sultan's crescent

Chapter 108 Meditation, right?

The North Caucasus, where the Circassians lived, was not a barren area, and it may have been a pleasant environment to some extent.

The Caucasus Mountains provided the Circassians with vast valleys.

The region's topography is diverse, including steep gorges, dense forests, and wide plateaus.

Second was the abundance of natural resources: the Circassians could rely on the rich steppes and pastures in the mountains for their domestic animals such as sheep, cattle and horses.

Lakes and rivers are also plentiful: the Circassians live like the Pearl of the Orient - the coast of the Black Sea, the Kuba River, etc.

These waters provided abundant fish stocks, which provided an important source of their food supply.

Finally, climatic conditions: the living environment of the Circassians is climatically diverse.

The temperature in the high mountain area is low, the winter is cold and the summer is cool, which is conducive to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry.

The coastal areas have a relatively warm climate with four distinct seasons.

It can be said that the production environment of this land is still good. If it weren't for the current lack of strength of the Ottoman Empire, and Selim didn't want to provoke the Russians, the Sultan would have taken the land directly.

But there is no need. After all, the anti-French war is coming soon. Seize this opportunity to quickly strengthen the Ottoman Empire. Why should the Russians show embarrassment at this time and come together to fight?

I don't know when the French will be able to officially declare war on Prussia and Austria. Selim is also drunk about the inefficiency of the French government. He even suspects that the other party may be snatched away by Prussia and Austria.

While the Sultan was thinking about France, the army led by Dombrowski had already fought the Russians.

In the North Caucasus, Major General Alexei was waiting for the arrival of the Circassian convoy.

According to the intelligence, the opponent's high-level officials will also withdraw together. If they don't seize this opportunity, if they want to take down the opponent completely, they will have to wait until the next Russian-Turkish war, hoping that the Russian army can enter Constantinople. up.

When Major General Alexei was waiting impatiently, the Circassian convoy finally appeared in the distance, and Alexei immediately regained his spirits.

Although after Repnin left, the Russian army in the entire area was almost under his control, but Alexei did not bring too many troops.

First, dealing with the Circassians is like killing a chicken with a bull's knife.

Second, Major General Alexei's own troops also need credit, so why bother to bring in outsiders.

In the end, Alexei brought three brigades of troops, which were also his old subordinates.

For so many years, I have been dawdling in the Caucasus Military Region, from the major general himself to the soldiers under him, they are all proficient in fishing.

But, it doesn't matter. From the major general's point of view, the Circassians are just a bunch of savages. They don't even have a few guns. It's easy to deal with them.

With this kind of mood in mind, when the Circassian convoy reached halfway, Major General Alexei didn't hesitate, waved his hand, and the Russian army ambushing aside immediately went to work.

Since this place is already at the junction of the grassland and the mountains, the vegetation is quite dense, and the army hiding Alexei can hide there. This really caught the Circassians by surprise.

After all, in order to make the acting realistic, the best way is to let the actors not know that they are practicing, so Sherifari and Sultan did not tell these soldiers anything about the attack.

When the Russian army rushed over, the entire Circassian convoy was almost frightened, but Sherifali quickly aroused the Circassian light cavalry guarding the convoy and began to resist the opponent's attack.

Don't underestimate the cavalry of the Circassians, this is the foundation of this nation's founding.

The prestige of the Circassians has been known since the fifteenth century.

"Between the Seas of Azov and the Caspian Seas, a new warlike republic has arisen, composed of people who speak our language and profess our faith.

Some of them, not wanting to submit to either the Mongols or the Lithuanians, lived as free men on the islands of the Dnieper, protected by rocks, impenetrable reeds and swamps.

They attracted many Russians fleeing oppression, mixed with them, and formed a people.

This people has become completely Russian, just like their ancestors, living in the Kiev region since the tenth century, have become almost Russian.

The Circassians grew in number, fostered a spirit of independence and brotherhood, they founded a Christian military republic in the country south of the Dnieper, began to build settlements and fortress.

They took on the responsibility of defending Lithuanian possessions from the Crimeans and Turks, and won special protection from the Polish king Sigismund I, who granted them many civil liberties as well as lands above the rapids of the Dnieper River, Circe The city of Sri Lanka is named after them.

Representing in them a mixture of European and Asian traits, they were indomitable in war, born cavalry and riders, sometimes stubborn, wayward, and predatory, but by diligence and heroic feats they absolved them of their crimes.

They were thought to be fugitives from Russia seeking wild freedom and spoils in the devastated Urus of the Black Wind tribe, in an uninhabited but fertile land near the Volga near the Don, which long ago was Asia trade routes to northern Europe.They established themselves in what is now the area; they took the city of Ahas, which I think they called Cherkiszky. "

This is the conclusion made by a Russian historian. Although Selim scoffed at the so-called Circassians as Russians, the historian at least pointed out that the Circassians were indeed very can fight.

In what ways can this be manifested, they don't listen to anyone, even Tsar Ivan the Terrible complained to the Ottoman Sultan about them.

They resented their dependence on the Ottoman Empire, and did not recognize Russia's supremacy over themselves—in 1549 their leader, Sariyazman, calling himself an ally of Ivan IV, built a fortress on the Don: they occupied The river course reaches the mouth of the river, demands tribute from Azov, and fights against the Nogais, Astrakhans, and Tauridas.

Even this ally was acquired by Ivan when he married a Circassian princess.

Now, except for the quality of equipment and military tactics, this cold weapon cavalry, which has hardly changed since the late Middle Ages, is about to show the power of the old age.

The Russian infantry, which had already shown the skirmish line, was immediately stunned by the Circassian light cavalry who suddenly killed it. However, Alexei, an idiot, did not release his own cavalry at this time, nor did he command the infantry to form a formation. phalanx.

After fighting for a while, the Russian army retreated in embarrassment, which made Sherifali look stupid. The performance of the Russian army did not conform to their plan. In the past, when Repnin was around, the Circassians should have fled up.

Dombrovsky, who was hiding on the other side of the mountain, was also stupid at this time. He thought that Alexei's level was not good, but he didn't think that it would be so bad. He didn't know how to develop the Russian army in such a state. The follow-up is planned.

Here, the Russian army has stopped moving, and here, the Circassians are also confused. How should this battle be fought?

(End of this chapter)