Results of the Crimean War of 1853 1856. Crimean War (briefly)

The reasons for the war were the contradictions between the European powers in the Middle East, in the struggle European states for influence on the weakening and gripped by the national liberation movement of the Ottoman Empire. Nicholas I said that the inheritance of Turkey can and should be divided. In the coming conflict Russian emperor counted on the neutrality of Great Britain, which he promised after the defeat of Turkey new territorial acquisitions of Crete and Egypt, as well as on the support of Austria, as a gratitude for Russia's participation in the suppression of the Hungarian revolution. However, Nicholas's calculations turned out to be wrong: England herself pushed Turkey to war, thus seeking to weaken Russia's position. Austria also did not want to strengthen Russia in the Balkans.

The reason for the war was a dispute between the Catholic and Orthodox clergy in Palestine about who will be the guardian of the temple of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the temple in Bethlehem. At the same time, it was not about access to holy places, since all pilgrims used them on an equal footing. The dispute over the Holy Places cannot be called a far-fetched pretext for unleashing a war.

STAGES

During the Crimean War, two stages are distinguished:

I stage of the war: November 1853 - April 1854 Turkey was Russia's enemy, and hostilities took place on the Danube and Caucasian fronts. In 1853, Russian troops entered the territory of Moldavia and Wallachia, and hostilities on land were sluggish. In the Caucasus, the Turks were defeated near Kars.

II stage of the war: April 1854 - February 1856 Concerned that Russia would completely defeat Turkey, England and France, in the person of Austria, delivered an ultimatum to Russia. They demanded that Russia refuse to patronize the Orthodox population Ottoman Empire. Nicholas I could not accept such conditions. Türkiye, France, England and Sardinia united against Russia.

RESULTS

The results of the war:

On February 13 (25), 1856, the Paris Congress began, and on March 18 (30) a peace treaty was signed.

Russia returned the city of Kars with a fortress to the Ottomans, receiving in exchange Sevastopol, Balaklava and other Crimean cities captured from it.

The Black Sea was declared neutral (that is, open to commercial and closed to military vessels in Peaceful time), with the prohibition of Russia and the Ottoman Empire to have navies and arsenals there.

Navigation along the Danube was declared free, for which the Russian borders were moved away from the river and part of Russian Bessarabia with the mouth of the Danube was annexed to Moldavia.

Russia was deprived of the protectorate over Moldavia and Wallachia granted to it by the Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhysky peace of 1774 and the exclusive protection of Russia over the Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire.

Russia pledged not to build fortifications on the Aland Islands.

During the war, the members of the anti-Russian coalition failed to achieve all their goals, but managed to prevent the strengthening of Russia in the Balkans and deprive it of the Black Sea Fleet.

TO mid-nineteenth century international position Europe remained extremely tense: Austria and Prussia continued to concentrate their troops on the border with Russia, England and France asserted their colonial power with blood and sword. In this situation, a war broke out between Russia and Turkey, which went down in history as Crimean War 1853-1856.

Causes of military conflict

By the 50s of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire had finally lost its power. The Russian state, on the contrary, after the suppression of revolutions in European countries, rose. Emperor Nicholas I decided to further strengthen the power of Russia. First of all, he wanted the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits of the Black Sea to become free for the Russian fleet. This led to hostilities between the Russian and Turkish empires. Besides, the main reasons were :

• Turkey had the right to let the fleet of the allied powers through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in case of hostilities.
• Russia carried out open support for the Orthodox peoples under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish government has repeatedly expressed its indignation at Russia's interference in the internal politics of the Turkish state.
• The Turkish government, led by Abdulmecid, was eager for revenge for the defeat in two wars with Russia in 1806-1812 and 1828-1829.

Nicholas I, preparing for the war with Turkey, counted on the non-intervention of the Western powers in the military conflict. However, the Russian emperor was cruelly mistaken - the Western countries, incited by Great Britain, openly came out on the side of Turkey. British policy has traditionally been to root out the slightest strengthening of any country with all its might.

Start of hostilities

The reason for the war was a dispute between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches over the right to possess the holy lands in Palestine. In addition, Russia demanded that the Black Sea straits be recognized as free for the Russian navy. The Turkish Sultan Abdulmecid, encouraged by the support of England, declared war on the Russian Empire.

If we talk briefly about the Crimean War, then it can be divided into two main steps:

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• First stage lasted from October 16, 1853 to March 27, 1854. The first six months of hostilities on three fronts - the Black Sea, Danube and Caucasian, Russian troops invariably prevailed over the Ottoman Turks.
• Second phase lasted from March 27, 1854 to February 1856. The number of participants in the Crimean War of 1853-1856 increased due to the entry into the war of England and France. There is a turning point in the war.

The course of the military company

By the autumn of 1853, events on the Danube front were proceeding sluggishly and indecisively for both sides.

• The Russian grouping of forces was commanded only by Gorchakov, who thought only about the defense of the Danube bridgehead. The Turkish troops of Omer Pasha, after futile attempts to go on the offensive on the border of Wallachia, also switched to passive defense.
• Events in the Caucasus developed much more rapidly: on October 16, 1854, a detachment consisting of 5 thousand Turks attacked the Russian border outpost between Batum and Poti. The Turkish commander Abdi Pasha hoped to crush the Russian troops in Transcaucasia and unite with the Chechen Imam Shamil. But the Russian General Bebutov upset the plans of the Turks, defeating them near the village of Bashkadyklar in November 1853.
• But the loudest victory was obtained at sea by Admiral Nakhimov on November 30, 1853. The Russian squadron completely destroyed the Turkish fleet located in the Sinop Bay. The commander of the Turkish fleet, Osman Pasha, was captured by Russian sailors. It was the last battle in the history of the sailing fleet.

• The crushing victories of the Russian army and navy were not to the liking of England and France. The governments of the English Queen Victoria and the French Emperor Napoleon III demanded that Russian troops be withdrawn from the mouth of the Danube. Nicholas I refused. In response, on March 27, 1854, England declared war on Russia. Due to the concentration of Austrian armed forces and the ultimatum of the Austrian government, Nicholas I was forced to agree to the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Danubian principalities.

The following table presents the main events of the second period of the Crimean War, with dates and a summary of each of the events:

date	Event	Content
March 27, 1854	England declared war on Russia	The declaration of war was the result of Russia's disobedience to the requirements of the English Queen Victoria
April 22, 1854	Attempt of the Anglo-French fleet to besiege Odessa	The Anglo-French squadron subjected Odessa to a long bombardment of 360 guns. However, all attempts by the British and French to land troops failed.
Spring 1854	Attempts to penetrate the British and French on the coast of the Baltic and White Seas	The Anglo-French landing captured the Russian fortress of Bomarzund on the Aland Islands. The attacks of the English squadron on the Solovetsky Monastery and on the city of Kalu located on the coast of Murmansk were repulsed.
Summer 1854	The allies are preparing a landing in the Crimea	Commander of Russian troops in Crimea A.S. Menshikov was an extremely mediocre commander in chief. He did not in any way prevent the Anglo-French landing in Evpatoria, although he had about 36 thousand soldiers at hand.
September 20, 1854	Battle on the Alma River	Menshikov tried to stop the troops of the landed allies (66 thousand in total), but in the end he was defeated and retreated to Bakhchisarai, leaving Sevastopol completely defenseless.
October 5, 1854	The allies began shelling Sevastopol	After the withdrawal of Russian troops to Bakhchisaray, the allies could take Sevastopol immediately, but decided to storm the city later. Taking advantage of the indecisiveness of the British and French, the engineer Totleben began to fortify the city.
October 17, 1854 - September 5, 1855	Defense of Sevastopol	The defense of Sevastopol entered the history of Russia forever as one of its most heroic, symbolic and tragic pages. The remarkable commanders Istomin, Nakhimov and Kornilov fell on the bastions of Sevastopol.
October 25, 1854	Battle of Balaclava	Menshikov tried with all his might to pull the allied forces away from Sevastopol. Russian troops failed to achieve this goal and defeat the British camp near Balaklava. However, the allies, due to heavy losses, temporarily abandoned the assault on Sevastopol.
November 5, 1854	Inkerman battle	Menshikov made another attempt to lift or at least weaken the siege of Sevastopol. However, this attempt also ended in failure. The reason for the next loss of the Russian army was the complete inconsistency in team actions, as well as the presence of rifled rifles (fittings) in the British and French, which mowed down entire ranks of Russian soldiers on distant approaches.
August 16, 1855	Battle on the Black River	The largest battle of the Crimean War. Another attempt by the new commander-in-chief M.D. Gorchakov to lift the siege ended in disaster for the Russian army and the death of thousands of soldiers.
October 2, 1855	The fall of the Turkish fortress of Kars	If in the Crimea the Russian army was pursued by failures, then in the Caucasus, parts of the Russian troops successfully pressed the Turks. The most powerful Turkish fortress of Kars fell on October 2, 1855, but further move war, this event could no longer affect.

Quite a few peasants tried to avoid recruitment in order not to get into the army. This did not speak of their cowardice, just that many peasants sought to avoid recruitment due to their families who needed to be fed. During the years of the Crimean War of 1853-1856, on the contrary, there was a surge of patriotic sentiments among the population of Russia. Moreover, people of various classes were recorded in the militia.

End of the war and its aftermath

The new Russian sovereign Alexander II, who replaced the suddenly deceased Nicholas I on the throne, directly visited the theater of military operations. After that, he decided to do everything in his power to end the Crimean War. The end of the war was at the beginning of 1856.

In early 1856, a congress of European diplomats was convened in Paris to conclude peace. The most difficult condition put forward by the Western powers of Russia was a ban on the maintenance of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.

Main terms of the Paris Treaty:

• Russia pledged to return the Kars fortress to Turkey in exchange for Sevastopol;
• Russia was forbidden to have a fleet on the Black Sea;
• Russia lost part of the territories in the Danube Delta. Navigation on the Danube was declared free;
• Russia was forbidden to have military fortifications on the Aland Islands.

Rice. 3. Congress of Paris 1856

The Russian Empire suffered a serious defeat. A powerful blow was dealt to the country's international prestige. The Crimean War exposed the rottenness of the existing system and the backwardness of industry from the leading world powers. The lack of rifled weapons in the Russian army, a modern fleet and a shortage railways, could not but affect the military operations.

Nevertheless, such key moments of the Crimean War as the Battle of Sinop, the defense of Sevastopol, the capture of Kars or the defense of the fortress of Bomarzund, remained in history as a sacrificial and majestic feat of Russian soldiers and the Russian people.

The government of Nicholas I introduced the most severe censorship during the Crimean War. It was forbidden to touch military theme, both in bookstores and in periodicals. Publications that wrote in an enthusiastic manner about the course of hostilities were also not allowed into the press.

What have we learned?

Crimean War 1853-1856 found serious shortcomings in the external and domestic politics Russian Empire. About what this war was, why Russia was defeated, as well as about the significance of the Crimean War and its consequences, the article “Crimean War” tells.

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The spirit in the troops is beyond description. At times ancient greece there was not so much heroism. I have not been able to be in business a single time, but I thank God that I have seen these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

Wars between the Russian and Ottoman empires were commonplace international politics XVIII-XIX centuries. In 1853, the Russian Empire of Nicholas 1 entered into another war, which went down in history as the Crimean War of 1853-1856, and ended with the defeat of Russia. In addition, this war showed the strong resistance of the leading countries Western Europe(France and Great Britain) strengthening the role of Russia in Eastern Europe especially in the Balkans. The lost war also showed Russia itself problems in domestic politics, which led to many problems. Despite victories at the initial stage of 1853-1854, as well as the capture of the key Turkish fortress of Kars in 1855, Russia lost the most important battles on the territory of the Crimean peninsula. This article describes the causes, course, main results and historical meaning V short story about the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Causes of the aggravation of the Eastern question

Under the Eastern question, historians understand a number of controversial points Russian-Turkish relations, which at any moment could lead to conflict. The main problems of the Eastern question, which became the main one for the future war, are as follows:

• Loss of Crimea and northern Black Sea region The Ottoman Empire at the end of the 18th constantly stimulated Turkey to go to war in the hope of regaining the territory. Thus began the wars of 1806-1812 and 1828-1829. However, as a result of them, Turkey lost Bessarabia and part of the territory in the Caucasus, which further strengthened the desire for revenge.
• Belonging to the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Russia demanded that these straits be opened for the Black Sea Fleet, while the Ottoman Empire (under pressure from the countries of Western Europe) ignored these demands of Russia.
• The presence in the Balkans, as part of the Ottoman Empire, Slavic Christian peoples who fought for their independence. Russia supported them, thereby causing a wave of indignation among the Turks about Russia's interference in the internal affairs of another state.

An additional factor that intensified the conflict was the desire of the countries of Western Europe (Britain, France, and Austria) not to let Russia into the Balkans, as well as close its access to the straits. For the sake of this, the countries were ready to support Turkey in a potential war with Russia.

The reason for the war and its beginning

These troubled moments brewed throughout the late 1840s and early 1850s. In 1853, the Turkish Sultan handed over the Bethlehem Temple of Jerusalem (then the territory of the Ottoman Empire) to the management catholic church. This caused a wave of indignation of the highest Orthodox hierarchy. Nicholas 1 decided to take advantage of this, using the religious conflict as a pretext for attacking Turkey. Russia demanded to transfer the temple Orthodox Church, and at the same time also open the straits for the Black Sea Fleet. Türkiye refused. In June 1853, Russian troops crossed the border of the Ottoman Empire and entered the territory of the Danubian principalities dependent on it.

Nicholas 1 hoped that France was too weak after the revolution of 1848, and that Britain could be appeased by transferring Cyprus and Egypt to it in the future. However, the plan didn't work. European countries called the Ottoman Empire to action, promising it financial and military aid. In October 1853, Türkiye declared war on Russia. Thus began, to put it briefly, the Crimean War of 1853-1856. In the history of Western Europe, this war is called Eastern.

The course of the war and the main stages

The Crimean War can be divided into 2 stages according to the number of participants in the events of those years. Here are the steps:

1. October 1853 - April 1854. During these six months the war was between the Ottoman Empire and Russia (without the direct intervention of other states). There were three fronts: Crimean (Black Sea), Danube and Caucasian.
2. April 1854 - February 1856. British and French troops enter the war, which expands the theater of operations, as well as a turning point in the course of the war. The allied troops were superior to the Russian ones from the technical side, which was the reason for the changes in the course of the war.

As for specific battles, the following key battles can be distinguished: for Sinop, for Odessa, for the Danube, for the Caucasus, for Sevastopol. There were other battles, but those listed above are the main ones. Let's consider them in more detail.

Battle of Sinop (November 1853)

The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop in the Crimea. The Russian fleet under the command of Nakhimov completely defeated the Turkish fleet of Osman Pasha. This battle was perhaps the last major world battle on sailing ships. This victory significantly raised morale Russian army and gave hope for an early victory in the war.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle November 18, 1853

Bombing of Odessa (April 1854)

In early April 1854, the Ottoman Empire launched a squadron of the Franco-British fleet through its straits, which swiftly headed for Russian port and shipbuilding cities: Odessa, Ochakov and Nikolaev.

On April 10, 1854, the bombardment of Odessa, the main southern port of the Russian Empire, began. After a rapid and intense bombardment, it was planned to land troops in the northern Black Sea region, which would force the withdrawal of troops from the Danubian principalities, as well as weaken the defense of the Crimea. However, the city withstood several days of shelling. Moreover, the defenders of Odessa were able to deliver accurate strikes against the Allied fleet. The plan of the Anglo-French troops failed. The allies were forced to retreat towards the Crimea and begin battles for the peninsula.

Fights on the Danube (1853-1856)

It was with the entry of Russian troops into this region that the Crimean War of 1853-1856 began. After the success in the Battle of Sinop, another success awaited Russia: the troops completely crossed to the right bank of the Danube, an attack was opened on Silistria and further on Bucharest. However, the entry into the war of England and France complicated the offensive of Russia. On June 9, 1854, the siege of Silistria was lifted and the Russian troops returned to the left bank of the Danube. By the way, on this front, Austria also entered the war against Russia, which was worried about the rapid advance of the Romanov Empire into Wallachia and Moldavia.

In July 1854, near the city of Varna (modern Bulgaria), a huge landing of the British and French armies(according to various sources, from 30 to 50 thousand). The troops were supposed to enter the territory of Bessarabia, ousting Russia from this region. However, a cholera epidemic broke out in the French army, and the British public demanded that the leadership of the army first strike at the Black Sea fleet in the Crimea.

Fights in the Caucasus (1853-1856)

An important battle took place in July 1854 near the village of Kyuruk-Dara (Western Armenia). The combined Turkish-British forces were defeated. At this stage, the Crimean War was still successful for Russia.

Another important battle in this region took place in June-November 1855. Russian troops decided to attack the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire, the fortress of Karsu, so that the allies would send part of the troops to this region, thereby slightly weakening the siege of Sevastopol. Russia won the battle of Kars, but this happened after the news of the fall of Sevastopol, so this battle had little effect on the outcome of the war. Moreover, according to the results of the "peace" signed later, the fortress of Kars returned to the Ottoman Empire. However, as the peace talks showed, the capture of Kars still played a role. But more on that later.

Defense of Sevastopol (1854-1855)

The most heroic and tragic event of the Crimean War is, of course, the battle for Sevastopol. In September 1855, Franco-British troops captured last point defense of the city - Malakhov Kurgan. The city survived 11 months of siege, however, as a result, it was surrendered to the allied forces (among which the Sardinian kingdom appeared). This defeat became a key one and served as an impetus for the end of the war. From the end of 1855, intensified negotiations began, in which Russia had practically no strong arguments. It was clear that the war was lost.

Other battles in the Crimea (1854-1856)

In addition to the siege of Sevastopol on the territory of Crimea in 1854-1855, several more battles took place, which were aimed at "unblocking" Sevastopol:

1. Battle of the Alma (September 1854).
2. Battle of Balaklava (October 1854).
3. Battle of Inkerman (November 1854).
4. An attempt to liberate Evpatoria (February 1855).
5. Battle on the Chernaya River (August 1855).

All these battles ended in unsuccessful attempts to lift the siege of Sevastopol.

"Distant" battles

Main fighting wars took place near the Crimean peninsula, which gave the name to the war. There were also battles in the Caucasus, on the territory of modern Moldova, as well as in the Balkans. However, not many people know that battles between rivals also took place in remote regions of the Russian Empire. Here are some examples:

1. Peter and Paul Defense. The battle that took place on the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula between the combined Franco-British troops on the one hand and Russian on the other. The battle took place in August 1854. This battle was the result of the victory of Britain over China during the Opium Wars. As a result, Britain wanted to increase its influence in the east of Asia, ousting Russia from here. In total, the Allied troops made two assaults, both ended in failure for them. Russia withstood the Peter and Paul defense.
2. Arctic Company. The operation of the British fleet to attempt to blockade or capture Arkhangelsk, carried out in 1854-1855. The main battles took place in the water area Barents Sea. The British also undertook the bombardment of the Solovetsky fortress, as well as the robbery of Russian merchant ships in the White and Barents Seas.

Results and historical significance of the war

In February 1855, Nicholas 1 died. The task of the new emperor, Alexander 2, was to end the war, and with minimal damage to Russia. In February 1856, the Paris Congress began its work. Russia was represented by Alexei Orlov and Philip Brunnov. Since neither side saw the point in continuing the war, already on March 6, 1856, the Treaty of Paris was signed, as a result of which the Crimean War was completed.

The main terms of the Treaty of Paris 6 were as follows:

1. Russia returned the Karsu fortress to Turkey in exchange for Sevastopol and other captured cities of the Crimean peninsula.
2. Russia was forbidden to have a Black Sea fleet. The Black Sea was declared neutral.
3. The Bosporus and Dardanelles were declared closed to the Russian Empire.
4. Part of Russian Bessarabia was transferred to the Moldavian Principality, the Danube ceased to be a border river, so navigation was declared free.
5. On the Allada Islands (an archipelago in the Baltic Sea), Russia was forbidden to build military and (or) defensive fortifications.

As for losses, the number of Russian citizens who died in the war is 47.5 thousand people. Britain lost 2.8 thousand, France - 10.2, the Ottoman Empire - more than 10 thousand. The Sardinian kingdom lost 12 thousand soldiers. Austrian casualties are unknown, possibly because Austria was not officially at war with Russia.

In general, the war showed the backwardness of Russia, compared with the states of Europe, especially in terms of the economy (completion industrial revolution, construction of railways, use of steamboats). After this defeat, the reforms of Alexander 2 began. In addition, in Russia for a long time a desire for revenge was brewing, which resulted in another war with Turkey in 1877-1878. But this is a completely different story, and the Crimean War of 1853-1856 was completed and Russia was defeated in it.

The Crimean War, or, as it is called in the West, the Eastern War, was one of the most important and decisive events of the middle of the 19th century. At this time, the lands of the non-falling Ottoman Empire found themselves in the center of the conflict between the European powers and Russia, and each of the warring parties wanted to expand their territories by annexing foreign lands.

The war of 1853-1856 was called the Crimean War, since the most important and intense hostilities took place in the Crimea, although military clashes went far beyond the peninsula and covered large areas of the Balkans, the Caucasus, as well as the Far East and Kamchatka. At the same time, tsarist Russia had to fight not just with the Ottoman Empire, but with a coalition where Turkey was supported by Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Causes of the Crimean War

Each of the parties that took part in the military campaign had its own own reasons and the claims that prompted them to enter into this conflict. But in general, they were united by one single goal - to take advantage of Turkey's weakness and establish themselves in the Balkans and the Middle East. It was these colonial interests that led to the outbreak of the Crimean War. But to achieve this goal, all countries followed different paths.

Russia longed to destroy the Ottoman Empire, and its territories to be mutually beneficially divided among the claiming countries. Under its protectorate, Russia would like to see Bulgaria, Moldavia, Serbia and Wallachia. And at the same time, she was not opposed to the fact that the territories of Egypt and the island of Crete would go to Great Britain. It was also important for Russia to establish control over the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, connecting the two seas: the Black and the Mediterranean.

Turkey, with the help of this war, hoped to suppress the national liberation movement that had engulfed the Balkans, and also to select very important Russian territories Crimea and the Caucasus.

England and France did not want to strengthen the positions of Russian tsarism in international arena, and sought to preserve the Ottoman Empire, because they saw in her face a constant threat to Russia. Having weakened the enemy, the European powers wanted to separate the territories of Finland, Poland, the Caucasus and Crimea from Russia.

The French emperor pursued his ambitious goals and dreamed of revenge in a new war with Russia. Thus, he wanted to take revenge on his enemy for the defeat in the military campaign of 1812.

If we carefully consider the mutual claims of the parties, then, in fact, the Crimean War was absolutely predatory and predatory. After all, it was not in vain that the poet Fyodor Tyutchev described it as a war of cretins with scoundrels.

The course of hostilities

The beginning of the Crimean War was preceded by several important events. In particular, it was the issue of control over the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Bethlehem, which was decided in favor of the Catholics. This finally convinced Nicholas I of the need to start military operations against Turkey. Therefore, in June 1853, Russian troops invaded the territory of Moldova.

The response of the Turkish side was not long in coming: on October 12, 1853, the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia.

The first period of the Crimean War: October 1853 - April 1854

By the beginning of hostilities, there were about a million people in the Russian army. But as it turned out, its armament was very outdated and significantly inferior to the equipment of Western European armies: smooth-bore guns against rifled weapons, a sailing fleet against ships with steam engines. But Russia hoped that it would have to fight with an approximately equal in strength Turkish army, as happened at the very beginning of the war, and could not imagine that it would be opposed by the forces of the united coalition of European countries.

During this period, the fighting was carried out with varying success. And the most important battle of the first Russian-Turkish period The war was the Battle of Sinop, which took place on November 18, 1853. The Russian flotilla under the command of Vice Admiral Nakhimov, heading for the Turkish coast, discovered large naval forces enemy. The commander decided to attack the Turkish fleet. The Russian squadron had an undeniable advantage - 76 cannons firing explosive shells. This is what decided the outcome of the 4-hour battle - the Turkish squadron was completely destroyed, and the commander Osman Pasha was taken prisoner.

The second period of the Crimean War: April 1854 - February 1856

The victory of the Russian army in the battle of Sinop greatly disturbed England and France. And in March 1854, these powers, together with Turkey, formed a coalition to fight a common enemy - Russian Empire. Now a powerful military force fought against her, several times superior to her army.

With the beginning of the second stage of the Crimean campaign, the territory of hostilities expanded significantly and covered the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Baltic, Far East and Kamchatka. But the main task of the coalition was the intervention in the Crimea and the capture of Sevastopol.

In the autumn of 1854, a united corps of 60,000 coalition forces landed in the Crimea near Yevpatoriya. And the first battle on the river Alma Russian army lost, so it was forced to retreat to Bakhchisaray. The garrison of Sevastopol began to prepare for the defense and defense of the city. The illustrious admirals Nakhimov, Kornilov and Istomin stood at the head of the valiant defenders. Sevastopol was turned into impregnable fortress, which was protected by 8 bastions on land, and the entrance to the bay was blocked with the help of sunken ships.

The heroic defense of Sevastopol continued for 349 days, and only in September 1855 did the enemy capture Malakhov Kurgan and occupied the entire southern part cities. The Russian garrison moved to northern part, but Sevastopol never capitulated.

Results of the Crimean War

The military actions of 1855 weakened both the allied coalition and Russia. Therefore, the continuation of the war could no longer be discussed. And in March 1856, the opponents agreed to sign a peace treaty.

According to the Treaty of Paris, Russia, like the Ottoman Empire, was forbidden to have a navy, fortresses and arsenals on the Black Sea, which meant that the southern borders of the country were in danger.

As a result of the war, Russia lost a small part of its territories in Bessarabia and the mouth of the Danube, but lost its influence in the Balkans.

Crimean War 1853 - 1856 - one of the largest events of the XIX century, which marked a sharp turn in the history of Europe. The immediate cause for the Crimean War was the events around Turkey, but its true causes were much more complex and deeper. They were rooted primarily in the struggle between liberal and conservative principles.

IN early XIX century, the indisputable triumph of conservative elements over the revolutionary predatory elements ended at the end of the Napoleonic wars with the Vienna Congress of 1815, which established for a long time political structure Europe. Conservative-protective "System Metternich” prevailed throughout the European continent and found its expression in the Holy Alliance, which at first embraced all the governments of continental Europe and represented, as it were, their mutual insurance against attempts to renew the bloody Jacobin terror anywhere. Attempts at new ("southern Romanesque") revolutions made in Italy and Spain in the early 1820s were suppressed by decisions of the congresses of the Holy Alliance. However, the situation began to change after the French Revolution of 1830, which was successful and changed the internal order of France towards greater liberalism. The July coup of 1830 caused revolutionary events in Belgium and Poland. System Congress of Vienna crackled. A split was brewing in Europe. The liberal governments of England and France began to draw closer against the conservative powers - Russia, Austria and Prussia. Then an even more serious revolution broke out in 1848, which, however, was defeated in Italy and Germany. At the same time, the Berlin and Vienna governments received moral support from St. Petersburg, and the Russian army directly helped the Austrian Habsburgs to suppress the uprising in Hungary. Shortly before the Crimean War, the conservative group of powers, with the most powerful of them, Russia, at the head, seemed to be even more united, restoring their hegemony in Europe.

This forty-year hegemony (1815 - 1853) aroused hatred on the part of European liberals, which was directed with particular force against "backward", "Asiatic" Russia as the main stronghold of the Holy Alliance. Meanwhile, the international situation brought to the fore events that helped unite the western group of liberal powers and divided the eastern, conservative one. These events were complications in the East. The interests of England and France, in many respects dissimilar, converged on the protection of Turkey from absorption by Russia. On the contrary, Austria could not be a sincere ally of Russia in this matter, for she, like the British and French, most of all feared the absorption of the Turkish East by the Russian Empire. Thus, Russia was isolated. Although the main historical interest of the struggle was the task of eliminating the protective hegemony of Russia, towering over Europe for 40 years, the conservative monarchies left Russia alone and thus prepared the triumph of liberal powers and liberal principles. In England and France, the war with the northern conservative colossus was popular. If it were caused by a clash over some Western issue (Italian, Hungarian, Polish), then it would rally the conservative powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia. However, the eastern, Turkish question, on the contrary, separated them. He served external cause Crimean War 1853-1856.

Crimean War 1853-1856. Map

The pretext for the Crimean War was the bickering over the holy places in Palestine, which began as early as 1850 between the Orthodox clergy and the Catholic, who was under the patronage of France. To resolve the issue, Emperor Nicholas I sent (1853) to Constantinople an extraordinary envoy, Prince Menshikov, who demanded that the Porte confirm the protectorate of Russia over the entire Orthodox population Turkish Empire established by previous agreements. The Ottomans were supported by England and France. After almost three months of negotiations, Menshikov received a decisive refusal from the Sultan to accept the note presented by him and on May 9, 1853 returned to Russia.

Then Emperor Nicholas, without declaring war, brought the Russian army of Prince Gorchakov into Danubian principalities(Moldavia and Wallachia), “until Turkey satisfies the just demands of Russia” (manifesto June 14, 1853). The conference of representatives of Russia, England, France, Austria and Prussia, which met in Vienna to remove the causes of disagreement by peaceful means, did not achieve its goal. At the end of September, Turkey, under the threat of war, demanded that the Russians clear the principalities within two weeks. On October 8, 1853, the English and French fleets entered the Bosphorus, thereby violating the convention of 1841, which declared the Bosphorus closed to warships of all powers.