First Turko-Egyptian War

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First Turko-Egyptian War
Date December 21, 1832 – May 14, 1833 Location Syria & Turkey Result Egypt occupied Syria
Belligerents
Egypt	Ottoman Empire

The First Turko-Egyptian War was brought about by Muhammad Ali Pasha's demand for control of Syria as reward for his assistance against Greece.

1831: Two armies set out from Egypt, one by land under General Ibrahim Yakan, and the other by sea, landing at Jaffa, under Ibrahim Pasha. The Egyptians rapidly occupied Jerusalem and the coastal regions of Palestine and Lebanon.

1832: Battle of Konya

1833: Feb; Ottoman Empire enters a Defensive Alliance with Russia

1833: May 14, Convention of Kutahya. England and France persuaded Sultan Mahmoud to give Syria to Muhammad Ali Pasha.^[1]

[edit] Overview

Several battles between the Egyptians and Ottomans took place in Syria. At a village south of Homs on the Orontes, on April 14, 1832, the Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha defeated an Ottoman force of 15,000 under Othman Pasha. After reducing Acre, the Egyptians occupied Damascus on June 14, 1832. A new Ottoman army under Mohammed Pasha advanced south to Homs, and a major battle took place on July 8, 1832 on the southern approaches to that city. The Ottomans were routed with large losses and the Egyptians occupied Homs on July 9; then Aleppo on July 17, and Antioch on July 28. On July 29 another major battle took place at the Pass of Beilan through the Taurus Mountains, where the Egyptians defeated an Ottoman force of 45,000 equipped with 160 guns, under Hussein Pasha and captured 25 guns along with considerable war booty. The Egyptians occupied Beilan on July 30, then Tarsus and Adana on July 31. At this point the Egyptian army halted, having occupied the Arabic-speaking regions it had intended to annex to Egypt, and awaited instructions from Ibrahim's father, Muhammad Ali Pasha in Cairo.

In the ensuing lull, the Sultan recalled the Grand Vizier Reshid Pasha and organised a new army of 80,000 to repel the Egyptians. Anticipating a final major battle, Ibrahim set about to capture territory in Southern Turkey to secure his supply lines. The next clash, the final battle of the campaign of 1831/1832, came at Konya on December 18-21, 1832.

[edit] Footnotes