The trouble happened on September 17, 1788. Austria has been at war with Turkey for a year now for control of the southeastern part of Europe. The army, led by Emperor Joseph II himself, approached the city of Caransebes, located on the territory of modern Romania. In the evening, a detachment of hussars, moving in the vanguard, crossed the Timish River, but instead of the alleged Ottoman camp, they found a gypsy camp. The gypsies had a lot of schnapps, and the hussars went wild.
Soon panic seized the entire army. The Austrian army consisted of representatives of different nations who did not understand each other well. There were Germans, Romanians, Slavs, Italians and many others. German officers tried to stop their fleeing army by shouting "Halt! Halt!". But it seemed to the foreign-speaking soldiers that the Turks were shouting: "Allah! Allah!", and the panic intensified. One of the artillery officers saw the cavalry running away from a non-existent enemy, took it for the Ottoman cavalry and ordered to shoot with grapeshot ... When the officers managed to restore order, it was already completely dark, and it became completely impossible to distinguish the Turks from the Austrians. The army took the fight and fought valiantly against itself until it put itself to flight.
In the general confusion, Austria almost lost its emperor, who fell off his horse into a ditch and miraculously survived. Two days later, the Ottoman army approached Karansebes and found the battlefield strewn with the bodies of Austrian soldiers. The losses of the Austrians amounted to about 10 thousand people.
Austria-Hungary 1618-1913
Part XII
War of Joseph II against Turkey 1788-90
For this war, also undertaken in conjunction with Russia, the most impressive armies were mobilized by the Austrian side that the Habsburg Monarchy had ever fielded. At the outbreak of hostilities, 264,000 men were in line near the border. The results did not match this huge force, especially since Turkey divided its forces and sent more than half of its forces against the Russians. The Austrians captured Belgrade and the Austrians and Russians fought and won battles together at Focsani and Martinesti on August 1 and September 22, 1789. These cases cost the victors comparatively little losses. In addition, due to the separation of forces, the war consisted mainly of minor skirmishes and sieges, the results of which were not always favorable for Austrian weapons, and often caused relatively high losses. However, the total losses of the Austrian armies barely reached 10,000, in contrast to the number of deaths from disease, which, as in the previous war, should have been high.
Adapted from Bodart Gaston Losses of life in modern wars - Oxford: at the claredon press, London, 1916
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The Austro-Turkish war of 1788-1790 was the last in a series of Austro-Turkish wars of the 16th-18th centuries. Austria intervened in the ongoing Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791, as it had obligations to Russia under the union treaty of 1781. In January 1788, Austria entered the war. Huge Austrian forces were supposed to cover the Austro-Turkish border, only the army of the Prince of Saxe-Coburg was to operate in the Principality of Moldova, along the Prut River, and take the fortress of Khotyn. July 2, 1788 Khotyn was besieged by the Austrian army (15,000 people). The Turks tried to unblock Khotyn from the outside, but the Russian Ukrainian army prevented the Turkish breakthrough. On September 19, 1788, the 7,000-strong Turkish garrison surrendered Khotyn. In 1789, the Austrians were to operate with the main forces in Serbia, while a separate army remained in Wallachia to communicate with the Russians. On August 1, 1789, the Austro-Russian army (17,000 Austrians and 6,000 Russians) under the command of Suvorov attacked and defeated the Turkish army (30,000 people) at Focsani, 45 kilometers northwest of Galati, Romania. The Allies lost 300 people killed and wounded (of which 200 were Austrians), the Turks - 1,100 people, 10 guns. The Turks decided to strike at a small Austro-Russian army, but on September 22, 1789, near Martinesti, 54 kilometers northwest of Brailov, 17,000 Austrians and 10,000 Russians attacked 100,000 Turks dispersed over several camps. The Allies lost 600 men, the Turks 5,000 men. This victory thwarted all offensive plans of the Turks. Meanwhile, the Austrians occupied Bucharest, 13 thousand Austrians on September 12, 1789 besieged Belgrade, which fell on October 8 of the same year. The siege cost the Austrians 900 men. In November 1789, the Austrians occupied Craiova. In the campaign of 1790, the Austrian troops acted against the Turkish fortresses on the Danube. In the spring of 1790, the Austrians captured Orsovo, laid siege to Zhurzha (Zhurzhovo), but the sortie of the Turks on June 18, 1790 forced the Austrians to lift the siege. On June 27, 1790, at Kalefat, 7,000 Austrians defeated an equal force of the Turks, losing 100 people. The Turks lost 2,000 people. By the middle of 1790, the war was going well for Austria, but at that moment Austria entered into separate negotiations with Turkey under the influence of Great Britain and Prussia, who were interested in Austria as an anti-French force. Russian troops left Wallachia (Romania) and retreated across the Seret River. On August 4, 1791, a peace treaty was signed between Austria and Turkey in Sistovo (Bulgaria). Austria returned to the Turks all the gains of this war, except for Khotyn, which was returned to the Turks after the end of the Russian-Turkish war.
Sources:
Soviet Historical Encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - Soviet Encyclopedia, Moscow 1961-1974
Shirokorad A.B. Russian-Turkish wars 1676-1918. - Harvest, Minsk, 2000
Militar-historisches Kriegslexikon (1618-1905), Herausgegeben von G. Bodart, Wien und Leipzig, 1908
NASA employees accidentally erased all the tapes of the landing of people on the moon. Therefore, the original records of this event have not been preserved.
Every time you do something stupid, remember that even the greats of this world have made mistakes. See for yourself:
NASA employees accidentally erased all the tapes of the landing of people on the moon. Therefore, the original records of this event have not been preserved.
It took a whopping 117 years to build the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and only 10 years for it to begin to lean.
The Titanic was considered unsinkable, so there were few lifeboats on board.
18. The Persians returned to Genghis Khan only the head of his ambassador, thereby incurring the wrath of Mongolia.
17. In fact, Australia was discovered by the Dutch 100 years before the British. However, the Dutch ignored this discovery, considering Australia a useless wasteland.
16. Russia sold Alaska to the United States for 2 cents per acre (0.4 hectares), considering it worthless tundra.
15. The Inca ruler Atahualpa, knowing that the Spaniards had weapons, friendly accepted the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, for which 80 thousand unarmed Inca warriors and the ruler himself paid the price.
The largest airship, the Hindenburg airship, was filled with hydrogen, which caused it to explode and kill 36 people.
In the 14th century, China abandoned its navy and adopted a policy of isolationism. But he, perhaps, could become much more influential than any European power.
Archduke Frans Ferdinand's driver made a fatal wrong turn that brought the heir to the throne right at the feet of his murderer Gavrila Princip, and the whole world - to the First World War.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor when there was not a single American aircraft carrier in the port.
A structural defect caused the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the consequences of which are felt to this day.
Twelve book publishers have refused to publish the Harry Potter novel.
On his deathbed, Alexander the Great refused to name his heir. This led to the fall of the empire he created.
Perhaps the biggest loss of ancient knowledge was the burning of the Library of Alexandria, the culprit of which was never found.
A group of conspirators were sure that by killing Caesar, they would thereby save the republic from his imperious dictatorship. However, they did not assume that by doing so they would unleash a civil war and elevate his heir to the throne.
In 1788, the Austrian army attacked their randomly separated regiments and lost 10,000 men.
He wears a 1798 pattern uniform and a five-inch-long, four-bund hairdo.
Helmets gradually fell out of use from 1806, mainly due to high cost and considerable weight; besides, they could not be worn with head wounds.
1. Cooking pot model 1807 with a special lid that was used as a frying pan.
2. Model 1798 5/4 lot musket, developed on the basis of the French model 1777 musket. In use for over 10 years, it fired bullets weighing 21.5 grams, and its copper headset was much easier to clean.
3. Rifle lock model 1798. Galician flint (Podolische Feuersteine) was best suited for heavier locks.
The flint was enclosed in a lead case, which made it easier to replace it in battle (leather cases were abandoned).
In case of misfires, the flint could be "sharpened" by sharpening its edge with improvised means.
The flint held about 25 shots, while a good one held all 50. The charging boxes held 5,000 flints in small casks or 19,000 in powder kegs.
The empty barrels were used as targets when shooting at a target. Throughout the Revolutionary Wars, Austria used 50 million flints.
4. Musket model 1807 - a copy of the musket model 1798, except that it was made of plain wood with an iron headset.
5. Officer's pistol model 1809 with a smaller version of the lock model 1798, made of walnut wood.
6. Cartridge caliber 5/4 lot sample 1798
7. Training cartridge caliber 5 4 lots.
8. Made from the metal of a captured cannon, the Cannon Cross (Kannonkreuz) of 1814 was the first general service medal. The recipients could put their names on the reverse side.
9. Hungarian boots and German shoes. I am supposed to take care of shoes daily to increase the period of wear: thick leather was smeared with wax to prevent water from penetrating inside.
10. Cartridge bag sample 1798 on a 10 cm wide bandolier. Each soldier was supplied with three or four spare flints, which were worn in a small leather pouch under the cover of the pouch.
The infantryman carried 60 rounds; another 40 rounds per person were in the emergency reserve.
11. Metal flask for water sample 1773 on a white leather strap.
12. Rifle lock sample 1798 (in section).
In 1788, the Austrian emperor Joseph II decided to liberate the Balkans from the Turkish yoke - an intention worthy of a Christian, but based, of course, not on pious intentions, but on the desire to extend Austrian influence to the so-called "underbelly of Europe". Having gathered a huge army, the Austrians crossed the border.
After marches, transitions, large and small skirmishes with varying success, both sides prepared for the decisive battle. Unfortunately, there are no reliable sources about the Battle of Caransebes. The first detailed record of this battle was published only 59 years later. And here's what she said...
On a moonless night on September 19, 100,000 Austrians were moving closer to the 70,000th Turkish army in order to fight, which was to determine the fate of the war.
A company of hussars, marching at the forefront of the Austrians, crossed the small river Temesh, near the town of Karansebes, but there were no Turkish troops on the shore - they had not yet approached. However, the hussars saw a gypsy camp. Pleased with the opportunity to earn extra money, the gypsies offered the hussars to refresh themselves after the crossing - for money, of course. For a few coins, the cavalry bought a barrel of alcohol from the gypsies and began to quench their thirst.
In the meantime, several infantry companies crossed in the same place, which didn’t get alcohol, but they wanted to drink ... A squabble began between the hussars and infantrymen, during which one cavalryman either accidentally or out of anger shot a soldier. He collapsed, after which a general dump began. All the hussars and all the foot soldiers who were nearby intervened in the fight.
And the drunken hussars, and the infantry languishing with thirst, heated up by the massacre, did not want to yield. Finally, one of the sides took over - the defeated shamefully fled to their shore, pursued by a jubilant enemy. Who was broken? - history is silent, more precisely, the information is contradictory. It is quite possible that in some places the hussars won, and in others the foot soldiers. Be that as it may, the troops approaching the crossing suddenly saw frightened fleeing soldiers and hussars, crumpled, bruised, covered in blood ... The victorious cries of the pursuers were heard behind.
Meanwhile, the hussar colonel, trying to stop his fighters, yelled in German: “Halt! Halt!” Since there were many Hungarians, Slovaks, Lombards and others who did not understand German well in the ranks of the Austrian army, some soldiers heard - “Allah! Allah!", after which the panic became general. During the general bustle and noise, several hundred cavalry horses that were in the corral broke out from behind the fence. So it happened late at night, everyone decided that the Turkish cavalry had broken into the army. The commander of one corps, having heard the formidable noise of the "advancing cavalry", gave the order to the artillerymen to open fire. Shells exploded in the crowd of distraught soldiers. The officers who tried to organize resistance built their regiments and threw them into an attack on artillery, in full confidence that they were fighting the Turks. In the end, everyone fled.
The emperor, who did not understand anything, was also convinced that the Turkish army had attacked the camp, tried to take control of the situation, but the fleeing crowd threw him off his horse. The emperor's adjutant was trampled on. Joseph himself escaped by jumping into the river.
By morning everything was quiet. The whole space was littered with guns, dead horses, saddles, provisions, broken ammunition boxes and overturned cannons - in a word, everything that a utterly defeated army throws. On the field of the strangest battle in the history of mankind, 10 thousand dead soldiers remained lying - that is, in terms of the number of dead, the battle is among the largest battles of mankind (in the famous battles of Hastings, Agincourt, Valmy, in the Valley of Abraham and many others, the death toll is much less). The Austrian army ceased to exist, as the survivors fled in horror.
Two days later, the Turkish army approached. The Turks looked with surprise at the piles of corpses, wandered among the wounded, groaning in delirium soldiers, puzzling over the question - what unknown enemy utterly defeated one of the most powerful armies in the world and saved Turkey from defeat. The Christian world failed to acquire the Balkans. Austria did not become the strongest state in Europe, could not stop the French Revolution, the world followed the path of France ...
So a small gypsy camp, which accidentally turned out to have a barrel of alcohol, determined the fate of mankind.
