How prepared was the British Army to fight in the Crimea? (Battles and Seiges) Flashcards
When was the Battle of the Alma?
20th September 1854
Who led the British Army Expedition at the Battle of the Alma?
Lord Raglan
What did the British Army Expedition land at Varna to do and when?
June 1854 to construct a base before they moved on to the Crimea
Why did the British and French decide to attack the Russians in the Crimea?
They hoped the bulk of Russian forces were west in the Balkans and Anatolia so they could take Sevastopol naval bases quickly
When did the allied armies land unopposed at Eupatoria and what did they do?
14th September 1854, to establish a base and push south towards Sevastopol
Who was the Russian Army under at Alma?
Prince Aleksandr Menshikov
Who was the French Army under at Alma?
Saint-Arnaud
How did the allied forces meet the Russian army at Alma?
Defending high ground south of the river
What advantages did the Allies have over the Russian army?
They outnumbered the Russians and had naval gunfire support
Why were the allies confused at the Battle of Alma?
First French attacked then Britain with little coordination. Unsure of what the French were doing, Raglan ordered infantry to lie down to minimise casualties
What was the British objective towards the Russians at Alma?
Earthwork called the great redoubt where menshikov placed artillery
Earthwork
Defensive position, a barrier of soil supported by wood and with trenches, āredoubtsā or ābastionsā
What happened after the Great Redoubt during the Battle of Alma?
British infantry advanced, Russians removed guns and retreated. Light division took redoubt and lost to Russian counter-attack, Guards division regained it.
What forced Russians to withdraw after the Great Redoubt?
A final push by the Highland Brigade
After the Russians withdrew due to the Highland Brigade, what did Raglan not do?
He didnāt pursue them with cavalry to drive home the advantage
What shortcomings did the Alma reveal in allied leadership and organisation?
At times British mistook French for Russians. Confusion amid smoke from guns, Bugle-calls and officers contradicting each other. Didnāt know how deep the river was
What did Raglan intend to happen after the Battle of Alma? Why didnāt this happen?
To attack Sevastopol, but the French and Burgoyne disagreed and they prepared a siege. Making base at Balaklava
When was the Battle of Balaklava?
25th October 1854
What did the Allies caution allow Menshikov to do before Balaklava?
To move the Russian army to occupy the Causeway heights overlooking Balaklava
Why did the allies recall troops from the Siege before Balaklava?
Fearing the Russian threat to the harbour and the road to Sevastopol
What three famous actions in British military history did Balaklava give rise to?
The stand of the 93rd Foot, The cavalry charges of the Heavy and Light Brigade
Where did Sir Colin Campbell deploy his cavalry and where did he move them at the start of the 93rd Foot?
On the reverse slope of a hill (out of artillery fire), moving them to the hilltop lining up in two ranks after seeing Russian cavalry
What did General Sir Colin Campbellās movement of his cavalry encourage the Russians to do?
To charge since it was usual for infantry facing cavalry to form squares
What happened in the duration of the Stand of the 93rd Foot?
500 Highlanders stood their ground against superior numbers, MiniĆ© rifles inflicted heavy casualties on Russians and they could not break the āthin white lineā
What happened during the Charge of the Heavy Brigade
- Lord Lucan moved cavalry to Highlanders. 800-strong Heavy Brigade led by Scarlett charged the Russians uphill
- Russians stood still and British cavalry broke through, Russians in retreat
What happened during the Charge of the Light Brigade?
- Seeing Russians removing allied guns previously captured on the heights, Raglan wanted Lucan to stop them
- Raglan ordered Nolan to tell Lucan to send in Cardigans cavalry, vaguely
What happened with the Light Brigade in the End?
They charged towards the Russian guns and took heavy fire from front and sides. Nolan killed.
What was the allies prime objective since they landed in the Crimea?
The Russian port of Sevastopol
What did the Russians do in response to the allies slowly advancing toward and laying siege on Sevastopol?
They fought hard to check the advance and relieve Sevastopol. Attacked Inkerman.
What was the worst part about the Siege of Sevastopol?
November 1854 the Crimean peninsula was hit by one of the worst storms, camps and supply ships sunk
What fresh attack did the allies plan in the spring of 1855?
Aimed to capture higher southern hills first, targeting four strong points?
What were the four string points that the allies planned to attack at Sevastopol?
The Mamelon fort and 3 large redoubts; The Redan, Malakoff and Little Redan
When and how did the French take the Mamelon fort?
June 1855 by bombarding the Russian defences using mortars
Why was Sevastopol a new kind of Battle?
Was fought by engineers and artillery gunners with no cavalry
When was the Battle of Tchernaya and what happened?
August 185g, Russians suffering at the hands of the French, Ottoman, and Sardinian troops
When did the allies take Sevastopol?
September 1855
What did the French take from Sevastopol?
Malakoff, holding off Russian counter-attacks
What did the British capture after Sevastopol?
Little Redan
What happened to Main redan after Sevastopol?
Remained in Russian hands until French moved cannons into the Malakoff and enfilade fire forced them to Withdraw
What ended the Crimean War and when was this?
March 1856 through the Treaty of Paris
