The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-05
RUssIA's FOREIGN WARS.

Russia must be getting used to being
whipped in her foreign wars. She has
been much oftener whipped than not.
When she first began to show up in Eu-
ropean wars at the beginning Of the 18th
century, she was engaged mainly in fight
ing Turkey for the Danubian Provinces,
and she usually got whipped She made
repeated wars to get those countries, but
finally failed, and had to confine herself
to the boundary of the River Pruth, which
she has never been able to permanently
pass. Peter the Great had marked ill sue
cess in fighting the Turks, and at one time
only escaped humiliation by his Empress,
Catharine /, bribing the Turkish Vizier
with her jewels to allow Peters army to
escape. In 1879 Russia had gotten hold of
MOldayia, one of the Danubian provinces,
but was compelled to give it up. Frederick
the Great, with his little army of Prus-
SLAMS, repeatedly whipped overpowering
masses of Russians, and drove them back
from his borders. Napoleon Bonaparte
usually whipped the Russians whenever
and wherever he met their troops, but was
unsuccessful when he invaded Russia, al
though they had to burn their capital to
get rid of him. At Austerlitz, Dec. 9, 1905,
the Russians were comman ded by their
own Emperor and the Austrians by theirs
The two forces numbered $1,000 men,
while the French had but 10000; yet
Napoleon utterly overcame them with a
loss 20 the Russians of $1,000 in killed,
wounded and taken prisoners. In his ad-
vance upon Moscow In 1912. Napoleon
with $4,000 men encountered the Rus
sions 165, 900 strong at Borodino, defending
the passage of the Moskva River. In the
terrible battle which ensued the Russians
80 900, while the French loss was only
10000. In 1928. 16 years later, the Rus
slams renewed their war with the Turks.
and while they at first met with some sue
cess, were finally obliged to give up all
they had won. In 1854 England, France,
Sardinia and Turkey attacked the Rus
slams in the Crimea with force Of about
65 600, and, in spite Of all that the Rus
slams could do, besieged Sebastopol for a
year, took the city and destroyed its costly
docks, arsenals, and ship yards. At the
same time the Russians had attempted to
invade Turkey by going around the eastern
end Of the Black Sea, but were stopped
| at the fortress of Kars, where a small gar
rison held them at bay until the end Of
the war.
Russia was hurt immeasurably by this
failure, and lost the right to navigate the
Danube or keep vessels Of war on the Black
| Sea, besides terrible diminution of her
prestige in every way. In 1877 she be-
gan another war with Turkey, in which
at first she was successful, but when the
Turks walked up they gave her very Sc
we're ordeal, and at Plevna, especially, held
out with very insufficient army and sup
plies against the Russians from July until
December. In the meanwhile the Turks
had inflicted terrible losses upon the Rus
slams every time they assaulted. The cor
rupt, inefficient Government Of Turkey
finally sank under Russian pressure, bu,
the rest of the powers Of Europe prevented
Russia from taking advantage Of her sue.
cesses, and she was compelled to retire
again beyond the Pruth, after gaining some
important concessions. Her great strength
has been that no defeats have discouraged
her. She has gone forward repeatedly only
| to be driven back, and after q few years
has repeated the effort. Most Of her sue
cesses have been with the semi barbarous
nomads, whom she has conquered and then
| incorporated into her territory.