790 



TUEKEY. 



and Prishtina. Widin, which had been invested 

 by a force of Roumanians and Servians, sur- 

 rendered on February 23d. When Suleiman 

 Pasha went to Philippopoli with the greater 

 part of his army, the remaining Turks in Bul- 

 garia gradually retreated toward Rustchuk and 

 Shumla. On January 24th the Czarevitch 

 crossed the Lorn, occupied Osman Bazar on the 

 27th and Rasgrad on the following day, and 

 then proceeded to invest Rustchuk and Shumla. 

 Rustchuk surrendered on February 20th. 



General Zimmermann in the Dobrudja, after 

 having virtually done nothing for over six 

 months, on January 20th began a forward 

 movement against Bazarjik, where a force of 

 about 10,000 Turks was stationed. After an 

 engagement at Cair Harman on the 23d, and 

 one at Bazarjik on the 26th, he occupied the 

 latter place. 



The Montenegrins, after the capture of An- 

 tivari on January 10th, attacked Dulcigno on 

 the 19th, and after a tierce conflict captured 

 the town and the citadel. They then pro- 

 ceeded to invest Scutari, but were checked in 

 their operations against this place by the con- 

 clusion of the armistice. 



In Asia Mukhtar Pasha was replaced in the 

 last days of 1877 by Ismail Kurd Pasha, The 

 investment of Erzerum by the Russians was 

 completed in the first days of January by the 

 capture of Ilidja, and was closely maintained 

 by the Russians until the signing of the prelimi- 

 naries of peace. It was occupied by the Rus- 

 sians on February 13th, the Turkish garrison 

 marching out with their arms and stores. 



The first direct step toward a negotiation for 

 peace was taken by the Ottoman Government 

 immediately after the fall of Plevna. On De- 

 cember 12, 1877, it issued a circular appeal to 

 the Powers, in which, after referring to the 

 origin of the war with a profession that it had 

 not provoked it, and after enumerating all the 

 measures of reform undertaken by it volun- 

 tarily, it declared the true and only cause ol 

 hindrances in the way of carrying out the re- 

 forms promised in the new Constitution to be 

 found in the continuation of a state of war. 

 Recalling the fact that Russia had expressly 

 disavowed a desire for conquest, the circular 

 inquired with what object, then, should the 

 armies prolong desolation and ruin for their 

 respective countries, and concluded : 



We, on our part, think that the moment has come 

 when both belligerents might accept peace without 

 forfeit of their dignity, and when Europe might 

 usefully interpose its good offices. As for the Impe- 

 rial Government, it is ready to ask this, not that the 

 country has reached the end of its resources. There 

 are no sacrifices which the entire Ottoman nation 

 s not willing to face, to maintain the integrity and 

 independence of the fatherland. But the duty ot 

 the Imperial Government is to avert, if possible, any 

 further effusion of blood. It is, therefore, in the 

 name of humanity that we make this appeal to the 

 sentiments of justice in the Great Powers, and that 

 we^hope thev will be inclined to receive our prom- 

 No notice was taken of this note by any 



of the Powers. England, however, at the re- 

 quest of the Porte, inquired confidentially of 

 the Russian Government upon what terms it 

 would make peace. The Russian Government 

 in reply, while naming no definite conditions, 

 referred the Porte to the Russian commander- 

 in-chief, with whom it was to negotiate directly. 

 In accordance with this answer the Porte ap 

 pointed two commissioners, Server Pasha and 

 Namyk Pasha, to meet the Grand Duke Nich- 

 olas atKasanlik, and negotiate for an armistice. 

 The Turkish commissioners were invested with 

 full powers to grant any demands by the Rus- 

 sians, and on January 31st the armistice and 

 preliminaries of peace were signed at Adrian- 

 ople. The armistice contained ten articles. 

 It was concluded between Russia, Servia, Rou- 

 mania, and Turkey. Its provisions were as 

 follows : 



1. A notice of three days must be given before a 

 resumption of hostilities takes place. The armistice 

 is to be communicated to Montenegro by Eussia. 



2. Restoration of the guns and territory taken after 

 the signature. 



3. Gives the details of line of demarcation and 

 neutral zone for Turkey, Eussia, and Servia, placing 

 in Eussian hands almost all Bulgaria, Eoumelia, and 

 Thrace up to the lines of Constantinople and Galli- 

 poli. Fortifications are not to be retained on the 

 neutral territory, and no new ones are to be raised 

 there. A joint commission will determine the line 

 of demarkation for Servia and Montenegro. The 

 Eussians to occupy Burgas and Midia, on the Black 

 Sea, in order to obtain supplies, but no war material. 



4. Armies beyond the line of demarkation to be 

 withdrawn within three days of signature of armis- 

 tice. 



5. The Turks may remove arms, etc., to places and 

 by routes defined, on evacuating the fortresses men- 

 tioned in Article 3. If they can not be removed, an 

 inventory of them is to be taken. The evacuation 

 is to be complete within seven days after the receipt 

 of orders by the commanders. 



6. Sulina is to be evacuated within three days by 

 the Turkish troops and ships of war, unless pre- 

 vented by ice. The Eussians will remove the obsta- 

 cles in the Danube, and will superintend the naviga- 

 tion of the river. 



7. The railways are to continue to work under cer- 

 tain conditions. 



8. Turkish authorities to remain in certain places. 



9. Black Sea blockade to be raised. 



10. Wounded Turkish soldiers to remain under 

 the care of Eussia. 



The armistice to commence at 7 P. M. on the 31st 

 of January. 



The Eussian and Turkish commanders on the spot 

 to settle matters relating to the armistice in Armenia. 



The preliminary conditions of peace laid be- 

 fore the Turkish delegates by the Grand Duke 

 Nicholas, the commander-in-chief, were as fol- 

 lows: 



If the Turks demand peace or an armistice at the 

 outposts, his Imperial Highness the commander-in- 

 chief shall inform them that hostilities can not be 

 suspended unless the following bases shall have 

 been previously accepted : 



1. Bulgaria, within the limits determined by the 

 majority of the population of Bulgaria, which limits 

 shall in no case be less than those indicated by the 

 Constantinople Conference, shall be formed into an 

 autonomous tributary principality, with a national 

 Christian government and a native militia. The Ot- 



