Ottoman Military Training Sheet Siege of Plevna Russo-Turkish War Military Press 1927

Ottoman Military Training Sheet - Siege of Plevna (Russo-Turkish War), Military Press, 1927

Description:
An original Ottoman Turkish military training sheet, published by the Istanbul Military Press in 1927, shortly after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. As the Alphabet Reform (Harf Devrimi) had not yet been implemented (it would come on 1 November 1928), the text appears in Ottoman script (Arabic-based) rather than Latin.

The sheet contains two detailed tables showing the battle formations (nizam harbi) of Ottoman forces during the Siege of Plevna (1877) in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878):

1. 18 July 1293 (30 July 1877) – Distribution of forces under Mirliva Hasan Sabri Pasha’s command.

2. 5–18 September 1296 (17–30 September 1877) – Reinforcement forces sent from Orhaniye to Plevna, commanded by Ferik Ahmed Hıfzı Pasha.

These diagrams illustrate the order of battle and troop deployment, used as an educational reference in military schools to analyze strategy and tactics.

Historical Context:

• The Siege of Plevna (Plevne Müdafaası), led by Osman Pasha, became one of the most celebrated Ottoman victories, where the empire resisted superior Russian forces for months, gaining international admiration.

• By 1927, the newly founded Republic of Turkey was still training its officers in Ottoman script, as the language reform had not yet taken effect. Such materials represent the transitional period between the Ottoman military tradition and the modern Turkish army.

Key Features:

• Type: Military training sheet with tactical tables

• Publisher: Istanbul Military Press

• Date: 1927 (before the Alphabet Reform)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script)

• Contents:

  • Table 1: Hasan Sabri Pasha’s forces at Plevna, 18 July 1293 (1877)

  • Table 2: Ahmed Hıfzı Pasha’s reinforcement forces, September 1877
    

• Purpose: Officer training / Military education

• Historical Significance: Rare transitional-era military document linking Ottoman military history (Russo-Turkish War) with early Republican military education; demonstrates the continuity of military heritage across the regime change