Crimean War

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

the struggle between England, France, and Turkey on the one hand, and Russia on the other, to prevent the undue preponderance of Russia in the E. of Europe, which occurred in 1854 to 1856. The old plans for the extension of Russian power conceived by Catharine II. and Potemkin were resuscitated by Nicholas I., who, believing that he had secured himself from interference on the part of Austria and Prussia, and that an Anglo-French alto carry liance was impossible, prepared them into action. Servia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and the principalities of the Danube were to become Russian protectorates, and Constantinople was to be provisionally occupied by Russian troops. The first markedly aggressive step-the demand by Russia for a protectorate over the Greek Church throughout the Turkish empire-brought matters to a crisis. An ultimatum presented by Menschikoff in May, 1853, was rejected by the Porte; the Russians occupied the Danubian principalities; and war was declared by the Porte in October, 1853; by France and England in 1854, and by Sardinia in 1855. A French and English fleet entered the Baltic and captured Bomarsund and one of the Aland Islands, and in the S. the allies landed at Varna, under Lord Raglan and Marshal St. Arnaud as commanders-in-chief. While the allies were making preparations Prussia and Austria demanded the evacuation of the Danubian principalities, and an evacuation being ordered by Nicholas, "for strategic reasons," the principalities were provisionally occupied by the Austrians. It soon became obvious that the Crimea must be the seat of the war, and 50,000 French and English troops with 6,000 Turks were landed at Eupatoria (September, 1854). Five days later the battle of Alma was won by the allies (Sept. 20), and the march continued toward the E. side of Sebastopol. Soon after St. Arnaud died and was succeeded by Canrobert. The siege of Sebastopol was begun by a grand attack which proved a failure, and the Russians under Liprandi retaliated by attacking the English at Balaklava (Oct. 25), but were defeated with heavy loss. It was at this battle that the famous, but useless, charge was made by the Light Brigade. A second attack at Inkermann was again repulsed by the allies, but the siege works made slow progress during the winter, in which the ill-supplied troops suffered great privations. The death of Nicholas and succession of Alexander II., in March, 1855, brought no change of policy. Canrobert resigned in favor of Pélissier; and shortly after an unsuccessful attack on those parts of the fortifications known as the Malakhoff and Redan Lord Raglan died, and was succeeded by Simpson. The bombardment was continued, and in September the French successfully stormed the Malakhoff, the simultaneous attack on the Redan by the British proving a failure. The Russians, however, then withdrew from the city to the N. forts and the allies took possession. The chief subsequent event was the capture capture of Kars in Asia, by the Russians after a splendid defense by by the Turks under General Williams. By this time, however, the allies had practical possession of the Crimea, and overtures of peace were gladly accepted. A treaty was accordby which the independence of the Ottoman Empire was guaranteed.