Arshak Ter-Gukasov ( hy, Արշակ Տեր-Ղուկասյան; 1819 – 8 January 1881) was a Lieutenant-General of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. T ...

. Born to an Armenian family in

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

, he started his military career in 1850 and was subsequently involved in the war in the Caucasus. After being promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and serving various governmental posts, he was then assigned as the

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and ...

Forces commander of Russia's army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. Owing to his successes in battle, Arshak Ter-Gukasov was awarded medals by Imperial Russia and other foreign powers.

Life and career

Arshak Ter-Gukasov was born in the Havlabar district of

, Georgia in 1819 to an Armenian family of clergymen originally from Shamkhor (today Şəmkir,

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country, transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Wester ...

). Ter-Gukasov attended the local Armenian Nersisian School. To continue his education, Ter-Gukasov moved to

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and studied at the St. Petersburg State University of Communication where he graduated in 1839. As an engineer, Ter-Gukasov was assigned to build roadways for the Russian army in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historicall ...

between the years 1842 to 1850. He was then appointed as the 2nd Communications Manager of the Caucasus.

Military career

War in the Caucasus

Ter-Gukasov joined the Russian military in 1850. He then became part of the Apsheron 3rd Infantry Regiment. Due to his relative success in subsequent battles, notably in engagements with Chechen and Daghestani tribesmen in Dilim and Burtuna, he was promoted to the General of the Apsheron Infantry Regiment in 1859. In August 1859, Ter-Gukasov was part of the siege of Gunib, when

Imam Shamil Imam Shamil ( av, Шейх Шамил, Şeyx Şamil; ar, الشيخ شامل; russian: Имам Шамиль; 26 June 1797 – 4 February 1871) was the political, military, and spiritual leader of North Caucasian resistance to Imperial Russia in ...

, leader of the Chechen and Daghestani tribes, made his last stand against the Russians at Gunib, where he surrendered to the Russian commander, Prince Alexander Baryatinsky, on 25 August 1859. Demonstrating success on the battlefield, Ter-Gukasov was bestowed the Order of St. George. Arshak Ter-Gukasov medals

In 1865 Arshak Ter-Gukasov was promoted to the rank of major general and was given the 19th artillery division under his command. Meanwhile, he assumed the position of district-governor of the Terek province. A year later, he was appointed as commander to the 38th Infantry Division and 1874, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

Russian-Turkish war of 1877–78

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 was a conflict between the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

and the

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonica ...

coalition led by the

and composed of several Balkan countries. Fought in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and in the

, it originated in emerging 19th-century Balkan

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: T ...

. Additional factors included Russian hopes of recovering territorial losses suffered during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

, re-establishing itself in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Ro ...

and supporting the political movement attempting to free Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire. Stationed in the

in Georgia and Armenia was the Russian Caucasus Corps designated for the eastern front, composed of approximately 50,000 men and 202 guns under the overall command of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich, Governor General of the Caucasus. The Russian force stood opposed an

Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...

of 100,000 men led by General

Ahmed Muhtar Pasha Ahmed Muhtar Pasha ( ota, احمد مختار پاشا;‎ 1 November 1839 – 21 January 1919) was a prominent Ottoman field marshal and Grand Vizier, who served in the Crimean and Russo-Turkish wars. Ahmed Muhtar Pasha was appointed as G ...

. The Caucasus Corps was led by a quartet of Armenian commanders: Generals Arshak Ter-Gukasov,

Mikhail Loris-Melikov Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (, hy, Միքայել Լորիս-Մելիքյան; – 24 December 1888) was a Russian- Armenian statesman, General of the Cavalry, and Adjutant General of H. I. M. Retinue. The Princes of Lori - Lor ...

, Ivan Lazarev and Beybut Shelkovnikov. It was the forces under Ter-Gukasov, numbering at around 13,000 soldiers, stationed near

, that commenced the first assault into Ottoman territory by capturing the town of Bayazid on 27 April 1877.. Capitalizing on Ter-Gukasov's victory there, Russian forces advanced, taking the region of

Ardahan Ardahan (, ka, არტაანი, tr, hy, Արդահան, translit=Ardahan Russian: Ардаган) is a city in northeastern Turkey, near the Georgian border. It is the capital of Ardahan Province. History Ancient and medieval Ardaha ...

on 17 May; Russian units also besieged the city of

Kars Kars (; ku, Qers; ) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. Its population is 73,836 in 2011. Kars was in the ancient region known as ''Chorzene'', (in Greek Χορζηνή) in classical historiography (Strabo), part of K ...

in the final week of May, although Ottoman reinforcements lifted the siege and drove them back. Along the way to Erzurum, Ter-Gukasov managed to capture the villages of Karakilise, Diadin, and the Eleşkirt valley. DefenceOfBayazet

Skirmishes continued with Turkish forces in and around Dramdag and Karaderbent. Ter-Gukasov defeated Muhtar Pasha's much larger army and continued his march towards Erzurum. However, on June 15, Ter-Gukasov received orders to retreat to Iğdır to replenish his supplies and ammunition. With this retreat, 20,000 Armenian refugees, fearing a massacre if left unprotected, migrated alongside Ter-Gukasov's retreating soldiers. After defeating the Turkish armies attacks along the line of retreat, Ter-Gukasov safely passed through Russian territory. Meanwhile, however, a new offensive was launched towards Beyazid by Ismail Shah, a Kurdish chieftain based in Van. Ismail Shah had already been responsible for the massacres of Armenians throughout the province of

Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...

. His soldiers continued to harass and pillage Armenian villages under his control. With a limited number of Russian troops garrisoned in Beyazid, Ter-Gukasov marched to Beyazid on 8 July to assist in its defense. After a brief siege, Ter-Gukasov successfully repulsed Ismail Shah's troops. The Russian soldiers are widely regarded as being "saved" from an inevitable defeat by the Turkish army. Ter-Gukasov's relief of Beyazid was a key factor in Russia's hold on the city, turning the tide of war in Russia's favor. With a low loss of 100 men during the confrontation, historians William Allen and Paul Muratoff called Ter-Gukasov's engagement a "really brilliant operation". Owing to these efforts, Ter-Gukasov was awarded the Order of the White Eagle and the 3rd class of the Order of St. George. After Beyazid, Arshak Ter-Ghukasov mobilized his troops again towards the west and in October engages with Muhtar Pasha at Deveboynu, a decisive battle in which Muhtar Pasha was defeated by 4 November. Bolstered by reinforcements, in November 1877 General Lazarev launched a new attack on Kars, suppressing the southern forts leading to the city and capturing Kars itself on November 18. In January 1878, Ter-Gukasov was appointed commander of the

Akhaltsikhe Akhaltsikhe ( ka, ახალციხე ), formerly known as Lomsia ( ka, ლომსია), is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region ('' mkhare'') of Samtskhe–Javakheti. It is situated on both banks of a small river Potskhovi (a le ...

regiment. Meanwhile, on 19 February 1878 the strategic fortress town of

Erzerum Erzurum (; ) is a city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. The city uses the double-headed eagle as ...

was taken by the Russians after a lengthy siege. Although they relinquished control of Erzerum to the Ottomans at the end the war, the Russians acquired the regions of

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's ...

, Olti, and Sarikamish and reconstituted them into the

Kars Oblast The Kars Oblast was a province (''oblast'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire between 1878 and 1917. Its capital was the city of Kars, presently in Turkey. The ''oblast'' bordered the Ottoman Empire to the west, the Batum Oblast ...

Post-war and death

After the Russo-Turkish War, Ter-Gukasov was appointed commander of troops in

Transcaucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arm ...

. Thereafter, he was assigned as the Caucasian Corps commander. Meanwhile, his rank was assigned as General-Adjutant, an assistant who attended the Tsar, a field marshal or a general. By this time, however, Ter-Gukasov's health greatly deteriorated. He traveled abroad to be treated, but the treatment ultimately failed. After returning to Tiflis, he rested at the London Hotel where he died on 8 January 1881. The Russian government paid for Ter-Gukasov's funeral expenses. He was buried in St. Kevork Armenian Cathedral next to Russian-Armenian military commanders he fought alongside during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–78: Mikhail Loris-Melikov, Ivan Lazarev and Beybut Shelkovnikov. His funeral was attended by many nobility including Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia.

Legacy

Arshak Ter-Gukasov is depicted during the siege of Bayazid in the first chapter of the novel ''Khent'', written by Armenian writer Raffi.

Awards and decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ter-Gukasov 1819 births 1881 deaths Military personnel from Tbilisi 19th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Russian military personnel of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 1st class Armenian people from the Russian Empire Imperial Russian Army generals Engineers from the Russian Empire Politicians of the Russian Empire Nersisian School alumni