Battle of Grocka
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The Battle of Grocka , also known as the Battle of Krotzka (or Krotska ), took place during the Russo-Austrian Turkish Wars (1736–1739) on July 22, 1739 near Grocka , which was only about a day's march from Belgrade . The conflict between the Ottoman and Austrian armies in Serbia ended with a victory for the Ottoman forces. The unexpected defeat prompted the Viennese court to strive for a peace treaty with the Porte .
prehistory
In 1735 Russia had started another war with the Ottoman Empire. Although the military operations were favorable to Russia, Austria was asked to intervene as its ally in 1737. Emperor Charles VI. attacked with his army in the Balkans , which forced a second front on Sultan Mahmud I. If the war was successful, Austria would gain territorial territory as part of the empire . The war between Austria and the Ottoman armed forces was rather reserved until the summer of 1739.
Georg Olivier von Wallis had been appointed commander in chief of the Austrian troops in the Balkans . He was an experienced military man who took part in many campaigns and battles and had already fought under Prince Eugene of Savoy in the Battle of Peterwardein on August 5, 1716. Charles VI had given him orders to attack the enemy at the earliest opportunity. There had also been a change in command of the troops on the Turkish side. The new pasha was Humbaracı Ahmet Paşa , a French who converted to Islam and entered the service of the Sultan. With the experience he had brought with him in the craft of war, he had restructured the troops, reorganized the authority and given the artillery more importance.
Course of the battle
The Austrians had learned that a strong Ottoman army was advancing towards Belgrade. Therefore, imperial Austrian associations, accompanied by ships on the Danube, marched towards them. As it was reported that some Turkish units had turned up at Grocka, on the evening of July 21 some units set out from their quarters in the Belgrade Fortress to fight the enemy. The main army followed the advance detachments. One mistake by the cavalry resulted in them taking the wrong road. She then turned and galloped after the infantry , delaying the unification of the troops by an hour. The foot troops made way for the riders in the street. When morning came, the Austrian soldiers noticed that they were in a valley between two hills, which had a rich natural cover (forests, bushes, vineyards).
In this terrain, there was contact with the Ottoman vanguard . As the fighting began, the Austrian cavalry, which was brought up first, was unable to develop properly due to the terrain. The way back was blocked by their own cuirassiers who were taken from the hills under artillery fire. The exact position of the enemy could hardly be made out because of the favorable cover for the Ottomans. The Turkish infantry intervening after the bombardment, trying to cut their way back through a ravine, tried to fight dragoons on the hills. The riders hurrying back caused further confusion in their own ranks. Behind the expected vanguard units, however, the main Ottoman force had already advanced to Grocka, which was able to steadily replenish its ranks on the hills during the battle.
A counterattack was hopeless because of the terrain and the unclear overview. The majority of the imperial infantry who had arrived tried to conquer the heights from eight o'clock on the right wing, but this remained in vain until nightfall. The fire emanating from only a few Ottoman cannons on the hills was sufficient to decimate the imperial-Austrian units operating on unsuitable terrain during the course of the day.
On the imperial side, 2,519 dead and 2,956 injured remained on the battlefield in the end. During the night, the survivors were able to retreat towards Belgrade and take their recovered wounded with them. The Ottoman army immediately began the siege of Belgrade after its success .
consequences
Grocka's defeat had a tremendous psychological impact. After the striking victories against the Turks under Prince Eugene of Savoy, a quick and successful campaign was generally expected. The shock of the defeat caused the court in Vienna to become extremely worried and peace was sought with the enemy at all costs. Vienna used the mediation of the French ambassador in Constantinople, Louis Saveur, Marquis de Villeneuve. During the negotiations in Belgrade, the Ottoman Empire was able to bring about the return of almost all areas conquered by Austria since 1718: Serbia , parts of Wallachia , a strip of land in Bosnia and Belgrade - only the Banat remained Austria. A preliminary peace was concluded on September 1 and the Peace of Belgrade on September 18, 1739, which had been negotiated on behalf of Emperor Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg . After the departure of its ally, Russia also ended the war with the Ottomans in the Treaty of Nissa (today Niš ) on October 3, 1739.
Field Marshal Wallis and some officers were brought before a court martial as responsible for the defeat and sentenced to imprisonment at the Spielberg Fortress for negligent performance of his duties . After the death of Charles VI. the new Empress Maria Theresa pardoned him after three months .
literature
- Hans-Joachim Böttcher : The Turkish Wars in the Mirror of Saxon Biographies , Gabriele Schäfer Verlag Herne 2019, ISBN 978-3-944487-63-2 . Pp. 221-223.