Baltaci Mehmed Pasha vs Oleksandr Syrskyi

Baltacı Mehmed Pasha was appointed Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1710. He was tasked with managing the empire's response to the Great Northern War and the presence of Swedish King Charles XII, who had taken refuge in Ottoman territory after his defeat at Poltava.

Baltacı Mehmed Pasha led the Ottoman army in the Pruth River Campaign against Russia. He surrounded Peter the Great's forces near the Pruth River, forcing the Tsar to negotiate. The resulting Treaty of the Pruth returned Azov to the Ottomans and secured Ottoman borders.

Baltacı Mehmed Pasha signed the Treaty of the Pruth with Russia in July 1711. The treaty ceded Azov back to the Ottomans, required Russia to demolish fortifications on the border, and allowed Charles XII safe passage to Sweden. It was a diplomatic victory for the Ottomans.

Baltacı Mehmed Pasha was dismissed as Grand Vizier in 1711 shortly after the Pruth Campaign. Sultan Ahmed III and court factions accused him of not fully exploiting the victory over Peter the Great. He was exiled to Lesbos and later executed in 1712.

As Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Syrskyi oversaw the successful Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022. Ukrainian forces recaptured thousands of square kilometers of territory in the Kharkiv region from Russian forces, marking a major turning point in the war.

Syrskyi commanded Ukrainian forces during the prolonged and costly Battle of Bakhmut. The city was eventually captured by Russian forces in May 2023 after months of intense fighting, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and significant destruction.

President Zelenskyy appointed Syrskyi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Valerii Zaluzhnyi. This change occurred during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, amid debates over military strategy and the need for a new approach to the conflict.