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Battle of Geok-Tepe, 1881

In December of 1880, just over a year after "The Lomakin Massacre," Russian soldiers set out once more for Geok-Tepe. The Teke were better prepared for this assault, having redesigned the fortress defenses at Geok-Tepe to their advantage. In addition, the Turcomen now had 10,000 troops armed with 2,000 breech-loading rifles captured from the Russians. (The civilian population of Geok-Tepe was about 40,000 by this time.)


The Russians under the command of General Mikhail Skobelev were far stronger now, as well. Skobelev had 7,000 cavalry and infantry troops at his disposal, along with 60 big guns.

In early January of 1881, the fighting began. The Russian artillery rained down death inside of Geok-Tepe fortress, but the walls were unscathed. Skobelev began to worry that the rumored reinforcements from Merv would come in on his eastern flank if the seige went on too long. The Russians decided to tunnel under the wall and plant a mine, which would blow a huge breach into the Teke defenses.

For a couple of weeks, the Russians patiently bored their way closer and closer to the walls of Geok-Tepe. Finally, they reached their target. Sappers set two tons of explosives at the end of the tunnel, underneath the fortress walls. At mid-day on January 24, the Russian artillery opened up a furious barrage. At the same moment, the mine was ignited. A fountain of sand and rubble shot into the sky with a deafening roar, killing several hundred Teke instantly.

The Russian infantry swarmed through the breach, hacking at the stunned Turcomen defenders.

Soon the Turcomen realized that Geok-Tepe fortress had become a death-trap. Those that could jumped onto their horses and fled into the desert. Many of the civilians of Geok-Tepe town ran, as well.

The Russian soldiers were thirsty for revenge; British sources say that most were drunk, as well. The battle turned into a slaughter. Many of the Teke who had not yet taken to the desert were slashed to pieces, from the elderly to tiny infants. The Russians raped, looted, and massacred the inhabitants of Geok-Tepe.

The next day, General Skobelev ordered all the remaining women of Geok-Tepe, (about 15,000 in all), to surrender their gold and silver jewelry as a "war contribution." Each Teke woman, no matter how poor her family, is expected to get married wearing a load of jewelry so heavy that she cannot stand up unassisted under its weight. Skobelev told the surviving women that he would turn them over to the soldiers to do with what they pleased, if the jewelry was not delivered. Soon two large carpets were piled with gold and silver more than six feet high.

At the end of three days, about 6,500 Teke fighters lay dead in Geok-Tepe fortress. Another 8,000 warriors and civilians were massacred in the plains around Geok-Tepe. Russian casualties, which the victors probably underestimated, were put at 268 killed and 669 wounded.

Author Peter Hopkirk recounts the horror and disgust of one Armenian translator who accompanied the Russians. The interpreter was appalled by the rape and slaughter visited on the Teke; General Skobelev justified it by stating that "I hold it as a principle that the duration of the peace is in direct proportion to the slaughter you inflict upon the enemy. The harder you hit them, the longer they remain quiet."

Aftermath of the Battle of Geok-Tepe

The Teke were humbled and pacified by their crushing defeat at Geok-Tepe. With so many of their warriors killed, and so much of their wealth stolen, it would be a long time before this once-fearsome tribe would have the power to trouble their neighbors.

For General Skobelev and the Russians, though, the Battle of Geok-Tepe was not an unqualified success. Media reports by O'Donovan and other journalists of the "slaughter of innocents" caused a huge outcry across Europe. The Tsar recalled Skobelev, and sentenced him to serve in Minsk (a harsh punishment). Some sources believe that Skobelev was acutally being demoted because of his political ambitions. The general died within a year of the Battle of Geok-Tepe, at the age of 39. Officially, he died of a heart attack.

These days, Geok-Tepe is a sleepy little village in Turkmenistan. The inhabitants grow grapes, raise the famous Akhal-Teke horses, and worship at the second-largest mosque in Central Asia, (a marvelous aquamarine and white structure). Just outside of town, the remains of the fortress can still be seen. A small museum next to the walls houses the cannonballs, weapons, and other artifacts of the battle that turn up fairly regularly under farmers' plows in this area. Human and horse bones are also found sometimes.

The Teke tribe still lives in the south-central area of Turkmenistan, and the capital, Ashgabat, sits within the Ahkal Province. Although there are six tribes of Turkmen, the majority of central government officials are Teke. However, the Teke people have never fully recovered from the slaughter that was inflicted on them at Geok-Tepe. These days, they are also trying to recover from a little over a century of Russian rule -- under both the Tsars and the Soviets.

Sources

Hopkirk, Peter. "The Great Game: the Struggle for Empire in Central Asia," (1992).

Marvin, Charles. "The Russians at Merv and Herat and Their Power of Invading India," (2000 reprint of an 1883 edition).

O'Donovan, Edmond. "The Merv Oasis; Travels and Adventures East of the Caspian During the Years 1879-80-81, Volumes I and II," (2001 reprint of an 1882 edition).

"The Russians in Central Asia: A Disaster to the Advance Column," The New York Times, Sept. 24, 1879.