CRIMEAN WAR. The name given to the war of 1854-50 between Russia on the one hand, and Turkey with her allies. France. England, and Sardinia, on the other. It was ushered in by the struggle between Russia and Turkey, which broke out in 1853, the immediate occa sion of which was the assertion by Russia of a protectorate over the Greek Christians in the Turkish dominions. Coupled with this was a dispute between Russia and France over the guardianship of the holy places in Palestine. The real ground, however, for the attitude as sumed by France and Great Britain was resist ance to the aggressive policy of the Russian Em peror, Nicholas I. The latter believed that the other Powers of Europe were not in a position to interfere, and saw an opportunity to con tinue the Russian advance which had Constan tinople for its objective. Accordingly, in the spring of 1853 he submitted to the Porte, through Prince Menshikoff, an ultimatum in regard to the Greek Christians and other matters. England and France prepared to sustain the Sultan against Russia, and stationed their -fleets in Besika Bay. In July the Russian forces ad vanced into the Danubian principalities. The Vienna Note, prepared by Austria and signed by the neutral Powers as a basis of settlement, was so modified by Turkey as to be unacceptable to Russia, and on October 4, 1853, Turkey declared war. The English and French fleets thereupon passed through the Dardanelles. Though the Turks were at first victorious upon land, the Russian admiral, Nakhimoff, won an important naval victory at Sinope, November 30: on March 12. 1854, France and Great Britain concluded an alliance with Turkey, and two weeks later they declared war against Russia. Prussia stood firmly neutral. Austria. though desirous of checking the Russian advance across the Dan ube. dared not become involved in a war on the east, leaving its western frontiers open to pos sible attack by Prussia and other States of the Germanic Confederation, and contented itself, therefore, with mobilizing an army on the south ern frontier. The allied Western Powers deter: mined to assist the Sultan by a naval expedition against Kronstadt. in the Baltic, and by a coin
l•ined attack with land forces in the south. The Baltic expedition proved a complete failure, achieving nothing beyond the capture of Bomar sund on August 10.
Early in the summer 20,000 English troops, under Lord Raglan, and 50,000 French soldiers, under Marshal rshal Saint-Arnaud, assembled at Varna, on the Black Sea. Against the advice of the Turks, who wished to drive Russia out of the Caucasus, Saint-Arnaud and Raglan decided upon the siege of Sebastopol. Russia's stronghold and depot in the Crimea. The war was thus narrowed down to a litnited sphere, and was fought in a long siege and a series of stubborn engagements. The first of these occurred at the river Alma, on September 20. 1854. six days after the landing of the Allies. Saint - Arnaud died on September 29, and W;1,-; succeeded by General Canrobert. At the beginning of October the Allies began the regular siege of Sebastopol. the defense of which was directed by Todleben. On October 25th the Russians attacked the British at Bala klava Theengagemcnt was marked by bad generalship on the British side, and by the gal lant but ill-advised charge of the Light Brigade. The Russians followed this up with an unsuccess ful attack at 1nkermann on November 5. The se vere winter caused the suspension of active operations, and the English and Turks endured terrible hardships because of the inadequate com missary arrangements. During the winter an in ternational eonference attempted to adjust mat ters, but without avail. Austria entered into an alliance with France and Great Britain; but as Prussia could not be drawn into action unfavor able to Russia, Austria refrained from entering into hostilities. Sardinia, on the other hand, joined the Allies in January, 1855. and sent 10,000 men of her new army, under General La Marmora, to the Crimea. (See CA VOUR and ITALY.) The Russians resumed activities in February, assailing the Turkish positions at Enpatoria. but without result. After the death of the Emperor Nicholas and the accession of Alexander II., in March, 1855, Prince Michael Gortchakoff succeeded Prince Menshikoff in com mand of the Russian forces.