08 May 2003, 04:03
The Azov campaigns of 1695 - 96
Campaigns of Russian armies and fleet led by Peter I to the Azov Sea during Russian-turkish war of 1686 - 99 with the purpose of mastering by a turkish fortress of Azovs (garrison of 7 thousand persons), locking an exit in Azov and Black seas.
1st Azov campaign began in spring 1695. The army (31 thousand persons, 170 guns), made of perfect regiments and the Don cossacks and divided into 3 groups (commanded by F.Lefort, P.I.Gordon and A.M.Golovin), was directed to Azov. Another army (120 thousand nobiliary hourses cavalry, archers and the Ukrainian cossacks) under B.P.Sheremetev's command was set in a lower reaches of river Dnepr to distract the Crimean Tatars. In June, 27-28 Russian armies came to Azov and on July, 5 they have surrounded it from a land. After two unsuccessful storms (August, 5 and September, 25) the siege was raised.
At the end of 1695 a preparation to the 2nd Azov campaign began: construction of the Azov fleet which was created by spring 1696 was developed. Hourse cavalry of Sheremetiev (up to 70 thousand persons) was again directed to a lower reaches of Dnepr, the main forces (75 thousand persons) under A.S.Shein's command were set on courts along the rivers Voronezhs and Don on April 23-26, and also by land to Azov. The galley flotilla on May, 3 was sailed there led by Peter I. On May, 27 the Russian fleet (2 linear ships, 4 fire-ships, 23 galleys, etc.) under Lefort's command had left in the sea and blocked Azov. On June, 14 against a mouth of Don the turkish fleet appeared (23 ships with the army of 4 thousand soldiers), but, having lost 2 ships, went out to the sea. After bombardment from land and sea and a part capture of external rampart by Ukrainian and Don cossacks on July, 17 the garrison of Azov capitulated on July,19.
The Azov campaigns have shown a significant role of fleet and became the beginning of transformation of Russia into a sea power. The success of the Azov campaigns strengthened positions of Russia on the Karlovits congress of 698-99 and promoted the conclusion of the Constantinople peace treaty of 1700.
