Battle of Qbaada

43°40′43″N 40°12′19″E / 43.67861°N 40.20528°E / 43.67861; 40.20528Result Russian victoryTerritorial
changes Annexation of CircassiaBelligerents Russian Empire CircassiaCommanders and leaders Michael Nikolaevich
Dimitri Ivanovich
Pavel Khristoforovich Grabbe
Pavel Shatilov
Vasily Alexandrovich Tribal leadersUnits involved

Russian Imperial Army

• Russian artillery units
• Russian cavalry units
• Russian infantry units
• Caucasus-Cossack cavalry units
• Caucasus-Cossack infantry units

Circassian resistance

• Abreks
• Local villagers

Strength 100,000-250,000 20,000Casualties and losses Unknown but heavy 20,000 During the Circassian Genocide, about 1,500,000^[1][2][3][4] indigenous highland Caucasians were expelled mainly to the Ottoman Empire, and a much smaller number to Persia. An unknown number of those expelled died during deportation.^[5]

The Battle of Qbaada (Adyghe: Ӏаткъуадж зауэ, romanized: 'atqwadj zawə; Abkhaz: Гәбаадәы аибашьра, romanized: Gubaadu aibashra; Russian: Кра́снополя́нская битва) took place in 1864 between the last remains of the Circassians and the Russian imperial forces during the Russo-Circassian War.^{[6][2][7][8][3][9][4][10]} It is widely accepted as the last battle of the war as no other significant battles, other than scattered rebellions, occurred thereafter.^{[11][12][13][4][14]}

History

The battle took place in Qbaada in 1864 between the Circassian army of 20,000 men and women, consisting of local villagers and militia as well as tribal horsemen, and a Russian army of 100,000 men, consisting of Cossack and Russian horsemen, infantry, and artillery. The Russian forces advanced from four sides. Circassian forces tried to break the line, but many were hit by Russian artillery and infantry before they managed to reach the front. The remaining fighters were soon defeated. The Russian army began celebrating victory on the corpses, and a military-religious parade was held, as 100 Circassian warriors were publicly executed.^[15] The Russian army then continued raiding and burning Circassian villages, destroying fields to prevent return, cutting down trees, and driving the people to the Black Sea coast.^[14]

References