Day Eight and the Aftermath

The Turkish Attacks made between 30 December 1914 and 06 January 1915 would melt just like the snowflakes falling on a stove and the attacks would come to a halt. And this was the limit of both the army and the human endurance.

Photo: Railroad hangers that were blown up with Turkish troops inside by Russians

Photo: When the Turkish advances were stopped, some of the Turkish honor flags were evacuated to Erzurum

Photo: Monument and millitary cemetary near the Sarıçamur creek where about 2000 Ottoman Soldiers are burried near Sarikamish

Now, the roles had changed. The Russians had started to encircle the Turks with their strengthened forces. Ihsan Pasha, the Commander of the 9th Corps was taken prisoner along with his headquarter. However, according to some Russian historians, the Russians didn’t follow the withdrawing Turkish Army and missed a big opportunity. Because if they had, the 3rd Army would have been completely destroyed. The remaining forces of the army took a defensive posture in Bardiz. Now, all of the attacks were over. There were only 344 soldiers left in the 9th Corps and 500 in the 10th Corps.

Enver Pasha went to Istanbul, delivering the authority to command to Hafiz Hakki Pasha who was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and later would die of typhus. Enver Pasha told his nephew Halil Bey who returned from Urfa the following expressive and tragic words: ‘‘all the forces were destroyed’’. This meant that the 3rd Army was destroyed considerably.

Painting: A louse that causes contagious Typhus

Painting: Frozen Turkish Soldiers

Sketch: 29 December 1914 and later