Battle of Geok Tepe

The Battle of Geok Tepe in 1881 was the main event in the 1880/81 Russian campaign to conquer the Teke tribe of Turkmens. Its effect was to give the Russian Empire control over most of what is now Turkmenistan, thereby nearly completing the Russian conquest of Central Asia.

This article is about the battle in 1881. For the earlier Russian defeat at the same place in 1879, see Battle of Geok Tepe (1879).
Siege of Geok Tepe
Part of Russian conquest of Turkestan
DateDecember 1880 – January 1881
Location
Geok Tepe, Turkmenistan
38°09′28″N 57°57′59″E
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
 Russian Empire Turkmens
Commanders and leaders

Mikhail Skobelev

Aleksey Kuropatkin		 Ovezmurat Dykma-Serdar et al.
Strength
7,200
72 artillery pieces		 20–25,000 people in the fortress (around 8,000 with firearms)
no artillery
Casualties and losses

268 killed
669 wounded: 402 
or: 59 killed,
254 wounded

645 died of disease.		 15,000 defenders and civilians killed
or up to 20,000 killed

The battle is also called Denghil-Tepe or Dangil Teppe. Sources are inconsistent, but Denghil-Tepe seems to have been the name of the fort and also the name of a small hill or tumulus in the northwest corner of the fort. Geok Tepe ('Blue Hill') seems to refer to the general area, the modern town, a nearby village and a mountain to the south. Skrine says that fort enclosed 2.6 square kilometres (1 sq mi) or more, with mud walls 5.5 m (18 ft) thick and 3 m (10 ft) high on the inside and a 1.2 m (4 ft) dry ditch on the outside, although other dimensions are given. The area was part of the Akhal Oasis where streams coming down from the Kopet Dagh support irrigation agriculture.

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