Transcript The Crimean War File

THE CRIMEAN WAR
1853-6
THE INVASION OF TURKEY BY RUSSIA
MAIN EVENTS
• November 1853: Russians destroy the Turkish fleet at Sinope (in
response to Turkish attack of Russian forces at Wallachia)
• January 1854: French and British fleets stationed in Black sea, an
ultimatum is sent to Russia to withdraw forces in February, this is
ignored, a proclamation of war is then issued in March
• September 1854: Britain and France invade the Crimea,
attempting to seize Sevastapol at the Battle of Alma (this was the
first major conflict of the Crimea and resulted in 6000 Russian
deaths and the capturing of equipment dating back to 1799)
• The Battle of Balaclava and the charge of the Light Brigade
• February 1855: Nicholas I dies and is succeeded by Alexander II
• October 1854-September 1855: The Siege of Sevastapol, after a
series of artillery bombardments, resulting in the loss of 2-3000
troops a day, Russia surrenders
• The war then peters out and Russia eventually agrees to peace
talks
THE TREATY OF PARIS
• Signed in March 1856
• European powers were given duty to protect Christian
subjects in the Ottoman Empire
• Russia gave up its claim as the protector of the principalities
• Russia gives a large part of Bessarabia to Moldavia
• Russia prohibited from keeping a fleet in the Black Sea an
has to remove all Black Sea forts
• The Treaty showed how other powers feared
Russia’s strength and were therefore taking
measures to weaken its military power
• The war acted as a catalyst for many key reforms
within Russia
THE IMPACT OF THE WAR
• General
• Russia’s military failures and the strict terms of the Treaty of
Paris led many to question the future of the Russian Empire
• Many argued that Russia’s status as a great power was now
damaged
• Casualties
• ‘The Crimean war involved far heavier casualties than any
other European war fought between 1815 and 1914’
• Russia is thought to have lost 450 000 men, most to disease,
in comparison to Turkey’s 150 000 deaths
CASUALTIES OF THE CRIMEA
THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS
• The Crimean war highlighted Russia’s backwardness
in terms of transport, communication and
technology
• P. 153 quote
• Alexander recognised weaknesses in his country
and began a process of reform
• Serfdom underpinned the way in which Russian
society was structured; it’s abolition would therefore
necessitate changes in the government of the
country.
REFORMS
• Local government
• Reduced political role for the nobility at a local level
• Creation of Zemstva meant local government officials now
had to be elected (were the Tsars relaxing their grip?)
• General
• Expansion of the railways
• 2 billion roubles spent on constructing 20 000km of track
MILITARY REFORMS
• Before Crimea, the Russian army numbered around one
million, made up mostly from peasants.
• Accommodation and discipline was poor, with ‘the
gauntlet’ being used to enforce measures
• Morale was low, due to the impact of disease and poor
clothing and equipment
• 1862-74 saw Milyutin’s programme of reforms.
• Service was reduced to 15 years and further training was
provided at all levels
• Russia now had a more professional army in line with other
western powers
• The army could also now be relied on to maintain civil order
and fight overseas