Fall of Okzhakov
In August 1788, Potemkin began the siege of Okzhakov, but the fortress could not be conquered until December. Finally, he was defeated and called for help from General Svarovsky. With Svarovsky's arrival, the siege intensified. The final assault took place on December 16. Four thousand Russians were crushed by the barrage of Turkish guns, but Svarovsky kept sending fresh troops forward. In the end, the overwhelming numbers of the Russians prevailed and they entered the fortress. Even after reaching inside, the Turks fought them with amazing courage, but they could not stop the increasing flood of Russian troops for long. After capturing the city, the Russians began a massacre and continued this bloody game with unspeakable ferocity for three days. The old, children and women were all brutally slaughtered. Out of a population of forty thousand, only a few hundred people, most of whom were children and women, survived the bloodthirsty Russians. Even this small numbe...