 Russian forces attempted a siege of Kars but were driven off by a Turkish army at the Battle of Kizil-Tepe. In November Russian commander in the Caucasus, Grand Duke Michael, demanded the surrender of Kars but was refused. The Grand Duke sent a force under Loris-Melikoff and Lazarev Ivan Davidovich to take the city by storm. On November 17 Loris-Melikoff attacked and succeeded in capturing the eastern fortifications and cut off the garrison under Hussein Pasha. Hussein attempted to cut his way out but he and only a few others succeeded as much of the Turkish army was taken prisoner. The Treaty of San Stephano officially gave Kars to Russia and remained in Russian possession until the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk during World War I.