Battle of Bitlis

All you want to know about Battle of Bitlis

Battle of Bitlis
Битлисское сражение

Mustafa Kemal at Bitlis.

Date	March 2-August 24, 1916
Location	Bitlis, Turkey
Result	Inconclusive, while Ottoman Army succeded in taking back Bitlis and Mush, its advance was stopped by Russian Army

Belligerents

Commanders

Strength

Russian Caucasus Army

Second Army

v • d • e Caucasus Campaign

Bergmann Offensive – Sarikamis – Persian Campaign– Van – Manzikert – Kara Killisse – Erzerum Campaign – Trebizond – Bitlis – Erzinjan – Sardarapat – Abaran – Karakilisa – Baku

The Battle of Bitlis (Russian: Битлисское сражение) refers to a series of engagements in the summer of 1916 for the city of Bitlis and to a lesser extent nearby Moush, between the Russian Imperial forces and their Ottoman counterparts. Bitlis first fell to the II Caucasian Corps on March 2 just as Kemal's advance guard was arriving in Bitlis.However, Kemal recaptured not only Mush but also Bitlis on August 15 after repulsed Yudenich's army, who was walking to Diyarbakır. Turkish counterattack was stopped in Gevash in August 24. This was the first battle that Ottoman Army not only succeed in stopping Russian Army, but also gained some territories back.

During this campaign, Ottoman Army's chief staff Enver Pasha sent one of his trustees İsmet Pasha most probably to control his rival for the Ottoman Army leadership Mustafa Kemal Pasha. However, Ismet was convinced by Mustafa Kemal military talent and became more and more loyal to him.