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Battle of Molodi
Battle in 1572 between Russians and Crimeans
Battle in 1572 between Russians and Crimeans
| Field | Value | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| conflict | Battle of Molodi | ||||||||
| image | Molodi - v pam'at' pobedy 1572 goda - 07.jpg | ||||||||
| caption | Molodi village. A foundation stone to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Molodi in 1572. | ||||||||
| partof | the Russo-Crimean Wars and Russo-Turkish wars | ||||||||
| date | 29 July – 2 August 1572 | ||||||||
| place | Molodi, south of Moscow | ||||||||
| {{Coord | 55 | 30 | N | 37 | 32 | E | type:event | display | title}} |
| result | Russo-Cossack victory | ||||||||
| territory | Crimean Tatar invasion of Russia repulsed | ||||||||
| combatant1 | Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg Tsardom of Russia | ||||||||
| Flag of Don Cossacks.svg Don CossacksFlag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Zaporozhian Sich | |||||||||
| combatant2 | Crimean Khanate Crimean Khanate | ||||||||
| "Grand Standard of the Grand Turk" naval flag, according to Bowles (1783).svg Ottoman Empire | |||||||||
| commander1 | Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg Mikhail Vorotynsky | ||||||||
| (army commander) | |||||||||
| Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg | |||||||||
| (key figure) | |||||||||
| Flag of Don Cossacks.svg Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Mykhailo Vyshnevetsky | |||||||||
| commander2 | Crimean Khanate Devlet I Giray | ||||||||
| Crimean Khanate Divay Murza | |||||||||
| strength1 | 20,000 to 70,000 men | ||||||||
| strength2 | 60,000 to 120,000 men | ||||||||
| casualties1 | Unknown | ||||||||
| casualties2 | 15,000 dead or wounded, 12,000 drowned40–100,000 incl. retreat |
Flag of Don Cossacks.svg Don CossacksFlag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Zaporozhian Sich "Grand Standard of the Grand Turk" naval flag, according to Bowles (1783).svg Ottoman Empire (army commander) Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg (key figure) Flag of Don Cossacks.svg Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Mykhailo Vyshnevetsky Crimean Khanate Divay Murza
The Battle of Molodi () was one of the key battles of Ivan the Terrible's reign. It was fought near the village of Molodi, circa 50 km south of Moscow, in July–August 1572 between the 120,000 horde of Devlet I Giray of Crimea and about 60,000–70,000 Russians and Cossacks led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. The Crimeans had burned Moscow the previous year, but this time they were thoroughly defeated.
Background
While the Tsardom of Russia was involved in the Livonian War, the Crimean khan hoped to make profit from the weakness of its southern borders. In the course of three expeditions, Devlet I Giray devastated South Russia and even sacked and set Moscow on fire in 1571. On 26 July 1572 the huge horde of the khan, equipped with cannons and reinforced by janissaries, crossed the Oka River near Serpukhov, decimated the Russian vanguard of 200 men, and advanced towards Moscow in order to pillage it once again. Little did they know, however, that the Russians had prepared for the new invasion, setting up innovative fortifications just beyond the Oka.
Battle
The Russian forces, variously estimated at between 20,000 and 70,000 men, were placed under the supreme command of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. Prince Repnin led the left flank, while the right flank was commanded by Prince Odoevsky. On 30 July the armies clashed near the Lopasnya River without so much as a prior reconnaissance. The fighting continued for several days, reaching its peak on 8 August. The large amount of close-in fighting made the Tatars' famed skill in archery quite useless: The battle was fought principally with sabers and spears. Artillery and arquebuses were also used by the Russians to great effect. The outcome was decided by Prince Khvorostinin who bypassed the horde with his gulyay-gorod (гуляй-город) mobile fortifications and infiltrated into the rear.
Aftermath
After the battle, only 20,000 Tatar horsemen returned to the Crimea, while the khan left his tent and banner on the battlefield and barely managed to escape alive. The battle claimed the lives of his sons and a grandson. File:01 106 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg|Moscow streltsy File:Ivan IV 1572.jpg|Ivan IV is presented with trophies taken from Devlet Giray by Vorotynsky after the battle. By Boris Chorikov File:Eques Tartarus.jpg|Crimean Tatar horseman. Engraving by Abraham de Bruyn (1575)
Order of battle
Based on contemporary documents, the Russian forces were as follows:
| Group | Composition | Number |
|---|---|---|
| **Main:** | ||
| Total: **8,255** | ||
| **Right Hand:** | ||
| Total: **3,590** | ||
| **Forward:** | ||
| Total: **4,475** | ||
| **Guard:** | ||
| Total: **4,670** | ||
| Total: **20,034** | ||
| and Mikhail Cherkashenin's Cossacks (3,000—5,000) |
Contemporary chronicles give very large and unreliable figures when talking about the Tatar army. The Novgorod Second Chronicle gives its strength as 120,000 and the Moscow Chronicle about 150,000. According to modern Russian historians, the khan's army most likely numbered 40,000–60,000, of which two-thirds were the Crimean army proper, and the rest Nogai, Circassians and janissaries sent by the Ottoman Sultan.
The Russian historian Vitaly Pensky estimates the total size of the Moscow army at 35,000, considering that the remaining estimates are overstated.
Notes
References
Sources
References
- Robert Payne and Nikita Romanoff, ''Ivan the Terrible'', (Cooper Square Press, 2002), 329.
- Пенской В. В. "Сражение при Молодях 28 июля – 3 августа 1572 г." // ''История военного дела: исследования и источники''. — [[St. Petersburg]], 2012. — Vol. 2. — P. 156. — {{ISSN. 2308-4286.
- "Документы о сражении при Молодях" // ''Исторический архив'', № 4. 1959 — P. 167
- See {{slink. #Order of Battle
- Стороженко А. В. ''Стефан Баторий и днепровские козаки''. Kiev, 1904. p. 34
- Карамзин. История государства российского{{page number. (March 2024)
- Документы о сражении при Молодях // Исторический архив, № 4. 1959 — P. 174–177
- Penskoi. Vitaliy. (2012). Вече
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