Surrender of Chotyn, 23 May 1769
Mustafa Pasha prepared his Army to face the Russians in Chotyn. If successful, the Ottoman Army had defeated their first Army and there would be no further threat from Podolia. Ideally for Mustafa Pasha was to take the Polish-Lithuanian fortress town of Kamieniec Podolski in the Ukraine. This way, the Russians would be prevented from attacking Moldova again from the North and the only possibility is to attack from the East in which their rears would not be secure against Crimean Tatar raids. However, Mustafa Pasha had sent out and advanced towards Chotyn to catch the Russian Army unprepared. His numbers were not enough to surround the Russians but still enough to conflict heavy casualties on the Russian Forces in disarray. When Hadzi Mustafa Pasha arrived in Chotyn he realised that the Russians had crossed most of their forces already but were not finished yet. In two hours of time, Hadzi Mustafa Pasha had placed the Artillery on the right position above the hilltop overseeing Chotyn. Mustafa Pasha ordered his Aga’s to bomb the bridges built by the Russians so the Russians could not flee nor could the Russians from the other side support their trapped men in town. As soon as the Artillery of the Ottoman Army fired, the Russians starter to hasten to flee to the other side. Mustafa Pasha needed only an hour to finish the battle only to inflict 1,500 casualties of which 1,200 were captives and 300 died. The results were however not what he desired. By nightfall, the town of Chotyn was retaken and the Russians had retreated from Moldova for Kiev. The whole Moldova campaign had failed thus far and was turning into a disaster if there would not be any success. The last success for the Russians to have is the forces that are active in the Crimea. If Galati is relieved from the Ottomans then the Ottomans will not stay in Moldova and retreat back over the Danube. But it was critical. Any mistake will turn the campaign in a disaster in which Peter III reign might even end. Peter just needs the Army in Kiev to restore in full strength and in it will take the task of the Army of the Crimea.
Battle of Bender, 16 August 1769
Peter III had been residing in Kiev since the start of the war with the Polish and the Ottomans. In order to control the situation much better, Peter wanted to give orders closely without wasting much time. His first order was to move the 30,000 men to enforce the occupation of Bessarabia, cut the land connection between the Crimea and the Ottoman Forces in Moldova and to relieve Galati. Peter had sent his Army in Kiev back to the Crime to occupy key fortifications in which the Tatars can not aid the Ottomans. As soon as the Russians head out, the Ottoman Fleet in the Black Sea had been informed about Russians crossing the Dnipro River towards the West. For the Ottoman Navy, this meant the Russians could attack Kinburn or Ozi fortifications in which the Navy can and had to assist the local Garrison. As it did not make the Commander of the Navy any sense he also sent a messenger to the Grand Vizier who’s still besieging the fortress of Galati. As soon as the Grand Vizier heard the message he immediately sent Hadzi Mustafa Pasha to confront the Russians in Bessarabia. The Russians would likely try to cross the Dniester River from Bender. In order to support Hadzi Mustafa Pasha he sent out 15,000 Janissaries, personally recruited by Hadzi Mustafa Pasha, under the command of Hasan Pasha as reinforcements. Hadzi Mustafa Pasha had been remaining in Iasi for quite some time to await orders and they came. The Grand Vizier wrote:
The Russians have been observed moving West. They are likely to come towards Galati. Halt them by any means. You will get additional support under the command of Cerkez Hasan Pasha.
Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha
As soon as Hadzi Mustafa Pasha heard the message he advanced quickly towards Bender. And in three days Hadzi Mustafa had reached the outskirt of Bender while at the same time Hasan Pasha arrived as well. Mustafa Pasha ordered Hasan Pasha to remain outside of the towns sight and await orders given. The Russians still need to cross the river in order to beat them entirely. The Russians had arrived by morning and the Russians did not waste time to rest and immediately crossed the river to the town. A few attempts to loot the houses were prevented as the Commanders of the Russian Forces wanted strictest discipline to face the Grand Viziers Army. As soon as the Russian had entirely crossed the Dniester, Mustafa Pasha ordered his Artillery Corps to bomb the Russians. The Russians thinking the Ottomans were attacking prepared to engage. Mustafa Pasha ordered his Infantry to hold the line as long as possible and not to pursue the fleeing Russians if they even flee. The Russians this case were not attempting to flee over the river. This time the Russians were eager to fight. And as far as Mustafa Pasha was concerned, this was the first time of the new Army to fight in open battle. His 18,000 Infantry is ready to fight the Russians 24,000 Russian Infantry advancing on them. Courageous, the Russians showed no fear while advancing on the Ottoman lines. After walking the “Way through Hell” the Russians finally reached the Ottoman lines in which the Ottomans held steadily. The Russian attempt was to put as much as pressure on the centre as possible in which they could not support their left flank where the Russian Dragoons and Regular Cavalry would finish off with the left flank and force a retreat. In the first few hours the Russians put the pressure they wanted and got the same reaction they expected. However the left flank did not show the breach they expected and the Ottoman Cavalry showed up and faced the Russian Cavalry. After four hours the Russians got tired and retreated back to Bender in which they would prepare a second assault. However, Mustafa Pasha had sent a message to Hasan Pasha to move the Janissaries in town while the battle ensued. When the Russians retreated they would face the Janissaries in town and be surrounded. And the order was followed. Hasan Pasha ordered an assault on the retreating Russians while Mustafa Pasha ordered an assault as well. The Russians, knowing what was awaiting decided to fight as much as possible as long as possible. The second battle continued as long as the late afternoon in which the Russians had suffered enough casualties in which they routed back to the river. Before the battle the Russians had 30,000 men and 2,000 Cossacks and 2,000 Georgians. By the end of the Battle, the Russians lost around 17,000 men of which 13,000 were killed and 4,000 captives. The Ottomans lost around 6,000 men. High enough for Mustafa Pasha to be paralyzed for further campaigns until the summer of 1770. The Russians may have lost but they succeeded to paralyze the Ottomans. A net positive yet too small to be considered at the time. The victory did not only secure the Siege of Galati but also endangered Peter III reign which put Russia in a state of chaos between 1769 and 1771. The victory at Bender was also heard by Orlov who fled Constantinople on a Greek Ship for Vienna and attempted to return to Russia.
Crisis in St. Petersburg, 1770
As soon as the news of the Russian defeat in Moldova was heard in the streets of Kiev the people of St. Petersburg got uneasy. Peter III had left Kiev after hearing the disaster in Bender in order to secure his throne from anyone who threatened it. The successes in Poland and Belarus were quickly forgotten by the Russians. As soon as the news of the high cost of bread was rising, a riot followed. The Russians in the city took to the streets against Peter III. At the start it was merely about the hunger. But the longer it took the more angrier the population became. The last news of the Crimean Tatars sacking and burning a village near Kharkov came was the last straw. The people marched through the streets again but this time attacking anything what in their eyes was related to Peter III government. Peter III ordered the Imperial Guard to put down the riot. When the riot was still not over after four hours and Peter III heard that some members of the Imperial Guards were deserting to the Rioters he ordered the Navy to bomb the town. As his order came, the Navy did not hesitate and the Navy bombed anything in reach of their guns. By nightfall the riot was over and the Imperial Guards had secured the town. The Bread prices were kept low with government supported investments. Peter III secured his throne but feared that he might lose his throne if a second time happens. There needs to be some wonder for him. Anything.
Rioters in St. Petersburg, 1770
