Russo-Turkish War (1568–1570)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Russo-Turkish War (1568–1570)
partof=the Russo-Turkish Wars


caption=
date= 1568–1570
place=Astrakhan and Azov
result=Russian victory
territory=Treaty of Constantinople
combatant1=flagicon|Russia Russia
combatant2=flagicon|Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
commander1= Prince Serebianov
commander2=Sokollu Mehmet Paşa
Devlet I Giray khan
Kasim Paşa
strength1=15,000 men
strength2=2000 spakh
15,000 janissary
few thousand irregular
50,000 tatar
casualties1=
casualties2=The Russo–Turkish War (1568–1570) a war between the Russian and Ottoman Empires. The casus belli was the Astrakhan Khanate

In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, who had a new fortress built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga.
In 1568 Selim initiated the first encounter between the Ottoman Empire and her future northern rival. The results presaged the many disasters to come. A plan to unite the Volga and Don by a canal was detailed in Constantinople and in the summer of 1569 a large force under Kasim Paşa of 15 000 Janissaries, 2000 Spakhs, and few thousand Azaps, and Akıncıs, were sent to lay siege to Astrakhan and begin the canal works, while an Ottoman fleet besieged Azov.

But a sortie of the garrison under Knyaz Serebianov, the military governor of Astrakhan drove back the besiegers; a Russian relief army of 15,000 attacked and scattered the workmen and the Tatar force (50,000 men) sent for their protection; and finally, the Ottoman fleet was destroyed by a storm.

Early in 1570, the ambassadors of Ivan IV of Russia concluded at Istanbul a treaty which restored friendly relations between the Sultan and the Tsar.

References

* Attila Weiszhár and Balázs Weiszhár: Lexicon of Wars, Atheneaum publisher, Budapest 2004.