Ahmed Muhtar Pasha
Marshal, Commander of the Ottoman Caucasus Army
"We fought until the mountains themselves gave way."
Biography
The ablest Ottoman commander on the Caucasus front, Ahmed Muhtar Pasha waged a skilful defensive campaign in eastern Anatolia, winning early actions and earning the honorific 'Gazi' before he was finally overwhelmed by Loris-Melikov's superior numbers at the Aladzha Heights and forced to give up Kars. He survived the disaster with his reputation as a soldier largely intact and went on to a long and distinguished career, serving as Ottoman high commissioner in Egypt and, briefly in 1912, as Grand Vizier of the Empire during the crisis of the Balkan Wars. He lived to see the Ottoman defeat in the First World War, dying in 1919 as the empire he had served for six decades disintegrated.
Did you know?
A gifted amateur astronomer, he wrote works on calendar reform — and briefly served as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1912.
Key Battles
Battle of the Aladzha Heights
Russia & Balkan Allies victoryOctober 15, 1877 · 12,000 total casualties
Aladzha destroyed the main Ottoman field army in Anatolia and opened the way to the great fortress of Kars, securing Russia's eastern gains that would be confirmed at San Stefano.
Life Journey
Timeline
1839
🌅 Birth
Born in Bursa
October 1877
⚔️ Battle
Defeated at the Aladzha Heights
1919
✝️ Death
Dies as the Ottoman Empire collapses