Battle of Ushno

Battle of Ushno (1918)
Part of Persian campaign (World War I)
Date16 April 1918
Location
Oshnavieh, Sublime State of Iran
Result Assyrian victory
Belligerents
Assyrian volunteers

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders
Agha Petros Ali Ihsan Pasha
Nihat Pasha
Strength
Unknown 2,000 troops and heavy cannons
Casualties and losses
Unknown

Heavy[1]

The Battle of Ushno, fought on 16 April 1918, in what is now Oshnavieh, was a major engagement between the Assyrian forces of Agha Petros against Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish troops.[2][3][4] During this confrontation, Agha Petros and his forces launched an offensive against the Turkish forces in order to capture Ushno, crossing the harsh terrain and finally achieving a striking victory.[5]

Background

It was on 16 April 1918 that the Assyrian force of Agha Petros advanced towards Ushno and Sauj Bulak.[3][6][7] As they confronted the Turks, they faced a superior force numbering about 2,000, accompanied by Persian Cossacks and Kurds, armed with heavy cannons.[3][8][9]

Prior to this, the Assyrian force had previously fought against Persian Cossack troops in Urmia and Dilman, after the Iranian government had sent them to disarm the Assyrians. The Persian Cossacks initially failed, and the Assyrians continued to carry their arms and to maintain their military organization.[10]

Battle

Not much is said about this battle, but the Assyrian forces of Agha Petros had advanced to Ushno, and then had to go through the mountainous terrain which challenged them.[3] Despite this, the Assyrians went down on the Turkish force and destroyed it, creating a seemingly striking victory.[11] The Turkish force then panicked and retreated as a result.[6]

Aftermath

The Assyrians had defeated the Turks, forcing them to withdraw from Ushno and Sauj Bulak.[6] It was then that the Assyrians captured approximately 325 prisoners of war, largely Kurds, and carried them away.[2][12] 24 of them were officers.[12] According to the Assyrians, the prisoners were treated well and were eventually released within a few days, this treatment was quite surprising due to the fact that the Turks had terrorised Assyrian villages.[2]

The Assyrians later marched on Suldouze where no Persian village was attacked or looted.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.
  2. ^ a b c Austin, H. H. (1920). The Baqubah Refugee Camp: An Account of Work on Behalf of the Persecuted Assyrian Christians. Faith Press. p. 27.
  3. ^ a b c d e Allen, E.T (1918). OUTLINE OF EVENTS IN THE DISTRICT OF URUMIA AND THE SYRIAN CONNECTION THEREWITH, - SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR (PDF). p. 6.
  4. ^ Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.
  5. ^ Donabed, Sargon (2015-02-01). Reforging a Forgotten History: Iraq and the Assyrians in the Twentieth Century. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-8605-6.
  6. ^ a b c Majd, Mohammad Gholi (2013-07-19). The Great Famine & Genocide in Iran: 1917-1919. University Press of America. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7618-6168-3.
  7. ^ "THE BAQUBAH REFUGEE CAMP". www.aina.org. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  8. ^ Majd, Mohammad Gholi (2003). Persia in World War I and Its Conquest by Great Britain. University Press of America. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-7618-2678-1.
  9. ^ Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.
  10. ^ Majd, Mohammad Gholi (2003). Persia in World War I and Its Conquest by Great Britain. University Press of America. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-7618-2678-1.
  11. ^ Donabed, Sargon (2015-02-01). Reforging a Forgotten History: Iraq and the Assyrians in the Twentieth Century. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-8605-6.
  12. ^ a b Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.

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