Navarino battle. A large naval battle of 1827. Results

Navarino sea battle, which occurred on a sunny day on October 20, 1927 in the eponymous bay, is not only one of the most glorious pages in the history of the Russian fleet, but also serves as an example of the fact that Russia and the countries of Western Europe can find a common language when it comes to Infringement of the rights and freedoms of various peoples. Having acted as a united front against the decrepit Ottoman Empire, England, Russia and France rendered invaluable assistance to the Greek people in the struggle for their independence.

Russia and Europe in the first half of the XIX century

The Russian Empire in the 19th century, especially after the victory over Napoleon and the holding of the Congress of Vienna, became a full participant in the international political process. Moreover, its influence in the 1810s-1830s. Was so great that its support was sought in all more or less significant situations. Created on the initiative of Alexander I Sacred Union, the main goal of which was the struggle to preserve the political regimes that existed in European countries, became an important instrument of influence on all intra-European affairs.

One of the painful points of Europe in the first quarter of the 19th century was the gradually collapsing Ottoman Empire. Despite all attempts at reform, Turkey increasingly lagged behind the leading states, gradually losing control over the territories that were part of its empire. A special position in this process was taken by the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, who, with an eye to the possible assistance of Russia and other European states, began to struggle more and more for their independence.

In 1821 the Greek uprising began. The Russian government was in a rather difficult situation: on the one hand, the points of the Holy Alliance did not allow supporting those who supported the revision of the existing situation, and on the other - the Orthodox Greeks have long been regarded as our allies, while relations with Turkey were almost always far away From optimal. The rather cautious attitude towards these events was gradually replaced by an increasingly growing pressure on the descendants of Osman. The battle of Navarino in 1827 was the logical conclusion of this process.

Background and root causes

In the confrontation of the Greeks and Turks for a long time neither side could achieve decisive superiority. The status quo was fixed by the so-called Akkerman Convention, after which Russia, France and England actively took up the cause of the peace settlement. Nicholas I made it clear to Sultan Mahmud II that he would have to make very serious concessions in order to preserve the Balkan state as part of his empire. These requirements were recorded by the St. Petersburg Protocol in 1826, where the Greeks were promised wide autonomy, right up to the right to elect their officials to state posts.

Despite all these agreements, Turkey at any opportunity tried to unleash a real genocide against the proud Hellenes. This ultimately led Russia and its European allies to move to more decisive action.

The alignment of forces before the battle of Navarino

The Navarino battle showed that the times when the Turkish fleet was considered one of the best in Europe have irrevocably passed. Sultana and his kapudan-pasha Muharrye-bey managed to gather in the region of the Mediterranean a very impressive force. In addition to the Turkish frigates themselves, powerful linear ships from Egypt and Tunisia were concentrated here. In general, this armada consisted of 66 pennants, which had more than 2,100 guns. The Turks also could rely on the support of coastal artillery, in the organization of which a large role was played in due time by French engineers.

The Allied squadron, whose general command was carried out by the Englishman Codrington in seniority, numbered only twenty-six pennants with almost 1,300 guns. True, battleships - the main force in any naval battle of that time - they had more - ten against seven. As for the Russian squadron, it included four battleships and a frigate, and commanded by an experienced warrior L. Heyden, who kept his flag on the flagship Azov.

Disposition before the battle

Already in the area of the Greek archipelago, the Allied command made the last attempt to peacefully resolve the conflict. Pasha Ibrahim during the talks on behalf of the Sultan promised a three-week truce, which was almost immediately violated. After that, the allied fleet locked the Turks in Navarino Bay with a series of roundabout maneuvers, where they, under the protection of powerful coastal batteries, intended to give a general battle.

The Navarino battle was largely lost by the Turks even before it began. Having chosen this rather narrow bay, they actually deprived themselves of a numerical advantage, since only a small part of their ships could simultaneously participate in the battle. Coastal artillery, which relied on the horseshoe of the Turkish fleet, did not play a special role in the battle.

The Allies planned to attack with two columns: the British and the French had to crush the right flank, and the Russian combat squadron - to complete the rout, piling on the left side of the Turkish fleet.

Start the battle

On the morning of October 8, 1827, the Anglo-French squadron, which was closer to the enemy, lined up in a column, began a slow movement towards the Turks. Approaching the distance of the cannon shot, the ships stopped, and Admiral Codrington sent to the Turks the parliamentarians, who were shot with rifles. Shots became a signal to the beginning of the battle: almost two thousand guns started talking on both sides simultaneously, the whole bay was quickly covered with acrid smoke.

At this stage, the allied fleet failed to achieve decisive superiority. Moreover, the Turkish shells inflicted quite serious damage, the Mukhharei-bey system remained unshakable.

Navarino battle: the entry of the Russian fleet and a radical change

At a time when the outcome of the battle was far from obvious, the Russian squadron of Heiden began to engage in active hostilities, the blow of which was directed at the left flank of the Turks. First of all, the frigate "Gangut" shot a coastal battery, which did not have time to make ten volleys. Then, standing on the distance of a pistol shot, Russian ships entered into a firing duel with the enemy fleet.

The main burden of the battle lay on the flagship Azov, commanded by the famous Russian naval commander M. Lazarev. Having headed the Russian military detachment, he immediately entered into battle with five enemy ships, quickly sinking two of them. After that, he hurried to the rescue of the British "Asia", against which the flagship of the enemy opened fire. The Russian battleships and frigates behaved in an exemplary manner: occupying the places designated for them in the combat formation, they made clear and timely maneuvers under the enemy's fierce fire, drowning one by one Turkish and Egyptian vessels. It was the efforts of the Heyden squadron that provided a radical turning point in the battle.

The end of the battle: the complete victory of the allied fleet

The Navarino battle lasted a little over four hours and was characterized by a very high concentration of fire and a rich maneuver. Despite the fact that the battle was fought on Turkish territory, it was the Turks who were less prepared for it. Several of their ships immediately ran aground during the movement and became easy prey. By the end of the third hour the outcome of the battle had become clear, the allies began to compete in the one who would sink ships more.

As a result, without losing a single combat ship, the Allied squadron defeated the entire Turkish fleet: only one ship managed to escape, and the latter was seriously damaged. This outcome dramatically changed the balance of forces in the region.

Results

The battle of Navarino in 1827 was the prologue to the next Russian-Turkish war. Another result was a sharp change in the ratio of the Greek-Turkish forces. After suffering such a crushing defeat, Turkey entered a period of serious internal political crisis. It was not up to the ancestors of the Greeks, who were able not only to gain wide autonomy, but also to achieve full independence soon.

The year 1827 in the history of Russia is another confirmation of her military and political might. Having enlisted the support of such states as England and France, it was able to use the situation advantageously to strengthen its position in the European arena.