![]() In the immediate aftermath of the Ottoman’s declaration of war, the Russians proceeded to comfortably defeat a Turkish squadron in a naval battle at Sinope, in the Black Sea. As Britain, France and Austria sought a diplomatic solution to the problem, the Ottoman Empire was left with seemingly little choice and responded to the threat by declaring war on Russia on 23 October 1853. However, this move alienated the Austrians who relied on these principalities – Moldavia and Walachia – as part of its trade. In July 1853 Russia move into and occupied the Danubian Principalities as a means of asserting pressure on Constantinople (the capital of the Ottoman Empire, now called Istanbul). Russia hoped that Britain would take its side in a potential conflict with the French over control of Ottoman Empire and Middle Eastern holy places, but they were wrong. ![]() And so, over 18 tensions grew between the two nations. However, while Russia was keen to defend the interests of Orthodoxy, France – under the rule of Napoleon III – was keen to enforce Catholicism on the holy places in Palestine. Russia also regarded the Ottoman Empire as “the sick man of Europe”, a comment – often attributed to its leader at the time Tsar Nicholas I – that pinpoints the Ottomans as the weakest country on the continent because of its shrinking territories and failing finances. Russia had long held the view of itself as a protector of Orthodox Christians, many of whom lived under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. However, by the time Russia had gained control of these territories there was no longer anything standing between it and the Ottoman Turks. These conquests were primarily motivated by Russia’s desires to gain control of the warm Black Sea ports of the Crimean Peninsula which, unlike their own northern ports, did not freeze over. Russia had been expanding south for over 100 years prior to the start of the Crimean War as they conquered first the Ukrainian Cossacks and then the Crimean Tatars. The tensions initially lay between the Russians and the Ottoman Empire, based in modern day Turkey. However, after almost 40 years of almost no conflict, the first signs of what was to develop into the Crimean War began to emerge. The Napoleonic Wars had seen years of widespread military unrest across the continent for several decades until the Congress of Vienna – from September 1814 to June 1815 – finally brought some much-needed peace to Europe. Sides: Russia v Great Britain, France, Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of Sardinia.Location: Black Sea, Crimean Peninsula, Balkans.What had been anticipated to be a short war in which the superior training, experience and technology possessed by the military forces of France and Great Britain were meant to quickly and conclusively dominate, ultimately proved to be a long, drawn-out affair. It is a war that is remembered for the poor leadership, communication and organisation of the allied forces (often epitomised by The Charge of the Light Brigade), which resulted in a bloody and prolonged conflict. The war saw Britain, France, Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire ally against, and ultimately defeat, Russia. ![]() The three-year conflict gets its name from the fact that it was mainly fought on the Crimean Peninsula, an area in the south of modern day Ukraine (as of March 2014 Ukraine is in dispute with Russia over ownership of the territory) that sits within the Black Sea. The Crimean War took place between October 1853 and February 1856.
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