Omar Pasha, Turkish general, was born at Plaski, in Croatia, in 1806 (according to some authorities, in 1811). His real name was Michael Lattas; he was educated for the Austrian army at the military school of Thurn, near Carlsstadt. Having by a breach of discipline rendered himself liable to punishment, he fled to Bosnia, and, embracing Mohammedanism, gained through his beautiful calligraphy the post of writing-master to Abdul-Medjid, the heir to the Ottoman throne. On his pupil’s accession in 1839 Omar Pasha was raised to the rank of colonel, and in 1842 appointed military governor of the Lebanon. In 1843 he displayed considerable skill and energy in suppressing an insurrection in Albania, and in the following years others in Bosnia and Kurdistan. On the invasion of the Danubian Principalities by the Russians in 1853 Omar Pasha collected an army of 60,000 men, and, crossing the Danube in presence of the enemy, entrenched himself at Kalafat, where he successfully withstood the Russians; after they withdrew from the Principalities Omar Pasha entered Bucharest in triumph in August 1854. On 9th February 1855 he embarked for the Crimea, and on the 17th of the same month repulsed with great loss 40,000 Russians who attacked him at Eupatoria. He was soon afterwards (October 3, 1855) sent to relieve Kars, but arrived too late. In September 1861 he was charged to pacify Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were again in insurrection. This being accomplished, he attacked the
Montenegrins, captured Cetinje, and overran the country in 1862. He died 18th April 1871.