Crimean War

The Crimean War (1853 - 1856) was a Guerre between the imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
The conflict had for principal scene the Black Sea.

Following a conflict with Bethlehem between Christian Latin - protected by the France - and orthodoxe - protected by the Russia - the relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire were envenimèrent until the declaration of Guerre.

However this quarrel of Moine S in the church S of the holy places is a pretext. The business is regulated by the Turks in favor of the orthodoxe clergy, but Russia requires Sultan then guarantees in favor of all the orthodoxe Christians of the Empire (1853); but the true reasons are the ambitions of Russia, eager to annex Constantinople and the Straits, i.e. to reach the the Mediterranean. Following the refusal of the Othomans, the tsar makes occupy the moldo-Wallachian principalities (July 1853). The Ottoman Empire declares the war in Russia then on October 4th, 1853.

British French and , then the Sardinians ( Piedmontese ), were combined with the Othoman S.

The Turkish fleet is destroyed by the Russian squadron in the port of Sinope, on November 30th, 1853.

To resolve the situation, the allies decided to unload in the Crimea and to attack the Russian main port of this Mer, Sébastopol.

After their unloading in the Crimea the September 14th 1854, the allies overcame the Russians with Alma (September 20th), but preferred to put the seat in front of Sébastopol.

The Russians had to scuttle their Navire S and to use their gun S like additional Artillerie like their crews like troop with ground. The Admiral Nakhimov was mortally wounded with the head by a Franc-tireur, and died the June 30th 1855.

During this seat, the adversaries clashed in the battles of Balaklava - October 25th - and of Inkerman - November 5th.

The September 8th 1855, the Turn Malakoff, key position of the city, falls to the hands from the French, directed by the marshal Patrice of Mac-Mahon, become celebrates in particular for this victory during which he pronounced his famous “I am there! I remain there! ”, involving the fall of the city. With the accession of Alexandre II the talks of Paix started. The treated of Paris, signed the March 30th 1856, put an end to this conflict.

Around this war

This war will remain famous for the demonstrations of military and logistic incompetence, which one finds an example in the Charge of the light brigade immortalized by the Poème of Tennyson. The Choléra sapped the French preparations for the head office of Sébastopol, and a violent storm in the night of the November 14th 1854 made run 41 French vessels, including 3 soldiers, with their invaluable cargo of supplies, forages, clothing and other needs. This event encouraged French Urbain the Glassmaker to develop a European network of weather information in order to be able to anticipate the climatic and weather variations.

In the desperate Winter which followed, the scandalous treatment of the Soldat S wounded, whose correspondents of press made state in the newspapers, encouraged Florence Nightingale to suggest the organization of an assumption of responsibility of the casualties, introducing methods of modern care.

It was also the first conflict tactiquement to use the Railroad and where the electric Télégraphe allowed communications much faster including with the center of political power.

It is by the participation of the kingdom of Sardinia in this war, that Victor-Emmanuel II began his progressive unification from the Italy around the Piedmont.

Interesting anecdote: the soldiers of the Western troops transfer their comrades Turkish to roll their Cigarette S in paper, which was much more effective than the sheets of Tabac than they used up to now because those were émiettaient…

It is during this war that for the first time a photographer was engaged by a government to make an illustrated report. Thus Roger Peg wood, British photographer, carried out approximately 360 photographs between March and June 1855. He was followed little time afterwards by other photographers, James Robertson and Felice A. Beato, which did not profit, them, of an official mission of the British government.

During the defense of Sébastopol, the army made run ships, on the one hand to encumber the access to the roads, on the other hand to prevent that they do not fall to the hands from the enemy. Once signed peace, a vast company of underwater reinflation was committed to recover the buildings and their equipment, of which part had been prepared with this operation at the time of their scuttling.

To return at the origin of the conflict, curiously, Maxime of the Camp, in his " memories of a half-siècle" , tells that Napoleon III, " determined to engage thoroughly in the conflict and wishing a fulcrum for the French Armies, looked towards St Pétersbourg, because it always had leant dimensioned alliance russe." It thus sent his cousin, prince Napoleon, in secret mission near prince Gortschakoff, station in Baden-Baden. This one entremit with the Nicolas Tsar. The answer was slow to come but concise: " Between Romanoff and Bonaparte, there can be nothing commun." " Three days after, France and England had tightened the main."

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