Siege of Užice (1807)

Not to be confused with Siege of Užice.

Siege of Užice
Part of First Serbian Uprising
Appearance of the Užice fortress before destruction
Date April - 12 July 1807. Location Užice Result Serbian victory
Belligerents
Template:Зас слика Serbian Insurgents	Template:Застава
Commanders and leaders
Template:Зас слика Milan Obrenović Template:Зас слика Miloš Obrenović Template:Зас слика Lazar Mutap Template:Зас слика Petar Jokić Template:Зас слика Marko Katić	Template:Зас Hasan Pasha Template:Зас Đul-beg
Strength
Template:Зас слика about 7,000-8,000 Serbian insurgents	Template:Зас about 9,000 Turkish soldiers
Casualties and losses
Template:Зас слика unknown (large)	Template:Зас about 3,000

The 1807 Siege of Užice was one of the most significant victories of the Serbian insurgents against the Turks during the First Serbian Uprising. The battle marked the complete Serbian takeover of the second most important fortress in the Belgrade Pashalik.

Introduction

Main article: First Serbian Uprising

As early as February 1806, the Turks launched an incursion from Bosnia towards Užice and Valjevo, but they were repelled by the insurgents across the Drina. Suleiman Pasha, with heavy Serbian losses, made an advance from Studenica (which he previously burned) towards Moravica and the Užice district. Suleiman reached Arilje, where he mined the church and displayed 70 Serbian heads on stakes around the church.

At the end of May, Ord-aga advanced towards Užice from Sarajevo via Višegrad with about 1,000 soldiers. With reinforcements from Užice, he continued his advance down the Đetinja. The Serbian forces intercepted this Turkish army at Lopaša and decisively defeated them in a two-day battle. The Turks suffered between 200 and 300 dead, including Ord-aga. The defeated Turks retreated towards Užice.

Course of the Battle

In March of 1807, the Turks, with a large army, advanced across the Drina towards Užice. Karađorđe gathered an army of about 7,000-8,000 men. By mid-April, he arrived before Užice and surrounded it. The incursions of the Turks from Nova Varos and Sjenica were thwarted by Miloš Obrenović and Mihailo Radović with the army of the Užice district. They controlled all crossings over Zlatibor.

Milan Obrenović and Lazar Mutap, with 5,000 men, controlled the area towards Višegrad and Nova Varos. Trenches were established at Tornik, Talambas, Zlatibor, Ponikve, and in Kremen. Lazar Mutap and Petar Jokić were stationed at Ponikve, and Jovan Mitrović Demir in Kremen.

The Turks fortified themselves well in Užice. Attacks on Dovarlja, Klisura, Pori, and Terazije alternated. The insurgents, with great effort and supported by artillery fire, captured the town at the end of April. In these battles, Miloš Obrenović was seriously wounded. The Turks retreated to the fortress from where they offered fierce resistance.

Due to the attack by Mula-Pasha, Karađorđe left Užice and went to assist Milenko Stojković, while he entrusted the siege of the Užice fortress to Milan Obrenović.

The Turks attempted incursions from Bosnia to prevent the fall of the city. At the beginning of June 1807, they reached Užice, but suffered a terrible defeat and were expelled across the Drina.

At the end of June, Hasan Pasha from Srebrenica set out with 4,000 soldiers towards Užice. He managed to enter the Užice fortress with about 1,200 soldiers. The second column was defeated by the insurgents at Tornik and Ponikve, where Marko Katić shattered the army of Đul-beg numbering 5,000 men.

Famine plagued the fortress. In despair, the Turks began releasing children, mostly girls, from the fortress, and the Serbs accepted them and converted them.

Aftermath

By the end of the siege, losses on both sides were significant. On July 12, 1807, the Turks surrendered. The captives were sent back across the Drina by the Serbs.

Literature

• Ljusić, Radoš. Užice 1804–1842. Užice: Baština Užica. p. 148.
• Papić, Radivoje (2023-07-15). "Battles for Užice in the First Serbian Uprising". https://www.uzice.net/. Užice.Net. Retrieved 2024-10-03. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)