User:Central Data Bank/Battles of Moush-Bitlis

Battles of Moush-Bitlis
Part of Bitlis Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Result	Ottoman victory[1]

Belligerents Russian Empire Ottoman EmpireCommanders and leaders Tovmas Nazarbekian
Col. Potto

Mustafa Kemal Pasha

Units involved

IV Caucasian Army Corps

• 6th Cau. Rifle Brigade (Bitlis)
• 7th Cau. Rifle Brigade (Bitlis)
• 8th Cau. Rifle Brigade (Bitlis)
• 261st Akhulginski Reg. (Moush)

XVI. Corps

• 5th Division (Bitlis)^[1]
• 8th Division (Moush)

Strength Bitlis:

• 2 Brigades
• 6,000 men
• 1 Brigade in reserve

Moush:

• 1 Regiment
• 3,000 men
• 2 howitzers

Bitlis:

• 1 Division
• 6,000 men

Moush:

• 1 Division
• 5,000 men

Casualties and losses Bitlis:

• 6,000 men

Moush:

• 1,000 men
• 2 howitzers

Bitlis:

Moush:

• 3,000 men

The Battles of Moush-Bitlis, known in Turkey simply as the Battle of Bitlis (Turkish: Bitlis Muharebesi) were fought between 2-8 August 1916, during the Caucasus campaign of World War I. The battles were part of the Ottoman Summer Offensive of 1916, in which the 2nd Army assaulted Russian positions in eastern Anatolia. Two Ottoman divisions, under the command of Mustafa Kemal Pasha assaulted positions of two Russian brigades at Bitlis and one regiment at Moush, all under the command of Tovmas Nazarbekian. Following severe defeats in the Caucasus, the capture of Moush and Bitlis greatly boosted Ottoman morale, while causing concern for General Nikolai Yudenich, the commander of the Russian Caucasus Army. Following the Turkish victories, the 2nd Army's advance stalled in late-August and the Russian Army was able to recapture Bitlis on 25 August^[2] leading to the Ottomans abandoning Moush in late September.^[1]