The Crimea War (2) Flashcards
When did allied troops land north of Sebastopol? What was the split in the French plan and the British plan?
- 14th September 1854 began landing at Kalamita Bay
- St Arnaud of the French wanted to march straightaway but Raglan insisted on rounding up supplies from the countryside
When did Prince Menshikov (Russian commander in chief) withdraw behind the River Alma
- 19th September, withdrew with his 33,000 Russian troops away from 63,000 British and French troops
When did the Battle of Alma begin?
20th September 1854
What was the proposed attack by the French that Raglan agreed on to avoid problems at Alma?
- St Arnaud proposed French attack on the right, next to the sea where they were protected by the fleet guns
- The French would go to the Russian left flank while British advance against the Russian centre and right
- Raglan believed the French were underestimating Russian strength
What was the Great Redoubt that the Russians were behind, how did the British eventually capture this at Alma?
- A Russian earthwork where Menshikov placed artillery
- The Light Division attempted to capture but fell back after being exposed to artillery and infantry attacks
- A British advance after meant the Grenadier Guards recapturing the redoubt
How many Russian battalions did the Highland Brigade drive back at the Battle of Alma?
- 12 Russian Battalions
- Russians fell back
After pushing the Russians back at Alma, who wanted to pursue them further and why did Raglan say no?
- Lord Lucan, leader of British Cavalry wanted to pursue them
- Raglan was aware there were cavalry on his left and instead ordered the men to bivouac for the night
What was the result of the Battle of Alma (casualties etc) ?
- First full scale battle since Waterloo
- Russians lost 5,700 and driven from a strong position
- British lost 1,500
- French lost under 1,000
When did the allied army decide to advance on Sebastopol and what crucial decision was made?
- 23rd September 1854
- Raglan wanted an immediate attack but he decided to agree to attack south
- Chief Engineer Sir John Burgoyne argued Russian defences were too strong, and St Arnaud agreed
Who poorly advised Raglan on the 26th September to stay close to Balaclava and let the French advance west?
Admiral Lyons
Who led the French after St Arnaud got ill?
General Canrobert
Due to inaction from the British and French in Sebastopol, what did the Russians do?
- Russians improved Sebastopols defences
- Canrobert kept insisting that the citys defences must be reduced by artillery bombardment
- In reality staying stationary strained Raglans army and let the Russians build their defences up even more
What was a result of the inaction in Sebastopol?
- 17th October 1854, allies had 126 siege guns, the Russians had 341 by now
- An allied naval bombardment resulted in damage to warships and 500 ally casualties
What was the second form of inaction at the Siege of Sebastopol?
- The allied land bombardment was effective enough to capture Sebastapol, but Canrobert still opposed action
- Gave Russians time to patch their defences and carry out repairs
When was the Battle of Balaclava?
25th October 1854
- Menshikov occupied Causeway Heights and now 25,000 of his infantry with others advanced towards Balaclava
What was the ‘Thin Red Line’ at the Battle of Balaclava? Who was the commander of the 93rd Foot who carried this out?
- Sir Collin Campbell deployed his Highlanders on the reverse slope of the hill, he then moved them up hilltop in two ranks
- This encouraged the Russian cavalry to charge in a square formation
- The 500 highlanders kept their formation and fought back
What did the Highlanders use in the ‘thin red line’ that helped do significant damage to the Russians?
- The Minié rifles cause significant damage to the Russians
- This caused the Russians to retreat after their second attack
Who ordered the Charge of the Heavy Brigade?
General Lord Lucan sent one of the two brigades of the Heavy Brigade to support the highlanders
Who commanded the Charge of the Heavy Brigade?
- General Scarlett commanded 800 of the Heavy Brigade uphill to charge the Russians
- The British Horse artillery opened fire on the Russians rear and they were all in retreat
What was the tension between the light and heavy brigade?
- Lord Cardigan hated Lord Lucan, he was his brother in law
Who was the head of the light brigade, how many men were in the light brigade, how many were killed, wounded and taken POW?
- 664 total
- 110 dead
- 140 wounded
- 58 taken POW
What happened when the Light Brigade charged?
- They took Russian fire from 3 sides, Captain Nolan was killed by an exploding Russian Shell
- Half the yutes were dead it was peak
- Only got saved by cover provided from the French cavalry charge
What was the ambiguity in Raglans order to the Light Brigade?
- The order was to prevent the enemy carrying the guns away
- This was vague, no one knew what he meant and assumed it was the heavily armed Russians
What was Captain Nolans role in the charge of the light brigade?
- Was ordered to deliver the message as he is an excellent horseman who sent the message down a steep valley
- Insisted on the charge despite Lucan insisting it would be a waste
What was Lucans role in the charge of the light bridge?
- Could not see the guns on the far side of Causeway Heights
- Mistaken that they had to attack the mass of Russian guns at the far end of the valley
What was Lord Cardigans role in the charge of the light brigade?
- Gave the order to the light brigade to advance in 3 lines
- Ahead was 20 battalions of Russian infantry with over 50 guns
- After the attack he boarded his private yacht and drank champagne
What happened to Lucan and Cardigan after the charge of the light brigade?
- Lucan was blamed by Raglan, Lucan argued Raglan gave him no independence and was recalled to Britain in March 1855
- Cardigan showed bravery by obeying orders, blamed Lucan and left Crimea on his own order, he was labelled a hero
What 4 issues did the charge of the light brigade show about the army?
- Poor planning
- Poor communication
- Vague generals
- Conflicting orders
What remained the sole focus after the Battle of Balaclava?
- The allies siege of Sebastopol
Who wrote a poem about the Battle of Balaclava?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
