In fact, the fortified city was taken by Russian troops three times: in 1770, 1790 and 1809. In the first two cases, the city was returned to the Ottomans after some time. And only after 1809 he remained forever in the Russian Empire.
First assault
In the first Turkish war of 1768-1774, after the successful actions of the Russian army, the Turks were looking for salvation in the fortresses. The commander-in-chief Rumyantsev sent Prince Repnin to drive them out of Izmail, and on July 26, 1770, after a small battle under the walls of the fortress, this fortress surrendered. In 1774, in order to regroup and withdraw the main forces to fight against Pugachev's army (for more details, read Suvorov against Pugachev-2. What was hidden by the "Pugachev uprising"?), The Kuchuk-Kainarjir peace was concluded with the Ottomans, according to which Izmail was returned to the Turkish government …
Again at the walls of Ishmael
The results of the first campaign, by and large, did not suit both sides, and if so, then the next war was a matter of time.
Promotional video:
The second assault on Izmail took place at the final stage of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. For the sultan, it was not going very well, and by the time of the capture of Ishmael, the Turkish army suffered many defeats, and also lost several fortresses near Ishmael, where the remnants of the garrisons escaped from them flocked.
Ishmael himself did not have “fortress walls” in our understanding. It was built by French engineers according to the latest engineering ideas of the time, so that the basis of its fortifications were earthen ramparts with a huge ditch, on which numerous cannons were installed. This was done in order to defend against modern artillery, for which it was not difficult to smash the upright old walls. Only one extreme left bastion of Ishmael, adjacent to the river, was clad in stone.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky, after several unsuccessful assault attempts (it should be borne in mind that the attackers were fewer than the besieged), decided on the last chance - he summoned A. V. Suvorov (with whom he had rather tense relations).
Arrival of Suvorov to the walls of Izmail.
Miracle heroes and Suvorov
Suvorov was expecting this - the storming of Ishmael was a kind of challenge to his military leadership talent. He immediately rode out to the fortress, summoning reinforcements and turning back the troops retreating to their winter quarters. He himself was so impatient that a few kilometers before the target he left the guard and set off on horseback, accompanied by only one Cossack, who was carrying the commander's personal belongings.
After conducting a reconnaissance, he ordered to besiege the city and build a complete copy of the fortifications nearby, on which the assault detachments were trained. The arrival of the legendary commander caused a rise in the mood of the troops, he personally bypassed the bivouacs and sat by the fires with soldiers. Raising the morale was not without bait - according to the tradition of that time, the city was promised to the soldiers for plunder for three days.
It took six days to prepare. Flares were fired every night, teaching the Turks not to react to them. Previously, he himself always led the assault columns in the most important sector, but now he stood at the head of the detachment opposite the most fortified part of the walls - and did not go anywhere. The Turks were led and left numerous troops in this direction. And the attackers stormed the city from three other sides, in those places where the fortifications were the weakest.
The assault was preceded by a powerful artillery barrage, which was carried out, including from ships, by shifting the entire load to one side, thus creating an elevation and the possibility of firing with a hinged trajectory (this was used for the first time). Attacks were carried out from all directions simultaneously from 5 o'clock in the morning, and troops landed from the side of the river.
The battles on the ramparts were bloody, the Turks defended bravely, and the Russian troops advanced. Nevertheless, in less than an hour, the outer fortifications were captured, and the gates were opened, and through them cavalry entered the city and brought in field guns. And then the bloodiest thing began - the city battles. The streets in front of the infantry were shot with buckshot, and after that the sweep began - every house was shot back. By two o'clock in the afternoon all the columns reached the center of Izmail, by 16 the last defenders of the fortress were killed. Ishmael fell.
Suvorov's entrance to the conquered Izmail.
By the right of the winner
Suvorov, for all his genius, was a man of his time and did not shy away from the cruelties inherent in this time. He participated in the suppression of riots and uprisings, encouraged greed (useful for the success of the business) among the suffering and was not noticed in sentimentality. After the fall, Ishmael was given over to plunder for three days - as promised….
According to foreigners (of course, completely false), they walked ankle-deep in bloody mud, the corpses of the Turks were then thrown into the Danube for six days (this is a fact). Suvorov appointed Kutuzov (the same one) as the head of the garrison and ordered to restore order. A huge hospital was opened in the city, guards were posted throughout the fortress.
In total, during the assault and after it, about 26 thousand Turks died and 9 thousand were captured. The Russians lost a little over five thousand killed and wounded. The capture of Ishmael shocked Europe, and a real panic began in Turkey. It was so strong that the population scattered from nearby cities so that they would not suffer the fate of Ishmael.
Suvorov hoped to receive the rank of Field Marshal for his feat, but Potemkin gave him only a medal and a lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment. Potemkin himself, for Ishmael, received the Tauride Palace, a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, and a memorial obelisk in Tsarskoye Selo (everything is as always).
Third assault
Under the terms of the Yassy Peace Treaty of 1791, Ishmael was returned to the Turks again (although all the fortifications were prudently demolished).
During the next Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812, Izmail was repeatedly besieged by the Russians in 1806 and 1807, but due to the lack of siege artillery, they could not launch the correct attack. The assault began only in September 1809, several bombs and brandskugels thrown into the city set off a massive fire, caused an explosion in the arsenal, and the frightened garrison surrendered.
Continuation: "Let's go and show how the Poles are beaten! Raid of Suvorov to Poland"