The Crimean War, 1854-56 Flashcards
(19 cards)
State of the Ottoman Empire in 1854
“The sick man of Europe” – a crumbling empire and Russia wanted to pick up the pieces of it for its own benefit
Russian aims in 1854
Russia wanted access to the Med through the straits of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles which were owned by the Turks. An agreement could lead to them being able to pass freely and access the Med from the Crimea. This would allow them to challenge British and French prestige in the Med
Lord Aberdeen
British PM, distrusting of the French but was forced to cooperate due to the new Russian threat. He wanted to find a peaceful solution
Lord Palmerston
Home Secretary, wanted to stand up against the Russian threat. He was a hawkish character and quite aggressive. This was more in line with British public opinion. Distrusted by many, including Queen Victoria
When did Russia invade Moldavia and Wallachia?
July 1853
When did the Ottomans declare war?
October 1853
What happened in November 1853?
The Russian Black Sea Fleet destroyed an Ottoman squadron at Sinope
When was the Anglo-French blockade of the Black Sea?
January 1854
When did British and French declare war?
France – 27th March
Britain –28th March
The 4 points
Russia had withdrawn forces, but war had been declared and needed to end. So Austria drew out 4 points:
- Russia to renounce claims to Moldavia, Wallachia and Serbia
- River Danube to be open for all commerce (meaning everyone has access to the Black Sea, eliminating Russian dominance in the area)
- Revision of the 1841 Straits Convention, so warships can now enter the Straits and the Black Sea as a result
- Christians in the Ott. Empire to be under general protection from Europe, not just Russia
Which of the 4 points would be most threatening to Russia?
Point 3 – The Straits convention meant that no warships could enter the straits, revising this means that they can now enter the Black Sea
Russia’s response to the 4 points
No option but to fight
Duke of Newcastle
Secretary of State for War, another hawkish character like Lord Palmerston, lead to a clash of personalities with doves like PM Lord Aberdeen
Impact of the war on British opinion at the beginning
The media had covered the attacks on Sinope and Turkish ships quite heavily, and public opinion at the very start had turned against Russia
How many troops were sent to the Crimea in September 1854?
26,000 troops
State of the British Army
Not much had changed since 1815
- Largely neglected since 1815 due to relative peace in Europe
- Ran by the military with little gov interference
- The high command, figures like Wellington felt as if what had worked in the past does not need to be fixed. He had too much authority and was PM twice in the interwar period
- Army uniforms (bright red) had not changed compared to Waterloo - Firearms were more or less the same
- The British assumed that due to successful colonial endeavours in India against poorly armed opposition, meant that old ways would still work.
- Rarely had more than 115,000 men
State of the British Navy
- Still Britain’s most powerful force
- Overconfident after successes in the Opium Wars
- Ships used in Crimea were a mixture of wooden steam and sailing vessels
- The navy was slow to develop and didn’t have ironclad battleships until 1860
Difficulties in recruitment
- Barracks were overcrowded and unsanitary
- They were on poor pay of 1 shilling (12d) and 6d was deducted for food
- Families of married soldiers had to share barrack rooms
- Severe discipline such as flogging, which in 1846 was limited to a maximum of 50 lashes
Strengths of the British Army
