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Azov Campaigns
Date April 21, 1637 – April 30, 1642 Location Azov, Black Sea Result Cossack defensive victory
Belligerents
Don Cossacks Zaporozhian Cossacks	Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate Nogai Horde
Commanders and leaders
Ivan Katorzhnyi Mikhail Tatarinov Naum Vasiliev Osip Petrov Yasaul F. Poroshin Pavlo Pavliuk Ivan Sirko	Hüseyin Pasha (DOW) Hussein Deli (DOW) Bahadır I Giray (DOW)
Strength
1637: 4,500 4 light cannons 1641: 5,300–5,500 300 guns	1637: 4,000 200 guns 1641: 100,000–150,000 150 siege guns 32 mortars
Casualties and losses
1637: 1,000 killed 1641: 2,650–2,750 killed	1637: Entire force killed or captured All guns captured 1641: 26,000–100,000 killed or wounded
All civilians killed or enslaved

The Azov Campaigns or Azov Crisis was a series of conflicts over control of Azov fortress between Don-Zaporozhian Cossacks and Ottoman-Crimean-Nogai forces in 1637–1642.

Prelude

4,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks and 3,000 Don Cossacks unexpectedly met each other as they were moving through Crimean and Nogai steppes. Zaporozhian leader Pavlo Pavliuk and Don leader Mikhail Tatarinov decided to change their respective plans, instead planning a joint campaign on the Ottoman fortress of Azov. They viewed this as a brilliant idea where they could get plenty of loot and possession of their own city.

Campaigns

Capture of Azov 1637

On April 21, Cossacks besieged the Azov fortress. The fortress was defended by 4,000 Ottoman Janissaries who had 200 guns at their disposal. Janissaries attempted to deter the Cossacks by firing at them, the Cossacks dug under the city and placed explosives under the city walls.

On June 18, the explosives were activated and the city walls were breached, killing many Ottoman Janissaries and civilians in process. After some fighting, the Janissaries retreated to the castle. Cossacks only had 4 light cannons at their disposal which couldn't do serious damage to the castle's walls, but this was enough to put psychological pressure on besieged Janissaries, who eventually surrendered.

After the capture, Cossacks looted the city and massacred Ottoman civilians, enslaving survivors. Cossacks freed Rus' captives and allowed Greeks to return to the city. Don Cossacks remained in the city, while Zaporozhian Cossacks returned with loot and captives.

After the news of Cossacks capturing Azov spread, Tsar Alexis attempted to distance himself from the actions of Cossacks. He wrote to Sultan Murad IV:

And you, my brother, do not be angry and offended at us because the Cossacks killed your ambassadors and took Azak. They did this against our will and on their own. We will never stand behind such thieves, and if you destroy those thieves in an hour, we will not be able to do it for them. We do not want to fight. We desire to have close relations of brotherhood and friendship with you, the statesman.

Sporadic Clashes 1638-1640

The capture of Azov by Cossacks severally undermined the ability of Crimean-Nogai Tatars to continue their raids. Merchants were coming to Azov and opened shops there. Garrison of the city consisted of 4,000 Don Cossacks and 700 Zaporozhian Cossacks during that time. Tatars sporadically clashed with Cossacks over control of Azov.

Ottomans were too busy with their war with Iran to be able to organise a large force for recapture of Azov. In 1639, Ottomans finished their war and Sultan Murad IV was organising an army to recapture Azov. However, Sultan died in 1940 and was replaced by Sultan Ibrahim who could only start the campaign for recapture of the city next year.

Ottoman Campaign 1641

On May 1641, Sultan Ibrahim sent 100,000–150,000 troops for recapture of Azov, while garrison of the city during that time consisted of 5,500 Cossacks.

On July, Turkish-Tatar army besieged Azov and shelled it from their guns. Turkish-Tatar troops managed to capture the earthen forts, but the Cossacks retreated to stone fortress where they repelled 24 Turkish-Tatar attacks.

As the autumn approached and sea froze in winter, Turkish-Tatar army begun to suffer from shortage of supplies. Rumours spread that Tsar Alexis sent a large army to assist the besieged Cossacks.

On September 26, Turkish-Tatar army lifted the siege and withdrew. Turkish-Tatar army lost over 1/3 or even 2/3 of their army during the campaign. Hüseyin Pasha, Hussein Deli and Khan Bahadır I Giray died from wounds or illnesses on the way back. The failure to capture Azov made Sultan Ibrahim angry, he ordered the surviving commanders to be executed when they arrived to Istanbul.

Delegation to Tsar

On October 1641, the delegation of 24 Cossack figures, lead by Don ataman Naum Vasilyev and Yasaul Fyodor Poroshin arrived to Moscow. They requested Tsar to put Azov under his protection and station his troops there due to heavy Cossack losses, saying:

His Majesty the Tsar extend a helping hand to them and take Azak under the wings of his benevolence.

On January 3, 1642, after Tsar discussed this issue with his boyars, they concluded that trying occupy Azov would be too costly and they wanted to avoid a war with Ottoman Empire. However, Tsar didn't want to directly say to Cossacks that he refused to place Azov under his protection so he sent a delegator Yarlik for inform Don ataman.

On April 30, 1642, Yarlik arrived to Azov to inform the Don ataman about the Tsar's decision. Yarlik told him:

You, the ataman and the Cossacks, Azak doesn't belong to anyone. We not only refuse to take it under our protection, but we also advise you to leave the city and return to your villages.

Cossacks were left with no choice but to abandon the fortress, taking everything of value out of it and demolishing it.

Aftermath

Cossack captured Azov fortress in 1637 and repelled all Turkish-Tatar attacks that took place in 1638–1641, inflicting heavy losses on the Turkish-Tatar army. Cossacks abandoned the fortress and demolished it in 1642. Ottomans only reoccupied Azov in September 1642. Rebuilding the fortress took 7 months combined with further fortifications.

References

1. ^ "АЗОВСКОЕ СИДЕНИЕ 1641". russiahistory.ru. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
2. ^ Sobchenko Ivan Sergeevich (2020). Kosh Otaman of Zaporozhian Sich I.D. Sirko (In Russian). Moscow: Ваш формат. p. 21.
3. ^ Brian Davies (2007). Warfare, State and Society on the Black Sea Steppe, 1500-1700. Routledge. p. 90. ISBN 0415239869.
4. ^ "«Азовское сидение»". studwork.ru. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
5. ^ A. B. Şirokorad (2009). Osmanli - Rus Savaslari. Selenge. p. 57. ISBN 9789758839636.
6. ^ Brian Davies (2007). Warfare, State and Society on the Black Sea Steppe, 1500-1700. Routledge. p. 89. ISBN 0415239869.
7. A. B. Şirokorad (2009). Osmanli - Rus Savaslari. Selenge. p. 57-58. ISBN 9789758839636.
8. ^ A. B. Şirokorad (2009). Osmanli - Rus Savaslari. Selenge. p. 58. ISBN 9789758839636.
9. ^ A. B. Şirokorad (2009). Osmanli - Rus Savaslari. Selenge. p. 59. ISBN 9789758839636.

• 1637 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1637
• 1638 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1638
• 1639 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1639
• 1640 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1640
• 1641 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1641
• 1642 in Europe
• Conflicts in 1642
• Battles involving the Crimean Khanate
• Battles involving the Ottoman Empire
• Military history of Zaporizhzhia
• Military history of Ukraine