Key Battles of the Crimean War Flashcards
Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Alma, 20 September 1854
Lord Raglan
St Arnaud (France)
56,000-58,000 men (no cavalry, little French involvement - evenly matched)
Name the Commander of the Russian Army and strengths in the Battle of Alma, 20 September 1854
Prince Menshikov
37,500 men
State the reason for the Battle of Alma
After leaving Varna on 7 September 854 with no clear objective, the British and French were heading towards Sevastopol, making their primary aim of the Crimean War to besiege the naval fortress. The Russians were surprised by this but nonetheless Menshikov took his forces to stop the British and French, meeting at the Alma River.
State the outcome of the Battle of Alma
British and French losses: 4103 killed and wounded
Russian losses: approximately 5,000 killed and wounded
British are convincingly victorious, with the standout regiment being the 93rd Highlanders led by Sir Colin Campbell.
Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Balaclava, 25 October 1854
Lord Raglan
20,000 British, 7,000 French (little involvement)
41 guns
Name the Commander of the Russian Army and strengths in the Battle of Balaclava, 25 October 1854
Prince Menshikov (overall command of Russian forces in the Crimea)
25,000 men
78 guns
State the reason for the Battle of Balaclava
The Russians wanted to ease pressure on the ongoing seige of Sevastopol, whilst Britain and France, after deciding not to directly attack Sevastopol from the south side after winning the Battle of Alma, met the Russians in Balaclava.
State the outcome of the Battle of Balaclava
British losses: 615 casualties
Russian losses: 627 losses
Balaclava was not a particularly brutal battle, yet this is the most famous historically due to the Victorian glorification of the legendary Charge of the Light Brigade, which inspired the wrk by celebrated poet Alfred Lord Tennyson on the same name. Britain won this battle, with Russia retreating.
Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854
Fitzroy Somerset
15,700 men
Name the Commander of the Russian Army and strengths in the Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854
Prince Menshikov
40,500 men
State the reason for the Battle of Inkerman
Russia attacked British troops in order to ease the siege at Sevastopol after revealing that the British siege lines were so long that they did not have sufficient troops to man them from a failed attack on 25 October. The British, on the other hand, were continuing siege warfare on Sevastopol as their primary objective in the Crimean War.
State the outcome of the Battle of Inkerman
British and French losses: over 4,000 killed and wounded
Russian losses: approx. 12,000 killed and wounded
The Russians lost their will to fight the British and allied forces on open ground, concluding the battles of the Crimean War.
Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Siege of Sevastopol, 1854-1855
Lord Raglan
Approx. 20,000 at any given time, with 175,000 combined in July 1855
Name the Commander of the Russian Army and strengths in the Siege of Sevastopol, 1854-1855
Prince Menshikov
Approx. 40,000 at any given time, with approx. 10,000 naval gunners
State the reason for the Siege of Sevastopol
Britain and its allies wanted to breach the fortress and end the Crimean Wars (primary objective) under the orders of the First Lord of the Admiralty Sir James Graham, whilst Russia wanted to maintain their naval power within the Black Sea in an attempt to quash the British and French forces and win the war.
