Gazi Osman Pasha

Biography

The defender of Plevna and the hero of the Ottoman war effort, Osman Nuri Pasha seized the undefended crossroads town after the fall of Nikopol and there conducted one of the great defensive stands of the 19th century. For five months his entrenched army threw back assault after assault, inflicting staggering losses and pinning the whole Russian invasion in place. When starvation finally forced him to attempt a breakout in December 1877, Osman was wounded and captured — and treated with honour by his enemies, who saluted his defence. He returned to Constantinople a national hero bearing the title 'Gazi' (the Victorious), and served the Sultan as marshal and palace official for the rest of his life. His stand made 'Plevna' a synonym across Europe for heroic, doomed defence.

Key Battles