Before Berlin could intervene in the Chinese Civil War, other events would distract it. In Saint Petersburg, there was the ever present urge to acquire the city of Constantinople so that Russian Empire trade and military wouldn’t be confined to the Black Sea. Thus on October 27th, 1850, the Russian Empire declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The urge to resist the Ottomans plea for assistance against the Russian bear was high within the North German Confederation; however cooler minds prevailed. Outside of Hungary and Luxembourg, the Ottoman Empire was the only power currently on a friendly standing towards Berlin.
Though late in the year of 1850, the Russians quickly began an offensive aimed at seizing the port city of Memel. The German defenders were well prepared. Battled raged from December 1st-4th the before the Russian force departed with 31,053 causalities of 43,068 total men. German troops had begun battle with 48,000 men and suffered 19,930 causalities. Though its infantry were outnumbered compared to the Russians, the unusually heavy amount of artillery within a German corps generally tilted a battle in its favor.
One army that the army lacked was in sufficient cavalry forces that were divided into four corps, 12,000 strong each. The cavalry lacked artillery and numbers but not experience. However, experience could not make up for the Russians superiority in numbers. Without the infantry that always followed, the cavalry would be decimated. This fact was self evident at the Battle of Radom from December 12th-15th. Twelve thousand cavalry were hard pressed against the 21,000 Russian infantry. Reinforcements in the form of a 24,000 strong infantry corps saved the day. Near identical in numbers of causalities, the Russians had the higher percentage loss compared to men present.
The Russians, defeated in battle, would halt their winter offensive, albeit only for a few weeks. By the second week of January 1851, the Russians were back launching another set of offensives, which were countered by German advances. The battles were Memel (January 14th-16th); Siedlice (January 27th-31st); Przemysl (February 12th-17th); Siauliai (February 17th-21st); and Gumbinnen (February 20th-25th). Over the course of five battles, 227,000 German troops would battle against 152,000 Russians. The German total figures were a little misleading, as German troops from previous battles were generally transported to another raging battle. Over the course of the five battles, the Germans would suffer 70,322 causalities compared to the Russians 99,499. Both sides would suffer the most at Gumbinnen.
Another lull in the fighting would proceed until early April. Two battles would occur in April, all German victories, like the previous battles in January and February. The second battle of Gumbinnen from April 4th-8th, and the third battle of Memel from April 9th-15th. At Gumbinnen 12,447 of 24,000 Russians were causalities compared to the Confederation’s 3,063 of 47,691. At Memel, the Russian force of 54,879 suffered 31,122 causalities to 17,232 of 43,564 German troops. The third battle of Memel would be the first battle of the year where German troops did not match or outnumber their enemy.
Again another lull would occur in the fighting before two armies would meet each other on the fields outside of Lublin. From June 1st to June 8th, 331,911 soldiers [197,215 Russian, 136,696 German] would battle in one of the largest battles since the Napoleon era. The German reliance on artillery would prove itself beneficial once again. With deadly accuracy, the German artillery shredded the Russian infantry masses. After the battle was over, some 122,000 Russians were causalities compared to the Germans 77,221.
Russia, handed an embarrassing defeat would beg for mercy. Berlin was in a forgiving mood – though only for the fact that other European powers were clamoring about intervening on Russia’s behalf. On June 30th, Russia would cede Galicia-Lodomeria to the North German Confederation; which would release the territory to a Ukrainian puppet regime in 1852. Lastly, the Grand Duchy of Finland was given its freedom from the Russian state.
Peace would reign over Europe for a grand total of…