Crimean Campaign (1675)

TheCrimean Campaigntook place between theCrimean-Ottomanforces and theZaporozhian Cossackstogether with their allies, during the Zaporozhian Cossack campaign intoCrimea, in September 1675.
In 1675, in last days of July, Sirko announced his intentions to Cossacks about the planned campaign to "shake up the whole Crimea mercilessly".Sirko wanted to take revenge on theCrimean TatarsandOttomansfortheir attemptto destroySichthe previous winter.In the summer of 1675, the Russian government decided to conduct a raid on the territory of theCrimean Khanate, for which they allocated a detachment of Prince Cherkassky (747 people, however, due to illness and desertion, at the time of the outbreak of hostilities, he numbered about 546). He was joined by a detachment of Kalmyks from Mazan Batyr with 1,000. Due to their small numbers, the Russians began negotiations withAtaman Sirko, persuading him to allocate 1,500 to 2,500 men. At the last moment, 50Don Cossacksjoined them.
Ivan Sirkomanaged to sneak with the army intoCrimea, unnoticed by the Tatars. He stationed half of his army atPerekopand went with the rest of his army further into Crimea.He took 3,000–4,000 Cossacks with him, and asked the rest of the army, commanded by their respective leaders, to devastate entirety of Crimea.
Zaporozhian Cossacksand their allies devastated Kozlov,Karasubazarand other Crimean cities.Khan Selim I Girayheard about the news of the enemies in Crimea on their way to the capital of theCrimean Khanate,Bakhchysarai. He chose to retreat with his army to the Crimean mountains. Some Tatars fled to the mountains to reorganise with Khan's army, others fortified themselves in the cities in attempt to repel the invaders. Despite Tatar efforts to repel the assaults, they were defeated. Many Tatars were killed or captured. Ivan Sirko with his Cossacks sackedBakhchysaraiafter Khan's retreat from the capital.Cossacks devastated Crimean cities and villages, including Khan's capital, where Cossacks put everything to "fire and sword".
Khan reorganized his army in the mountains, with his 50,000 troops he headed to the capital. However, when the Khan arrived, he was shocked at the ruins ofBakhchysarai, while the Cossacks already left.Khan wanted to ambush the Cossack army, who were carrying prisoners and loot on their way to pass through Perekop, which he learned from captured Cossacks. Sirko found out about Khan's plan from captured Tatars. Sirko ordered the Cossack army in Crimea to wave captured Tatar flags to deceive Khan's army. Sirko himself sneaked to Perekop where half of his army was stationed.
After Khan reached Perekop and realised the Zaporozhian Cossacks with Sirko were there, he went into battle with Sirko's Cossacks, but suffered a defeat and retreated, his army lost 4,000 troops as a result. Sirko saw an incoming army waving Tatar flags behind Khan, recognizing his Cossacks and allies. Khan thought that the Tatars in Crimea managed to reorganise and were coming to his aid, so he once again attacked Sirko's army, but suffered another defeat with heavy losses.
As the Khan was retreating with his army after another failed attack, Sirko with his army pursued Khan's army. After Khan realised that the army behind him waving Tatar flags were Cossacks, his army went into the state of disorganised panic and scattered across the fields in the hasty retreat. Taking advantage of their disorganization, Cossacks and their allies killed several thousand Tatars and captured several thousand more.Khan narrowly escaped.
After victory over the Khan's army and taking some rest, Cossacks with their allies decided to leave Crimea. They looted several Tatars villages on the way back. They didn't want to risk running into an ambush on the way to theSich, so they chose another path.
Sirko with his Cossacks and captives got a safe distance away fromCrimeato the place calledChorna Dolyna, also known asBlack Valley.Sirko set up a camp there and ordered food to be cooked for the captives. Among the captives were 6,000 Tatars, who he ordered to be tied up and separated from the 7,000 Rus' captives. After asking the Rus' captives whether they wanted to go to the native Rus' or go back to Crimea, 3,000 wanted to go back to Crimea. Sirko asked why, they said they had their property and family in Crimea.Many of these Rus' captives were converts toIslamwho intermarried with Tatar women, their offspring in Crimea weretuma(half-Tatar).Sirko was watching as they were heading back to Crimea and realized that they weren't going to turn back, so he ordered Cossacks to pursue and execute them. As Sirko stood over corpses of the executed captives, he was quoted to have said:
TheCrimean-Ottomanforces suffered heavy losses.6,000 Tatars and unspecified number of Turks were captured.Ivan Sirkotook revenge forthe attackonSich. After this campaign, he allegedly sent a reply toKhan Selim I Giray. He wrote:
Ivan Sirkosent a letter toHetman Samoylovychdescribing the success of his campaign with his allies, claiming to have avoided serious losses.