Crimean War Flashcards
Ottoman Empire
ruled S.E. Europe since the late 1400s - 1650, then began to recede
1853 Tzar Nich. I called it the “sick man of Europe”
catalyst for Crimean War
Ottoman sultan gives rights to France to protect Christan holy sites in middle East
Russian Tzar Nicholas I now feels like he is justified to declare war on Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
Tzar Nicholas I loathed Napoleon III and felt that the Russians had a better claim to protect Christians in the Turkish Empire
pretext of Crimean War?
To protect orthodox Christians living under Muslim rule
Tzar believed no European nation would come to defence for a Muslim/Islamic Nation
1st Russian Attack?
Russian troops cross the Danulee River into Wallachia and Moldavia
(there’s probably more)
2nd Russian Attack?
Bomb Ottoman navy at the port of Sinope in November 1853
Puts wooden ships out of commission (they need to build steel ships)
is a short term victory for Russia, but brings Great Britain and France into the dispute
When did Great Britain and France bury 100+ years of rivalry and declare war on Russia?
March 1854
name of France’s naval ship (after declares war on Russia)
Charlemagne
Where is headquarter for attack against Russia?
Constantinople
When does GB set sail for Sebostopol?
July 1854
What did GB and France do in Constantinople?
Take over the city, hospitals, government sites
Look down upon Turks;
racist/arrogant attitude towards them
what did the lack of preparation for the trip of Constantinople do to GB?
led to loss of 10,000 soldiers due to disease and no medical care
who sourced/evidenced the aftermath of GB’s lack of preparation for trip to Constantinople?
Roger Fenton—photographer)
News correspondent—William Russell
Fanny Duberly (Jubilee)—Wife of GB army officer… wrote a journal about what happened on the ground
Why did GB send 2nd contingent of troops to Russia?
prevent Russian army from leaving
surround the capital city of St. Petersburg
attack Kronstadt naval base guarding the city
Battle of Fort Silistra (on Danube)
Ottoman Empire counterattack
Ottoman troops attack Moldavia/Wallachia led by Omar Pasha (a renegade Croat—converted to Muslim)
Leo Tolstoy fought as an artillery officer (former Russian writer)
what happened to GB prior to it attacking the Russian base in Sebastopol?
suffered greatly due to disease
July 1854 (4 months after arriving in Constantinople)
Cholera epidemic struck
10,000 men dead
what did GB do in response to the Cholera epidemic?
funded and sent 38 nurses, led by Florence Nightengale
Florence Nightingale
nurse sent by GB
great organizer and administrator
“Lady of the Lamp”
when did the Crimean War begin?
1853
who called the Ottoman Empire the “sick man of Europe”?
Tzar Nicholas I
which two Ottoman provinces did the Russian Army invade?
Walachia and Moldavia
The initial conflict between the Russians and the Ottoman Empire was over…
Christian Sites in Jerusalem
Russia’s biggest goal in starting the Crimean War was to?
Access the Dardenelles Strait
why did Russia want access to the Dardenelles Strait?
It (and Bosphorus) was the key maritime route between Central Europe and the Mediterranean
to have sea access to the west
This Ottoman naval headquarters was shelled by the Russians in 1853?
Sinope
Which former Russian writer took part in the battle at Fort Silistra?
Leo Tolstoy
The Charge of the Light Brigade was memorialized in a poem by…
Lord Tennyson
A nation may chose a writer to compose literary pieces for special occasions. What’s the title?
Poet Laureate
Which Russian Tzar took power in 1855, following the death of his father?
Tzar Alexander II
The British wanted to protect trade routes through the Mediterranean Sea to this nation?
India
This future nation sent 15,000 troops to the Crimean War to help with the attack on the Russians?
Piedmont Sardinia
This international agency was created following the Crimean War to send aid and supplies to war sites?
Red Cross
This award was introduced following the Crimean War by the British Govt. to commemorate bravery in battle?
Victoria Cross
Why did France and GB not want Russia to win?
France didn’t want Russia to have more influence in the Middle East bc it had interests there
Britain opposed any access to the Mediterranean for the Russian Black Sea fleet that might challenge Britain’s naval supremacy
why did Austria remain neutral?
both Russia and Austria wanted the same portion of land
also because war had 2 outcomes that it didn’t like:
- Russian Domination of the Balkans or
- UK and France dictate outcome according to their interest
when did Austrian neutrality end?
Neutrality ended when Russians evacuated the Danubian principalities, which Austria wanted to occupy
(Led to Austria only having a limited say in Treaty of Paris)
what happened at the 2nd Russian attack?
Bomb Ottoman navy at the port of Sinope in November 1853
Russian commander Nakhimov uses a new devastating weapon—explosive shells
1.5 hours later, the Turkish fleet is wiped out
Put wooden ships out of commission/made them obsolete/need to build steel ships
Short term victory for Russia but brought GB/France into dispute
When did Nicholas I die?
1855, leaving the throne to his son, Tzar Alexander II
How did Britain, France, and Austria respond to the Russian occupation of Moldavia and Wallachia in July 1853?
The Vienna Note, instead of war.
a draft peace plan.
Vienna Note
A draft peace plan drawn up by representatives of Britain, France, and Austria in July 1853
Was accepted by Russia, but dismissed by the Ottoman Empire bc it required them to make too many concessions to their rivals
Purpose of Constantinople in the Crimean War?
headquarter for a counterattack against Russia
What did GB do when it entered the war?
sends contingent of Naval ships to Constantinople and a 2nd contingent to Russia to prevent the Russian army from leaving:
surround the capital city of St. Petersburg
attack Kronstadt naval base guarding the city
What did GB/France do upon arriving in Constantinople?
Take over the city, hospitals, government sites
Look down upon Turks,
racist/arrogant attitude towards them (calling them lazy, dirty, unmotivated)
Was GB prepared for the trip to Constantinople?
No—led to loss of 10,000 soldiers due to disease and no good medical care
Battle for Sebastopol
1854-1855
GB troops depart Constantinople with one goal:
Capture, destroy Russian naval base in the Black sea at Sebastopol
Upside? Tons of men, resources, ships
Downside? NO reconnaissance work done
Sept 1854—Land in Crimean
Battle of Alma
September 1854
Gb troops land at alma, above Sebastopol
Russian troops leave the naval fortress and engage at alma
British victory—Russians retreat
What did GB do after the Battle of Alma?
Rather than following Russian retreat to Sebastopol, the GB troops are ordered to return to Balaclava to regroup and prep for proper way to take fortress like Sebastopol
“seige attack” (do it by the book)
This gives Russians 3 weeks to prepare for the upcoming GB assault on their naval fortress
Lost GB opportunity will cost 10 000+ men
Charge of the Light Brigade
Oct 25, 1854
Fight at a spot called the “Valley of Death”
Led by lord cardigan
Russians attack GB British are moving troops, supplies, guns toward Sebastopol
GB troops were told to recapture lost Turkish guns on hill above the valley
Orders were sent from rear and miscommunicated
670 men rode into the valley…Russian guns attacked on 3 sides…
SLAUGHTER!
50%+ casualty rate
What did William Russel do after the Charge of the Light Brigade?
William Russel sent a telegram home to the London Times
shortly thereafter, GB Poet Laureate, Alfred Tennyson penned the poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”
Goal? Trying to be factual, but at the same time put a positive spin on a military disaster and blunder
Siege of Sebastopol
GB drought in large guns, cannons, bombed, shelled the naval fortress at Sebastopol for a year
GB Ships blocked off the harbour so no Russian supplies could be delivered
When the seige ended, Alexander II immediately called an end to the war and agreed to peace terms
Effect of Siege of Sebastopol on GB?
GB was Ill supplied:
-Lack food, provisions, supplies
-Men died of cold, frostbite over the winter of 1854-55
-GB mismanagement of this war was evident
Both for the fighting soldier and those injured
As a result, through William Russel’s telegrams home, his reports to the London Times, the GB government PM fell
PM Aberdeen is forced to resign, replaced by PM Palmerston in Jan 1855
Treaty/congress of Paris
1856
from reading:
Russia lost the territory it had been granted at the mouth of Danube
Russia was forced to abandon its claims to protect Christians in Turkey (as was France)
Black sea was declared a neutral zone
Russia lost its influence over the Romanian principalities
tablet notes:
Russian forces evacuate Crimea, lose Sebastopol as a naval base
No Russian ships allowed in Black sea until 1871
Winners of Crimean War
Balance of Power Ottoman Empire Press Piedment-Sardinia France Great Britain
BOPPFG
Losers of Crimean War
Russia Austria Ottoman Empire Great Britain Concert of Europe
RAOGC
Mary Seacole
Nurse
used vaccines, herbal medicines
opened up a hospital in Constantinople named the British Hotel
Government wouldn’t take her along with the other 38 nurses, so she had to pay for her own way there
the Eastern Question (came up in reading)
About issues raised by decline and disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century
Which states would fill the power vacuum left by the decline of Turkish power in the Balkans?
What would the impact be upon the Balance of Power in that part of the world?
Roger Fenton
1st wartime photographer
William Russel
1st wartime correspondent
Fanny Duberly (Jubilee)
Wife of GB army officer… wrote a journal about what happened on the ground
where was the Charge of the Light Brigade fought?
Fight at a spot called the “Valley of Death”
who led the Charge to the Light Brigade?
Led by lord cardigan
Who led the Battle of Fort Silistra
Ottoman troops attack Moldavia/Wallachia led by Omar Pasha (a renegade Croat—converted to Muslim)
How was GB a winner
Able to maintain the Balance of Power
Maintain access to med sea and trade routes to Asia (India)
how was France a winner
Napoleon III on winning side
France is now fully in the European club
Napoleon III hosts peace conference (symbolically important)
Now a major power once again
Independence and integrity of the Turkish Empire were guaranteed
Russias influence in the region was restricted by the ‘Black Sea Clauses’ which forbade it to build fortifications on the shores of the Black Sea, which reaffirmed the Straits Convention of 1841
The Sultan acknowledged that his Muslim and Christian subjects enjoyed equal rights
Russias claim that it would protect Greek Orthodox subjects was rejected.
how was the Ottoman Empire a winner
Winning side, but continued to decline
Needed outside help (GB and France) to defeat the enemy
Continues to be the “sick man of europe”
Maintained their own borders and those in southeast europe (Balkans)
how was the press a winner
Evidenced the power of the press
William Russell
Brought down a government
Glorified the charge of hte light brigade (bias)
how was Italy (Piedment-Sardinia) a winner
Piedment-Sardinia and Northern Italy is now owed a favour!
They had sent 15,000 PS troops to Crimea to help support GB-French Troops…
how was russia a loser
Lost prestige
Lost status as a great power, tarnished image
of men does not equate to victory as in previous years
Tzar Niat I miscalculation
2nd act toward Russian revolution of 1917
Desperately in need of IR
Lost Sebastopol as navy base (till 1871)
Russia feared losing “Russian America”
-Sold in 1869
how was austria a loser
Conservative
Remains neutral, doesn’t ally with Russia
Therefore it does not have an ally!
Too many ethic groups, thats why is weak
Remained neutral because both Russia and Austria wanted the same portion of land (Ottoman empire)
Now an isolated power
how was the concert of Europe a loser
Diplomacy failed
War replaced as a means to resolving conflict
how was the Ottoman Empire a loser
Weakened in europe even further, needed European allies to ensure victory
Would lose Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria in 1877
How was GB a loser
Victorious but at a large human cost
Poor management of war, planning supplies, nursing, onfield communication
AAR→ there were calls for drastic reforms within military
Parliamentary investigation into how this war was conducted
