Defense of Dorostol, the Russian-Byzantine War of 970-971: events, commanders

The famous defense of Dorostol is an episode of the Russian-Byzantine war of 970-971. After a series of battles near the Bulgarian fortress, Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev had to retreat to his homeland and abandon the plan to conquer the Danube shores.

Prior Events

In 968, Byzantium sent envoys to Russia. The delegation was to persuade the young Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich to go to the Danube and help the Greeks in their war against the Bulgarian kingdom. The Slavic squad really helped Constantinople emperor. However, Svyatoslav wanted to receive these lands and, in turn, after the defeat of the Bulgarians declared war on Byzantium.

In addition, the prince decided to move his residence to the Danube. Shortly Svyatoslav made his capital Pereyaslavets. The military campaign of 970 did not determine the winner. Svyatoslav went to winter apartments in Pereyaslavets. In his army there was a lack of manpower. Many soldiers were wounded and exhausted by ordeals in a foreign country. The prince sent a messenger to Kiev with the order to collect a new squad. By the spring of 971, reinforcements did indeed arrive at Svyatoslav.

In the first year of the war, the Byzantine Empire was not able to inflict a consolidated blow to the enemy due to the fact that the uprising of military commander Varda Foki broke out in the country. When it was finally suppressed, the ruler John Tzimiskiah himself went to Bulgaria to crush the Russian army. Svyatoslav retreated to Dorostol. This fortress became its main bastion. It was the defense of Dorostol that proved to be a radical episode of that war, when it was decided which side of the conflict would win.

The first collision

Svyatoslav did not have time to fully prepare for the coming battle. The defense of Dorostol was for him a forced measure, which he did not want to go. It should be noted that at that time a large part of the Bulgarian population was on the side of the Kiev prince.

The Byzantine emperor was able to quickly move across the Bulgarian mountain passes. April 23, 971, there was a skirmish of the Greek avant-garde and a small Russian detachment of scouts. When a real battle began near the walls of Dorostol, the advancing Greek army moved to the Slavs, being built in two lines. In the first row there were infantrymen and cavalry. At the back they were covered by archers. In total, the defenders of the fortress repelled 12 attacks, after which the weakened garrison retreated beyond the walls of the city. The Byzantines achieved this thanks to the final blow of the cavalry.

Byzantine camp

It became clear that the defense of Dorostol would last at least a few days. Then John Tzimisce gave the order to build a fortified camp under the walls of the city, where the besiegers could comfortably accommodate. Its center was a small hill, around which a moat was dug. In addition, the camp was protected with the help of stuck into the ground copies, on which the shields were hung.

City blockade

The day before, leaving the Greek provinces, the emperor assembled the fleet and sent it along the Black Sea coast to the mouth of the Danube. This squadron successfully climbed the river and on April 25 was next to Dorostol, which was now blocked. Svyatoslav all this time was in the garrison. He also had a small fleet of rooks. The Prince ordered the ships to be burned, which could be left to the enemy. The Byzantines tried unsuccessfully to force the besieged to leave the city and give a general battle. Instead, the Slavs from the city walls fired at the enemies with stones and arrows.

Finally on the 26th day Svyatoslav ordered his squad to go out into the field and fight with the enemy. He hoped that Dorostol's defense would end so successfully. A year of unceasing battles hardened his army, all the soldiers were eager to fight. Sech continued on April 27, after the Russian army spent the night in the same place. During the battle, one of the main associates of Svyatoslav Igorevich was killed - Sfenckel. His fate is known due to the detailed description of the Balkan events left by writer Leo Diacon.

The Emperor, hoping to break the enemy, sent a small detachment to the rear of the Slavs. Seeing the maneuver of the Byzantines, Svyatoslav with his army again went back to the city. The Slavic prince was not in vain afraid that he could be cut off from the fortress walls.

Three months' siege

April 29 began a long siege. This was a stubborn defense of Dorostol. The year of the war gave Svyatoslav and his soldiers a rich experience that was effectively used during the siege. The Slavs dug a deep moat that did not allow the Byzantines to properly install the machines necessary for the destruction of fortress walls.

The besieged managed to make several successful sorties out of the city. The fortress lacked food. Scouts brought new food to Dorostol, which helped the garrison to maintain its strength. During one of the sorties, a Byzantine detachment was destroyed, the soldiers of which drove horses on the Danube. After this episode, the Greeks dug up all the roads that led to the besieged city.

In the next three months the Byzantines successfully held the city in their grip. Food was running out. Hunger began, after which the local Bulgarians began to switch to the side of the enemy in small groups. If Svyatoslav had not taken action, then Dorostol's defense would have ended badly. What war did not do without repression? The Kiev prince arranged demonstrative executions of doubting Bulgarians, due to which he restored discipline in the city.

By July the situation remained the same. Tzimisce hastened to finish the siege as soon as possible, because in his absence in Constantinople, the troubled time began. The defense of Dorostol continued, and then the emperor suggested that Svyatoslav finish the war with a tete-a-tete fight. However, the Kiev prince refused this, sending a mocking reply to John.

The Last Battle

July 19 Slavic detachment went on a sortie. The Byzantines lost their vigilance, they did not think that the besieged had the audacity to attack a large camp. But that's exactly what happened. Svyatoslav with his detachment destroyed the siege machines, leaving the Greeks with nothing.

The Slavs were encouraged by their success. The next day they left the city to give another battle to the Byzantines, who were already tired by their northern war. The defense of Dorostol was stopped only after the Slavs twice fought the army of the emperor (on July 20 and 22).

During the last battle the Greeks managed to divide the army of Svyatoslav. The prince suffered great losses. It became clear that the end of defense of Dorostol. Date July 23 - this is the end of a long siege, during which there were four battles.

Conclusion of the world

Finally Svyatoslav invited the emperor to discuss the terms of the peace treaty. The parties agreed to stop the war. Tzimisces promised to let the Slavs go home. In doing so, the Byzantines gave them all the necessary provisions. In return, Svyatoslav refused the Danube lands.

Perhaps, the Kiev prince hoped to resume the war after several years of peace. However, on the way back, his detachment was interrupted by Pechenegs. This happened on the Dnieper rapids during the crossing. Ended not only the war, but the life of Svyatoslav.