The Battle of Sarikamis, sometimes spelled Sarikamish, was a decisive Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Caucasus region during World War I.
Background
Russia viewed the Caucasus Front as secondary to the Eastern Front where most of their manpower and resources had been concentrated up to this point. However since Russia had taken the fortress of Kars from the Turks during the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, Russia feared a Turkish invasion into the Caucasus aimed at retaking Kars and the port of Batum. In fact the major Turkish war aim against Russia was indeed to recapture both Kars and Batum.
Forces
Turkish War Minister Enver Pasha mobilized the Turkish Third Army numbering about 95,000 with himself personally in command. However by the time the Third Army reached the Russians strength was reduced to roughly 80,000 due to frostbite and desertion. The Russian Caucasus Army, commanded by General Myshlayevski, numbered around 100,000 troops and the Turkish offensive found the Russians pulling troops from this front to reinforce the Eastern Front. However, left in the field was, General Nikolai Yudenich to Caucasus Chief-of-Staff, who was to become one of Russias most successful commanders during the war. Yudenich was in command of about 60,000 troops defending Sarikamis.
The Battle
In mid December, Enver entered the Caucasus region through Armenia in apalling winter conditions. Enver hoped to draw the Russians from their base at Kars, into the frozen wastelands, where they could destroy the Russian army. Myshlayevski planned to do the opposite and withdraw his forces closer to Kars. General Yudenich ignored Myshlayevski's wishes to withdraw and instead stayed to defend Sarikamis. With his forces reduced, Enver still outnumbered the Russian garrison and attacked on December 29. Enver failed to break the defense of the city and in the following days, Yudenich routed the Turks so badly that the Turks were in retreat for 14 miles and lost 77,000 men by the time the battle ended, January 4.
Results
Very few Turks actually made it back to their base at Erzurum. The Turks took Tabriz on January 8 but lost it by the end of the month and the Turkish offensive ended. Enver Pasha relinquished field command to General Abdul Kerim and Nikolai Yudenich was appointed commander of the Russian Caucasus Army and launched an offensive of his own in the summer of 1915.
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