PLEVNA, pl6Vi3. or PLEVEN. A town of Bulgaria. situated on a tributary of the Danube and on the Sofia-Varna Railway, about 85 miles northeast of Sofia (Map: Balkan Peninsula. E 3). The town has a considerable trade in cattle and wine. It is connected by a branch railway line with the Danube. Population, in 1900, 18.709.
PlevnP is famous for the Nile which it played in the Russo-Turkish War of 1s77, Garrisoned only by a -mall Turkish force at the begin ning of the war. the place beeame, after the taking of Nikopoli by the Russians (July 16, lti77), the centre of operations in the western part of the theatre of war in Bulgaria. Just as the Russians were preparing to march toward Sofia, Osman Pasha arrived with a part of his arnn• at Plevna. The Turkish forces at that point now amounted to 17,000 men with 58 gulls, and the Russians dared not advance leaving this unexpected enemy in their rear. On July 20, 1877, an assault by a comparatively small force of Russians was repulsed, their loss being about 2S00 men. The result of the first assault revealed to the Russians the strength of the Turkish forces at Plevna. and accordingly the Russian forces were increased to about 32,000 men, with 176 guns. The second attack, on July 30th, led by General Kriidener, was also unsuccessful, and the Russians lost over 7000 men. The besieging army was augmented by about 35,000 Rumanians, while the Turkish forces were also increased to about 36,000 men, with 70 guns. On September
7th the bombardment was resumed, and in a desperate assault on September 11th General Seobeleff captured three trenches, was com pelled to abandon them on the following day. The Russians and Rumanians lost nearly 16,0(10 men between September 7th and Ilth, and it was then decided to invest the town by a large army and compel its surrender by cutting off its supplies. These operations were successfully carried out under the direction of Totleben, and the besieged army, which had by that time been increased to about 45,000 men, soon began to suffer from lack of supplies and ammunition. Osman Pasha filially decided to break through the Russian chain. and accordingly crossed the Vid with his entire army on the night of December 9-10, and after an unsuccessful attack was thrown back toward the river, but, unable to cross the stream, surrendered unconditionally after a hard fight, in which lie himself was wounded. The Russians took 40.000 prisoners and 77 guns. The total loss of the besieging army in killed and wounded was about 40.000 men, Consult: Osman Pasha, Defense de Mena, d'apres les documents Hinds par o uzaffer Pasha et Tartlat Bey (Paris. 1839) : Herbert, The De fense of (London, 1895).