The Battle of Rimnik was fought on September 22, 1789 in Wallachia, present-day Romania, between an allied army of Russians and Austrians under the famous Russian general Alexander Suvorov and the distinguished Austrian peer Prince Josiah of Saxe-Coburg and a quadrupled Ottoman army. .
The conflict is part of the wider context of the war between the two Christian empires against the Ottomans with the aim of dismembering the Ottoman empire, which however did not develop positively for the Austrians and Russians due to the outbreak of the French Revolution.
In September 1789 the Ottoman Grand Vizier Hasan Pasha gathered 100,000 men, including many thousands of janissaries, and moved against the small allied army of Austrians (18,000 men) and Russians (7,000 men) under the worthy generals Coburg and Suvorov.
The Ottoman vizier decided to attack the Austrians against whom his force was outnumbered 5:1. However, Suvorov understood the Turkish intentions and rushed with his only 7,000 men to reinforce his allies. After a short march of 100 km, the Russians joined the Austrians on the eve of the battle.
Attack, attack, attack…
Suvorov was a follower of the offensive doctrine and preferred the bayonet to fire ... So he decided to surprise attack the Turks four times as many, instead of waiting to be crushed by their enormous numerical superiority.
The Christian army formed into two large attack phalanxes and after crossing the tributary of the river Sereti Rimnik, attacked. Moving swiftly, the allies reached the Turkish artillery lines and overran them before they could fire at them.
Hassan responded by throwing his numerous cavalry into battle. However, the allied infantry immediately formed squares and dispersed the Turks with murderous volleys. As thousands of Turkish corpses began to litter the field, Suvorov and Coburg ordered a charge.
With bayonets drawn, under the cover of their cavalry, flags fluttering in the morning sun, the allied infantry charged against the Turkish camp, attacked and captured the first, small, Turkish camp, routing the enemy.
Around 15.00 the allies had overturned the Turkish defenders in the village of Bogsa the allies, always in the same formation, continued the attack against the main Turkish camp... The Turks reacted furiously with waves of janissaries charging at the Austrian and Russian infantry who took over cover as Suvorov was preparing "the final spatism..." .
As the janissaries were pinned down against the allied infantry the allied cavalry charged against their flanks and literally tore them apart . Panicked, the Turks threw down their weapons and fled. Immediately the allied infantry rushed against them.
The Turks were trapped with the river at their backs and massacred… Many drowned trying to cross the river. The losses of the Turks were overwhelming... More than 20,000 of their men were slaughtered or drowned. The losses of the two Christian allies were only 700. The defeated Hasan lost his position as grand vizier but spared his head. The Battle of Rimnik resulted in the withdrawal of the Turks from the Danubian Hegemony.