This is more or less continuation of the subject started in "Not too Great Norther War".
What if Peter (with a little bit more consistent way of thinking than in OTL) refuses to join Danish, Saxon coalition and keeps concentrating upon conquest of the Black Sea coast?
He already has the wharves in Voronez, port of Azov on Azov Sea, a considerable (by the numbers if not by quality of the ships) modern fleet of Azov and a right of navigation on the Black Sea (which allows, among other things, to train the crews of his fleet).
This is 1700 and he is at peace with the Ottomans. Taking into an account that Crimean Khanate always providing suitable provocations, war can be declared at the time of his (Peter's) choosing. However, all the way until 1716 he will be acting alone (1716 - 18 Austro - Ottoman War) so we have to assume that, unlike his OTL approach to the wars, he will use few years for training and shaping his army based on the existing considerable (if not quite good) experience of the earlier conflicts with the Ottomans and Crimea. Let's say, 4 - 5 years to be on a safe side.
Unlike the OTL Russian-Ottoman wars of the XVIII century prior to the war of 1787 - 92, he has an existing navy to back up his land operations.
To minimize the problems plaguing earlier Golitsin's campaigns against Khanate and his own Azov campaigns, the field army is made more mobile by cutting baggage train to a necessary minimum. It also trained to attack in the square infantry formations (instead of waiting passively for the Ottoman or Tatar attack), the regular cavalry is strengthened by adding few cuirassier regiments (the bigger horses are bought in Germany and local breeding starts) the irregular cavalry includes the Cossacks of Don.
The 1st part of the war is going to be mostly against the Khanate. The campaign is going to start early spring when the Tatar horses are weakened.
The main army (approximately 30,000 regular troops and few thousands of the Ukrainian and Don Cossacks) will march across the steppe to launch a direct attack on Perekop defenses ("Armiansk" on the map). March should take less than a month.
The auxiliary corps (approximately 10,000 regular troops) will cross a tiny water space on the entry into Syvash (a large system of shallow salty lagoons) on the East ("Henichesk" on the map) and march along the narrow Arabat Split to end up close to Caffa (Feodosia) and Kerch.
The fleet of Azov has to secure advance of the auxiliary corps and help with capture of both these cities. With the Sea of Azov being secured, supply of the Russian troops could be conducted through Kerch.
In a meantime the loyal Kalmuks are going to be used against the Nogai Horde (nominally subject to the Crimean Khanate) on the Russian left flank.
Fortifications of Perekop consisted of a massive earthwork 8km long and a dry moat. A bridge over the moat was protected by a stone fort. The garrison consisted of 3,000 Ottoman Janissary and unknown number of the Crimean Tatars (very few firearms).
Campaign started in mid-April. Advance corps of the main army reached the fortifications on May 19, defeating in a process attacks of the Crimean cavalry. The main force followed and on May 21 attack started and within a single hour fortifications had been taken. The resisting parts of the garrison were completely exterminated and the rest capitulated with a right of a free passage. Advancing Russian troops captured Yevpatoria (with a lot of supplies) and Bakhchisarai, capital of the Khanate. Then the smaller detachments established control over various parts of the Southern coast (the main inhabitable area of the peninsula).
With the conquest part being completed and all ports (to prevent possible Ottoman landing) occupied and supported by the fleet of Azov, half of the Russian force was withdrawn to be available for the next stage of campaign.
With a reasonably reliable supply by the sea and not excessively big number of the occupying troops, chances for them leaving due to the food shortages were not good and Khan sued for peace and acknowledged Peter as his sovereign. A new naval base for the growing fleet of Azov (now renamed into the Black Sea fleet) had been chosen in a place called Akhtiar (White Cliff) with the earthworks immediately erected along the harbor and Russian troops placed there. Upon visiting the site Peter ordered to start construction of the full-scale fortress and renamed the place ....
A "trifle" was left: to force the Ottomans to agree.
What if Peter (with a little bit more consistent way of thinking than in OTL) refuses to join Danish, Saxon coalition and keeps concentrating upon conquest of the Black Sea coast?
He already has the wharves in Voronez, port of Azov on Azov Sea, a considerable (by the numbers if not by quality of the ships) modern fleet of Azov and a right of navigation on the Black Sea (which allows, among other things, to train the crews of his fleet).
This is 1700 and he is at peace with the Ottomans. Taking into an account that Crimean Khanate always providing suitable provocations, war can be declared at the time of his (Peter's) choosing. However, all the way until 1716 he will be acting alone (1716 - 18 Austro - Ottoman War) so we have to assume that, unlike his OTL approach to the wars, he will use few years for training and shaping his army based on the existing considerable (if not quite good) experience of the earlier conflicts with the Ottomans and Crimea. Let's say, 4 - 5 years to be on a safe side.
Unlike the OTL Russian-Ottoman wars of the XVIII century prior to the war of 1787 - 92, he has an existing navy to back up his land operations.
To minimize the problems plaguing earlier Golitsin's campaigns against Khanate and his own Azov campaigns, the field army is made more mobile by cutting baggage train to a necessary minimum. It also trained to attack in the square infantry formations (instead of waiting passively for the Ottoman or Tatar attack), the regular cavalry is strengthened by adding few cuirassier regiments (the bigger horses are bought in Germany and local breeding starts) the irregular cavalry includes the Cossacks of Don.
The 1st part of the war is going to be mostly against the Khanate. The campaign is going to start early spring when the Tatar horses are weakened.
The main army (approximately 30,000 regular troops and few thousands of the Ukrainian and Don Cossacks) will march across the steppe to launch a direct attack on Perekop defenses ("Armiansk" on the map). March should take less than a month.
The auxiliary corps (approximately 10,000 regular troops) will cross a tiny water space on the entry into Syvash (a large system of shallow salty lagoons) on the East ("Henichesk" on the map) and march along the narrow Arabat Split to end up close to Caffa (Feodosia) and Kerch.
The fleet of Azov has to secure advance of the auxiliary corps and help with capture of both these cities. With the Sea of Azov being secured, supply of the Russian troops could be conducted through Kerch.
In a meantime the loyal Kalmuks are going to be used against the Nogai Horde (nominally subject to the Crimean Khanate) on the Russian left flank.
Fortifications of Perekop consisted of a massive earthwork 8km long and a dry moat. A bridge over the moat was protected by a stone fort. The garrison consisted of 3,000 Ottoman Janissary and unknown number of the Crimean Tatars (very few firearms).
Campaign started in mid-April. Advance corps of the main army reached the fortifications on May 19, defeating in a process attacks of the Crimean cavalry. The main force followed and on May 21 attack started and within a single hour fortifications had been taken. The resisting parts of the garrison were completely exterminated and the rest capitulated with a right of a free passage. Advancing Russian troops captured Yevpatoria (with a lot of supplies) and Bakhchisarai, capital of the Khanate. Then the smaller detachments established control over various parts of the Southern coast (the main inhabitable area of the peninsula).
With the conquest part being completed and all ports (to prevent possible Ottoman landing) occupied and supported by the fleet of Azov, half of the Russian force was withdrawn to be available for the next stage of campaign.
With a reasonably reliable supply by the sea and not excessively big number of the occupying troops, chances for them leaving due to the food shortages were not good and Khan sued for peace and acknowledged Peter as his sovereign. A new naval base for the growing fleet of Azov (now renamed into the Black Sea fleet) had been chosen in a place called Akhtiar (White Cliff) with the earthworks immediately erected along the harbor and Russian troops placed there. Upon visiting the site Peter ordered to start construction of the full-scale fortress and renamed the place ....
A "trifle" was left: to force the Ottomans to agree.
