Battle of Molodi

The Battle of Molodi (Russian: Би́тва при Мóлодях) was one of the key battles of Ivan the Terrible's reign. It was fought near the village of Molodi, 40 miles (64 km) south of Moscow, in July–August 1572 between the 120,000 horde of Devlet I Giray of Crimea and about 60,000–70,000 Russians led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky.^[6] The Crimeans had burned Moscow the previous year, but this time they were thoroughly defeated.

Battle of Molodi
Part of the Russo-Crimean Wars and Russo-Turkish wars
Molodi village. A foundation stone to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Molodi in 1572.
Date 29 July – 2 August 1572 Location Molodi, 50 km south of Moscow 55°30′N 37°32′E Result Russo-Cossack victory[1] Territorial changes Crimean-Ottoman invasion of Russia repulsed
Belligerents
Tsardom of Russia Don Cossacks Zaporozhian Cossacks[2]	Crimean Khanate Ottoman Empire[3]
Commanders and leaders
Mikhail Vorotynsky (army commander) Dmitry Khvorostinin [ru] (key figure) Mikhail Cherkashenin [ru] Mykhailo Vyshnevetsky	Devlet I Giray Divay Murza (POW)
Strength
20,000 to 70,000 men[a]	60,000[3] to 120,000[6] men
Casualties and losses
Unknown	15,000 dead or wounded, 12,000 drowned or 100,000 killed[2][b]

Background

While the Tsardom of Russia was involved in the Livonian War, the Crimean khan hoped to make profit from the weakness of its southern borders. In the course of three expeditions, Devlet I Giray devastated South Russia and even sacked and set Moscow on fire in 1571. On 26 July 1572 the huge horde of the khan, equipped with cannons and reinforced by janissaries, crossed the Oka River near Serpukhov, decimated the Russian vanguard of 200 men, and advanced towards Moscow in order to pillage it once again.^[6] Little did they know, however, that the Russians had prepared for the new invasion, setting up innovative fortifications just beyond the Oka.

Battle

The Russian forces, variously estimated at between 20,000^[7][4] and 70,000 men, were placed under the supreme command of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky.^[6] Prince Repnin led the left flank, while the right flank was commanded by Prince Odoevsky. On 30 July the armies clashed near the Lopasnya River without so much as a prior reconnaissance. The fighting continued for several days, reaching its peak on 8 August. The large amount of close-in fighting made the Tatars' famed skill in archery quite useless:^[6] The battle was fought principally with sabers and spears. Artillery and arquebuses were also used by the Russians to great effect. The outcome was decided by Prince Khvorostinin who bypassed the horde with his gulyay-gorod (гуляй-город) mobile fortifications and infiltrated into the rear.

Aftermath

After the battle, only 20,000 Tatar horsemen returned to the Crimea,^[6] while the khan left his tent and banner on the battlefield and barely managed to escape alive. The battle claimed the lives of his sons and a grandson.

• 
  Moscow streltsy
• 
  Ivan IV is presented with trophies taken from Devlet Giray by Vorotynsky after the battle. By Boris Chorikov
• 
  Crimean Tatar horseman. Engraving by Abraham de Bruyn (1575)

Order of Battle

Based on contemporary documents, the Russian forces were as follows:^[8]

Group	Composition	Number
Main:	Regiment of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky Regiment of Ivan Vasilievich Sheremetev Regiment of Prince Andrey Paletsky from Dedilov Regiment of Prince Yuri Kurlyatev from Donkov Regiments of Galician, Koryak, Kostroma and Balakhon Strelets of the regiments of Osip Isupov and Mikhail Rzhevsky Hired Cossacks of the regiments of Yuri Bulgakov and Ivan Fustov German and Cossack mercenary regiments of Yuri Frantsbek, Yuryev and Rugodiv, Atalyk Kvashnin, the "Onikey children", Ignatiy Kobyakov and Yuri Tutolminus	1,840 1,065 350 200 1,430 1,000 1,000 1,300
		Total: 8,255
Right Hand:	Regiment of Prince Nikita Romanovich Odoevsky Regiment of Fyodor Vasilyevich Sheremetev Regiment of Prince Grigory Dolgorukov Sagittarius Cossacks	1,225 1,015 350 500 500
		Total: 3,590
Forward:	Regiment of Prince Andrey Petrovich Khovansky Regiment of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin Regiment of Prince Mikhail Lykov Smolensk, Ryazan and Epifan archers Cossacks Vyatchane in strugs on the rivers	1,095 2,040 350 535 650 900
		Total: 4,475
Guard:	Regiment of Prince Ivan Petrovich Shuisky Regiment of Vasily Ivanovich Smart-Kolychev Regiment of Prince Andrey Vasilyevich Repnin Regiment of Peter Ivanovich Khvorostinin Cossacks	956 1,713 766 585 650
		Total: 4,670
		Total: 20,034 and Mikhail Cherkashenin's Cossacks (3,000—5,000)

Contemporary chronicles give very large and unreliable figures when talking about the Tatar army. The Novgorod Second Chronicle gives its strength as 120,000 and the Moscow Chronicle about 150,000. According to modern Russian historians, the khan's army most likely numbered 40,000–60,000, of which two-thirds were the Crimean army proper, and the rest Nogai, Circassians and janissaries sent by the Ottoman Sultan.^[3]

The Russian historian Vitaly Pensky estimates the total size of the Moscow army at 35,000, considering that the remaining estimates are overstated.^{[9]: 212–213}

Notes

1. • 20,000^[4]
     * 35,000^[5]
     * 70,000^[6]
2. When retreating, the remnants of Devlet Giray's army were attacked by Zaporozhian Cossacks, and only a small part of the army returned to Crimea (20,000^[6]).^[2] It is not only the battle casualties.