Battle of Rymnik
Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791)
Clash between Russo-Austrian and Turkish troops in the Battle of Rymnik
Date 22 September 1789 Location Râmnicul Sărat River / Râmnicu Sărat, Wallachia Result Austro-Russian victory Territorial changes Wallachia occupied by Habsburg forces
Belligerents
Russia  Austria	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alexander Suvorov Josias of Coburg	Hasan Pasha Mustafa Pasha
Strength
25,000[1][2] ~18,000 ~7,000 103 guns[1]	100,000[3][2]  • 40,000 janissaries  • 40,000 cavalry [4] 80 guns[5]
Casualties and losses
less than 1,000[6][7]	nearly 20,000[6][7]

The Battle of Rymnik or Rimnik,^[8] also Battle of Mărtinești (Turkish: Boze Savaşı [Battle of the Boze]; Russian: Рымникское сражение [Battle of the Rymnik]), on September 22 [O.S. September 11] 1789, took place in Wallachia, at the Râmnicul Sărat River near Râmnicu Sărat (now in Romania) during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 and the Austro-Turkish War of 1788–1791. The Russian general Alexander Suvorov, acting together with the Habsburg general Prince Josias of Coburg, attacked the main Ottoman army under Grand Vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha. The result was a crushing Russo-Austrian victory.

Background

In September 1789, the Ottoman vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha, vowing revenge for their forces' defeat at Focșani, raised an army of up to 100,000 men,^[3][a] with 40,000 janissaries, to defeat the combined Austro-Russian armies under generals Alexander Suvorov and Prince Josias of Coburg. Sending his troops into a grueling night march from Brailov (now Brăila), the Pasha attacked the 18,000-strong Austrian detachment. Taking into account Josias's numbers and the Austrian underperformance in the war, specifically after the Battle of Karánsebes, the Pasha was convinced that he could defeat this force easily. However, the Austrian commander appealed for help to Suvorov, who was with a division south of Birlad. Once Suvorov heard of the Ottoman advance, he and his 7,000-strong Russian force quickly marched to their aid on the night of 19 September, covering about 60 miles (97 km) in two and a half days, having arrived on the eve of battle on 21 September and joining forces with Prince's troops.^[9]

Battle

Turkish troops were stationed in the basin of the Rymna (now known as the Râmna) and Rymnik Rivers in several fortified camps 6–7 kilometres (3,7–4,3 mi) apart. The Austrian commander proposed a defensive plan, arguing that the Turks had an overwhelming superiority in strength and occupied strongly fortified positions. Suvorov insisted on an immediate offensive. His plan was to defeat the enemy piecemeal. The battle order of the Russian and Austrian troops built before dawn on 22 September was 2 lines of infantry squares, behind which the cavalry was placed. The battle began and took place according to Suvorov's plan.^[10]

Thus, Suvorov divided their combined army into two entities to advance towards the Ottoman formations at 11am.; the next morning, after crossing the river Rymna,^[1] attacked. When approaching the Turks' positions in each camp at a distance of about 500 metres, cavalry rushed to the attack, followed immediately by infantry. As a result of the cavalry breaking through the fortified position and infantry bayoneting, the Turks retreated indiscriminately. As the allies advanced, they crippled the enemy artillery and adopted square formations to repel enemy cavalry counterattacks which tried to split the Austro-Russian army in two. This done, the army stormed the enemy camp and routed them completely.^[10]

At 5 p.m., after storming the Ottoman fortifications near the village Bogza (Vrancea) and reuniting with the Austrian army, the combined army then advanced onto a general offensive towards the main Ottoman camp in the forest nearby. While the Austrians advance was pinning down enemy troops, the rest of Suvorov's army outflanked the enemy army and attacked them with cavalry, causing panic among the Ottomans who had almost nowhere to retreat but across the Rymnik, where most of them drowned while trying to cross it.^[10]

Only the darkness and fatigue of the Austro-Russian troops did not allow them to continue the pursuit of the Turks over the Rymnik River. The Ottoman defeat was complete. The remnants of their army, gathered in Maçin (now Măcin), numbered no more than 15,000.^[10]

Casualties

At the cost of <1,000 casualties (where no more than 500 people were killed, and the total was c. 700^[5]), Suvorov, together with Coburg, inflicted about 20,000 casualties against the Turks, who were now in full retreat from the Danubian Principalities. The Turks lost all their artillery and baggage train.

Aftermath

For this victory, Alexander Suvorov was awarded the title of "Count of Rymnik" (граф Рымникский, Graf Rymniksky) by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. These two crushing victories of Focșani and the Rymnik firmly established Suvorov as the most brilliant general of the then Russian Army. On the other hand, the Ottoman vizier Cenaze Hasan Pasha was dismissed on December 2, 1789, after his defeat.^[11][12] Meanwhile, the Habsburgs occupied all of Wallachia until the war ended.

In the military history, the Battle of Rymnik is a classic example of complex manoeuvring of troops on heavily rugged terrain. The Russian-Austrian troops, having concentrated stealthily, struck a swift blow at the numerically superior enemy and defeated him in detail.

Gallery

• 
  Map of Battle of Rymnik
• 
  Depiction by Carl Schütz
• 
  The battlefield
• 
  Suvorov's monument (detail)
• 
  Suvorov guarding the Rymna River (monument)