A Russian expedition to topple a Shah ended abruptly when an Empress died
In 1796, Catherine the Great launched a punitive campaign against Persia to install a pro-Russian puppet on the throne. The Russian forces swept through the Caucasus with ease, but the sudden death of the Empress triggered a total withdrawal, leaving the conflict without any lasting geopolitical consequences for either side.
By the late 18th century, the Caucasus had become a volatile frontier between the expanding Russian Empire and a resurgent Persia. Following the 1794 ascension of Agha Mohammad Khan, who sought to consolidate Persian control over the region, the political landscape shifted dramatically. After the Shah’s forces devastated Tbilisi in 1795, Catherine the Great, who had previously established protectorates over Georgia and the shamkhals of Tarki, decided to intervene. Her strategic objective was to depose the Shah and replace him with his pro-Russian half-brother, Morteza Qoli Khan.
The command of the expedition was granted to Count Valerian Zubov, the younger brother of the Empress’s favorite, Prince Platon Zubov, after the seasoned general Alexander Suvorov declined the role. The campaign began in April 1796 from Kizlyar. By May 10, Russian troops had successfully stormed the fortress of Derbent. The momentum continued through mid-June, as Zubov’s forces seized major cities including Baku, Shemakha, and Ganja without encountering significant resistance. By November, the army had reached the confluence of the Araks and Kura Rivers, positioning themselves for an invasion of the Persian mainland.
The expedition’s trajectory changed instantly upon the death of Catherine the Great in November 1796. Her successor, Emperor Paul, held a deep disdain for the Zubov family and immediately ordered the total withdrawal of Russian troops from the region. This sudden reversal of policy caused significant resentment among the military leadership, many of whom would later participate in the conspiracy that led to Paul’s assassination in 1801. Ultimately, the 1796 campaign, much like Peter the Great’s earlier expedition in 1722–1723, failed to produce any permanent territorial or political shifts, serving as a brief, inconclusive chapter in the long history of Russo-Persian wars.
Source: Persian expedition of 1796
