Siege of Geok Tepe: Skobelev's Russians storm the Turkoman fortress

Background. Following a defeat in 1879, Russia planned a new campaign against the Teke tribe. In March 1880, Mikhail Skobelev was appointed to command the Trans-Caspian region. The conflict was part of the broader 19th-century expansion of the Russian Empire into Central Asia, where modern weaponry gave the Russians a significant advantage over Turkoman raiders.

Siege Operations. The siege of Geok Tepe began in December 1880, with 6,000 Russians under General Mikhail Skobelev facing 25,000 defenders. On 1 January 1881, the Russians occupied Yanghi-Kala to control the water supply. Skobelev selected the southeast corner as the primary point of attack and moved the main camp to Yanghi-Kala. The Russian forces faced heavy resistance from the defenders.

Assault and Massacre. On 12 January 1881, Russian troops broke into the fortress by detonating a mine under the wall. The storming resulted in a massacre of the Turkoman defenders. The Russians killed all males in the fortress who had not escaped, but spared some 5,000 women and children and freed 600 Persian slaves.

Aftermath. The victory gave the Russian Empire control over most of what is now Turkmenistan. In May 1881, the occupied area was annexed as the Transcaspian Oblast. Skobelev was replaced by Rohrberg in the spring of 1881. The campaign cost 11 million rubles for the 1880–1881 expedition.