Battle of Sarikamish
1914 CE · Turkey
The Battle of Sarikamish was fought in 1914 CE in Turkey between Russian Empire vs the Ottoman Empire; decisive Russian victory; the Ottoman Third Army was destroyed, largely by cold and exposure.
Battle of Sarikamish: quick facts
- Date
- 1914 CE
- Location
- Turkey
- Belligerents
- Russian Empire vs the Ottoman Empire
- Commanders
- Nikolai Yudenich vs Enver Pasha
- Result
- decisive Russian victory; the Ottoman Third Army was destroyed, largely by cold and exposure.
- Era
- ⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empires
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Sarikamish?
Ottoman War Minister Enver Pasha personally led a reckless winter offensive against Russian forces in the Caucasus mountains. Poorly equipped Ottoman soldiers, many lacking winter clothing, marched through mountain passes in freezing conditions. Of roughly 100,000 Ottoman troops, fewer than 18,000 survived, with most dying from exposure and disease rather than combat. The catastrophic defeat destabilized the eastern Ottoman Empire and contributed to the tragic events that followed.
Did you know?
Of the roughly 100,000 Ottoman soldiers who marched into the Caucasus mountains at Sarikamish, approximately 75,000 died from exposure, frostbite, and disease rather than enemy action.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Sarikamish on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.