Christmas battle on Sich (1674)
editThe Christmas battle on Sich (1674) was a failed attack on the Chortomlyk Sich by the Janissaries lead by Sultan Mehmed IV.Ultimately the Cossacks lead by Ivan Samoilovych would achieve victory.
| Christmas battle on Sich (1674) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Zaporozhian Cossacks |
 Ottoman Empire | ||||
 Crimean Khanate | |||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Ivan Samoilovych | Mehmet IV | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| Cossacks | Janissaries | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 50 died |
| ||||
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Background
edit15 thousand Ottoman Janissaries and 40 thousand Tatars approached Chortomlyk Sich at night time.[1] All of the janissaries were very close to one another .The prediction was that for it was Christmas the Zaporizhian Cossacks who were celebrating Christmas would be drunk, frightened and unable to resist.
The battle
editThe Ottoman Janissaries surrounded each house in the dark hoping that it would quickly be an easy battle. However according to local legend the Cossack chronicler Samiylo Velychko had a terrible dream and when he woke up, he saw the janissaries outside the window of the hut and woke up the rest of his comrades[2]. After the army had been spotted the Cossacks took their guns and went to battle. However because all the Janissaries were so close to one another they couldn't respond fast enough for they couldn't move. This lead to the defeat of the Ottoman empire
Aftermath
editAs a result of the battle, 13 thousand janissaries and 50 Cossacks died. 150 janissaries were captured. Many Tatars also died, but the exact number is unknown. For two days, the Cossacks cleaned Sich of corpses, which were lowered into the Dnieper pits.[3]
Further reading
edithttps://chtyvo.org.ua/authors/Yavornytskyi/Istoria_zaporizkykh_kozakiv_Tom1/
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ администратор. "Походи Сірка в Крим – Дніпропетровський національний історичний музей" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "Різдвяна битва на Січі – Музеї України журнал" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ Homan, Roman Volodymyrovych. "Воєнна історія людства: Різдвяна битва на Січі (1674 р.)".