Bulgarian Khatyn: Why the West did not dare to help the Bulgarians, and how Russia saved the people from the Bashibuzuk thugs

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

At the end of the 19th century, Bulgaria freed itself from the 500-year-old Turkish yoke and gained independence. The bloody Ottoman massacres of the Bulgarians, and with them other Slavs, aroused indignation among the Europeans. But only Russia found the courage to put an end to this oppression. And even though some modern historians put forward a version that the goal of the liberation of the Balkans is the further expansion of Russians into the region, all the same, the consequence of these actions had a positive effect on the entire region. Therefore, in Bulgaria, even a street appeared to the Tsar-Liberator.

Ruthless Bashi-bazouks and the Batak massacre

From the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire owned the Bulgarian land. At the same time, the rights and freedoms of local Christians were oppressed in every possible way, up to severe repression. This policy eventually led to massive uprisings in the 19th century against Turkish rule. One of the most tragic events of that period was the April Uprising of the Bulgarians in 1875-1876, during the suppression of which Turkey showed particular ruthlessness.

In the city of Batak, the rebels held the defense for several days, proclaiming their land free from the Ottoman yoke. On April 30, the settlement was surrounded by an 8,000-strong Turkish army and irregular detachments of Bashi-bazouks, known for their atrocities and cruelty. Every house and yard became hotbeds of fierce battles, but the forces were unequal. Hiding from the outrageous Bashi-bazouks, people locked themselves in the local Church of the Resurrection of Christ for several days, fighting off the enslavers.

But the Turks set fire to the church, deceiving and brutally killing the surviving women and children. According to information from various sources, the pro-Ottoman military killed up to 5 thousand local residents, most of whom were not directly involved in the uprising. The world was shaken by the events in the Balkans. The American press was full of articles about the outrageous politics of Istanbul. The atrocities of the Turks were condemned by authoritative politicians and artists of the 19th century. The well-known writers Oscar Wilde and Victor Hugo stood up for the ideological defense of the Bulgarians, the scientist Charles Darwin drew the attention of society to what had happened. However, the reaction of the West did not go beyond verbal protests.

Resonance in Russia and the bold decision of Emperor Alexander

Effective help to the Bulgarians came only from the Russian society. The harsh oppression in the Balkans was widely covered in the Russian press, and funds were collected in churches and public reception rooms to help the rebels and refugees. In addition, Russian volunteers were sent en masse to Bulgaria. Among them were doctors N. Sklifosovsky, S. Botkin, N. Pirogov, writers V. Gilyarovsky and V. Garshin. The son of the great Russian writer A. A. Pushkin also took part in the hostilities with the rank of commander of the hussar regiment.

For a while, Russia tried to get away from a direct war with Turkey, being not fully prepared for a conflict. At the end of 1876, the Istanbul conference was initiated between England, France, Turkey and Russia, where the latter demanded that Turkey recognize the autonomy of Bulgaria and Bosnia. However, the Turks demonstratively refused to support the proposals of the world community, and Emperor Alexander II declares war on the Ottomans.

Despite the fact that throughout the entire period the war was extremely difficult for the Russians, with the support of Bulgarian, Romanian and Serbian volunteers, Russia won. Bulgaria, part of Romania and Bosnia were freed from Turkish rule. The detachments of General Skobelev came close to Turkish Istanbul, capturing the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman army, Osman Pasha. In March 1878, the Russian and Ottoman Empires ended the war by signing a peace agreement. As a result, new independent countries appeared - Bulgaria, Montenegro, the borders of Serbia and Romania expanded.

Russian innovations interested the best European military experts

Russia was not fully prepared for war with Turkey, denouncing during the battles of 1877-1878. episodes of incompetence of the highest military command. Later, even the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was deservedly criticized. But at the same time, the war for the independence of the Bulgarians gave birth to a number of promising generals: Radetsky, Stoletov, Dragomirov, Gurko and, of course, Skobelev, who was admired by the western general Von Schlieffen, showed themselves brilliantly. The future Tsar Alexander III was marked by a brilliant strategic maneuver, which was highly appreciated by the German military leader Von Moltke. The Turks tried to defeat the army under the command of the heir to the throne, but he, without losses, attracted multiple Turkish units to himself with minimal forces, exposing other fronts and carrying out a successful offensive.

Thanks to a number of military innovations, some experts later called this war the first modern European war. The Russian-Turkish battles marked the beginning of the use for military purposes of telegraph communications, railways, the protective color of soldiers' uniforms (Skobelev's initiative, which is hardly perceived in familiar military circles), artillery preparation before attacks by infantry and cavalry. For the first time, a massive presence on the fronts of foreign military journalists and experts (Europeans, Americans, Japanese) was practiced.

During the liberation of the Balkans, the use of modern models of military equipment began: the Turks were armed with Peabody and Snyder rifles, the Russians - with Berdan rifles and new artillery. The German guns of the Ottomans Krup were longer-range than the Russians, but the artillery of the latter won in the number and level of training of the gunners.

Bulgarian monuments to Russian liberators

The victory in the Balkans had all the chances to fulfill the old Russian dream - the conquest of the Bosphorus Strait. But Alexander II did not risk another possible war with the European powers, which showed disagreement with the possible expansion of the Russians during the Berlin Congress. Therefore, the war won by Russia actually had only one outcome: the liberation of the oppressed peoples from Turkey and ensuring their independence. For this reason, in Sofia there is a monument to the Tsar - the Liberator and a street named after him, which retained their names even during the period of communism.

In many cities of the country there are mass graves of those who fought for the freedom of Bulgaria. Lavrov Park is replete with monuments and tombs of Russian guards regiments. However, today in Bulgaria there are supporters of the version that by his actions during the Russian-Turkish war, Alexander II did not seek to help the Bulgarians, but only provided himself with free access to the Bosphorus. However, even representatives of the Bulgarian national movements do not deny the fact that it was Russia that created the Bulgarian navy, army and constitution.

In general, Bulgaria is extremely rich in so-called. historical artifacts. On its territory were found 10 amazing finds that have repeatedly forced scientists to rewrite and supplement history.