Battle of Geok Tepe

Siege of Geok Tepe
Part of Russian conquest of Central Asia
Date December 1880 - January 1881
Location Geok Tepe, Turkmenistan
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire Turkmens
Commanders and leaders
Mikhail Skobelev
Strength
7,100[1]
72 artillery pieces		 20-25,000 people in the fortress[2]

the actual armed defenders were probably 8,000
few firearms
no artillery
Casualties and losses
268 killed[3]

669 wounded[4]

645 died of disease.[5]

 15,000 defenders and civilians killed[6] or up to 20,000 killed[7] or 150,000 killed[8]

The Siege of Geok Tepe or The Battle of Geok Tepe was a siege by the Imperial Russian army against the Turkmen fort of Geok Tepe in 1880-1881.

Contents

History

After the unsuccessful First siege of Geok Tepe in 1879. The Russians sent a second expedition this time with more men and equipment, including 20,000 camels for transport. In December 1880, Geok Tepe was besieged by 7,100 Russians under General Mikhail Skobelev against 25,000 defenders. Including the civilian Turkmen population of the area. Learning a lesson from the previous expedition, Skolobev decided to besiege the fort instead of a direct assault.

The siege of Geok Tepe lasted twenty-three days, after which the city was taken by storm. Although they encountered heavy resistance, Russian forces were eventually able to break in by digging a tunnel underneath a portion of the wall, then detonating a mine underneath the wall. On January 12 (24), 1881, the mine was detonated. Once the fortress was breached, the Russian troops stormed in. Several hundred defenders were killed in the initial explosion, and many more were killed in the fighting that ensued. As the Russians poured in the fort, the defenders, along with the civilians inside the fortress, fled across the desert, pursued by General Skobelev's cavalry.

The Massacre

Around 8,000 Turkmen soldiers and civilians, including women and children were killed in their flight, along with an additional 6,500 that were killed inside the fortress. The Russians killed all Turkmen males in the fortress who had not escaped, but they spared some 5,000 women and children and freed 600 Persian slaves. The taking of Geok Tepe and the following slaughter broke the Turkmen resistance and decided the fate of Trancaspia. On May 6, 1881, Transcaspia was declared an oblast of the Russian Empire. During the entire campaign of 1880-1881 Russian casualties were 290 killed and 883 wounded, sickness accounted for the death of 645 Russian soldiers.[9]

The Russian general Skobelev said the following about the massacre:

The harder you hit them, the longer they'll stay down.[10]

Today

The Geok Tepe (Gokdepe Mosque) was built to commemorate the siege and the defenders, it is noted for its mint-turquoise blue coloured roof and white marble structure.

The battle is remembered as a national day of mourning each year, and the resistance is often cited as a source of great national pride.[11]

Sources

  1. ^ Russian Central Asia, 1867-1917, Richard A. Pierce page 41, 1960
  2. ^ Russian Central Asia, 1867-1917, Richard A. Pierce page 41, 1960
  3. ^ Merv, the Queen of the World, Charles Marvin, page 402
  4. ^ Merv, the Queen of the World, Charles Marvin, page 402
  5. ^ Russian Central Asia, 1867-1917, Richard A. Pierce page 42, 1960
  6. ^ Turkmenistan, MaryLee Knowlton, page 30, 2005
  7. ^ Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, Tony Jaques, page 389, 2007
  8. ^ Asian History Module-based Learning, Ongsotto, et al., page180, 2002
  9. ^ Russian Central Asia, 1867-1917, Richard A. Pierce page 42, 1960
  10. ^ Turkmenistan, MaryLee Knowlton, page 30, 2005
  11. ^ Turkmenistan, MaryLee Knowlton, page 30, 2005

Further reading