The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-08
THE LAST GREAT
EUROPEAN WAR
Review Of the Struggle Between Russia
and Turkey in 1877.
TIMELY IN VIEW OF PRESENT wAE
Russia's Blundcrs at the Beginning
aud TURKEYS Toward the Close.
Military Operations Around Picvna.
The Treaty of San stefano and the
Berlin Congress.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
On April 90, twenty years ago, the
Emperor Alexander II. of Russia, after
reviewing his armies at Kischeneff and
Ungheni, on the plains of Bessearabia,
proclaimed war upon the Turk. 1t had
been the desire of the emperor to make
the war the previous autumn, imme-
diately after the closing of the Con-
stantinople conference that met at the
termination of the Servian war; but
the uncertainty of being able to keep
open the communications of the army
across the Danube during the winter
caused it to be deferred to the spring
of 1877. From the declaration of war
to midsummer the preparations for the
passage of the Danube went on unin-
terruptedly. The neutrality of Aus
tria had been secured by the consent
of Russia to her occupation of Bos-
mia and Herzegovina after the war,
and the promise that the Russian
movements in Roumania, which was
used as a base against the Turks,
should not extend westward of the
Aluta. BY the first, Austria secured
the timberland of Dalmatia and the
road toward Salonica, and i'm the Sec
ond the superstitious among the diplo-
mats discerned the eventual boundary
between Russia and Austria north of
the Danube.
The Turkish army in Bulgaria. that
was assembled to meet the Russian in
vasion was divided into two separate
armies, the western force under Osman
Pasha, with headquarters at Widdin
on the Danube, close to the Servian
frontier, and the eastern, under the
personal command of Abdul Kerim
Pasha, Sirdar Ekrem, or generalissimo
of the whole Turkish army in Europe
in the Quadrilateral. with Shuma as
headquarters. The principal fOrtresses
along the Danube from Widdin to the
Black sea We're strongly garrisoned,
and an Egyptian contingent under
Prince Hassam held Varna on the
Black sea. The Turkish plan of de-
fence had been drawn up by Won
Moltke, subject to the contingencies of
the Russians forcing the passage of the
Danube on a flank or the center of the
line. The facilities afforded by the
| railways through Roumania decided
the Russian staff to make the passage
to the river in the center. The plan
that had been drawn up for the Turks
was to offer only faint resistance to
the passage of the Danube, but so soon
as the Russian army had taken ground
| on Turkish territory to close in on it
| from both flanks. A few days before
| the crossing took place several Russian
officers found their way to Plevna in
the disguise Of Bulgarian peasants.
made these reconnOisances of the
neighborhood and found their way
back into Roumania. At that moment
the Turkish force at Plevna was but
one company of Mustahfiz or terrific
rial militia, and there was not a symp-
| tom to show that old Sirdar, Abdul
| Kerim, had destined the quiet little
| town surrounded by a horseshoe of hills
opening on the Wild to take it's place
among the battle grounds of history.
PASSAGE OF THE DANUBE.
The passage of the Danube by the
Russians toward the end of June was
effected without resistance from the
| Turks, and almost Immediately tn,
| blunders of the Russians began. In
stead of pushing out at once for Plev
ma, they wasted precious days waiting
for the reduction of Nikopolis, which
was commanded by Hassan Pasha,
nephew of the Sirdar Ekrem. BY thu
| time that was effected and a Russian
! brigade sent forward to Plevna, tht
advanced guard of Osman Pasha's ar
my that was advancing from Widdir
had taken up its position on the site,
selected for the defences of the place
and was engaged in throwing up tht
temporary redOubts into the formidabl,
lines before which the Russians threw
away much valuable time and sacri
feed tens of thousands of valiant sol
derS. The attempt of the Russians L
drive off the Turks was reDulsed, ant
the rapid arrival of reinforcements en-
abled the Turks to complete their de
fences before the Russian general haC
sufficient forces in hand to carry then
by assault.
While Osman Pasha, ably seconded
by his staff carried out in the mos
admirable manner his part of the Turk
ish plan, the execution of the part of /
reserved for himself by the Sirdar Elk
rem was nullified by the refusal of tn
sultan to send forward the reinforce
ments which had been called for unit
he had divulged his plan of campaign
Abdul Kerim as obstinately refused
|
would soon find its way to the Russian
camp through agents in the palace
The sultan, in moment Of passion, or
dere1 the old pasha's disgrace, and h
was sent a prisoner to Lemnos, wher
he died few years after During tn
confusion that ensued the Russian
proited by the Turkish inaction. The
pushed a strong body of cavalry acros
the Balkans, under General GourkhC
by the Iiain Boghaz, pass to the east
ward of the Shipka, Swinging roun
to the right after descending into tn
valley of the Tundja, Gourkho passe
rapidly TO the westward through Esk
Saghra and through Kezanlik, fror
which he turned north up the Shipk
road and established himself firmly o
the summit of the pass. From ther
the Russians never were dislodged dur
, ing the rest of the war. The Russian
north of the Shipka lost no time in es
tablishing their connections wit