Battle of Ushno

Battle of Ushno (1918)
Part of Persian campaign (World War I)
Date April 16, 1918 Location Oshnavieh, Persia Result Assyrian victory
Belligerents
Assyrian volunteers	Ottoman Empire 2nd Division Persian Cossacks Kurdish tribesmen
Commanders and leaders
Agha Petros	Nihat Pasha Kheiri Bey
Strength
Unknown	2,000 troops and some cannons
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy [1] 325 POW 24 officers 5 machine guns and 2 field guns seized

The Battle of Ushno, fought on April 16, 1918, in what is now Oshnavieh, was an engagement between the Assyrian forces of Agha Petros against Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish troops. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Background

It was in April 16 of 1918 that the Assyrian force of Agha Petros advanced towards Ushno and Sauj Bulak. ^{[3] [5]} Stationed in Ushno, was a Turkish force numbering about 2,000, accompanied by Islamist Persians and Kurds, armed with heavy cannons. ^{[3] [6] [7]}

Prior to this, the Assyrian force had previously fought against Persian Cossack troops in Urmia and Dilman, after the Islamic Persian 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. ^[8]

Battle

When the Assyrian force of Agha Petros had advanced to Ushno, they had to go through the mountainous terrain which challenged them. ^[3]

However the Assyrians went down on the Turkish force, and destroyed it, creating a seemingly striking victory. ^[9] The Turkish force then panicked and retreated as a result of the victorious Assyrian force. ^[5]

Aftermath

The Assyrian force had defeated the Turks, forcing the Turks to withdraw from Ushno. ^[5] It was then that the Assyrians captured approximately 325 prisoners of war, and carried them away. ^[2] According to the Assyrians, the prisoners were treated well and were eventually released. ^[2]

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

References

1. Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.
2. Austin, H. H. (1920). The Baqubah Refugee Camp: An Account of Work on Behalf of the Persecuted Assyrian Christians. Faith Press. p. 27.
3. 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. 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.
6. 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.
7. Wigram, William Ainger (1920). Our Smallest Ally: A Brief Account of the Assyrian Nation in the Great War. p. 45.
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. 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.