Crimean War reasons briefly. Crimean War: briefly about the causes, main events and consequences

The cause of the Crimean War was the clash of interests of Russia, England, France and Austria in the Middle East and the Balkans. Leading European countries sought to divide Turkish possessions in order to expand their spheres of influence and markets. Türkiye sought to take revenge for previous defeats in wars with Russia.

One of the main reasons for the emergence of military confrontation was the problem of revising the legal regime for the passage of the Mediterranean straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles by the Russian fleet, fixed in the London Convention of 1840-1841.

The reason for the outbreak of the war was a dispute between the Orthodox and Catholic clergy over the ownership of the “Palestinian shrines” (Bethlehem Church and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher), located on the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1851, the Turkish Sultan, incited by France, ordered the keys to the Bethlehem Temple to be taken away from Orthodox priests and give them to Catholics. In 1853, Nicholas I put forward an ultimatum with initially impossible demands, which ruled out a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Russia, having severed diplomatic relations with Turkey, occupied the Danube principalities, and as a result, Turkey declared war on October 4, 1853.

Fearing Russia's growing influence in the Balkans, England and France entered into a secret agreement in 1853 on a policy of opposing Russia's interests and began a diplomatic blockade.

The first period of the war: October 1853 - March 1854. The Black Sea squadron under the command of Admiral Nakhimov in November 1853 completely destroyed the Turkish fleet in the bay of Sinop, capturing the commander-in-chief. In the ground operation, the Russian army achieved significant victories in December 1853 - crossing the Danube and pushing back Turkish troops, it was under the command of General I.F. Paskevich besieged Silistria. In the Caucasus, Russian troops won a major victory near Bashkadılklar, thwarting the Turkish plans to seize Transcaucasia.

England and France, fearing the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, declared war on Russia in March 1854. From March to August 1854, they launched attacks from the sea against Russian ports on the Addan Islands, Odessa, the Solovetsky Monastery, and Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka. Attempts at a naval blockade were unsuccessful.

In September 1854, a 60,000-strong landing force was landed on the Crimean Peninsula to capture the main base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol.

The first battle on the river. Alma in September 1854 ended in failure for the Russian troops.

On September 13, 1854, the heroic defense of Sevastopol began, which lasted 11 months. By order of Nakhimov, the Russian sailing fleet, which could not resist the enemy’s steam ships, was scuttled at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay.

The defense was led by admirals V.A. Kornilov, P.S. Nakhimov, V.I. Istomin, who died heroically during the assaults. The defenders of Sevastopol were L.N. Tolstoy, surgeon N.I. Pirogov.

Many participants in these battles gained fame as national heroes: military engineer E.I. Totleben, General S.A. Khrulev, sailors P. Koshka, I. Shevchenko, soldier A. Eliseev.

Russian troops suffered a number of failures in the battles of Inkerman in Yevpatoria and on the Black River. On August 27, after a 22-day bombardment, an assault on Sevastopol was launched, after which Russian troops were forced to leave the city.

On March 18, 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed between Russia, Turkey, France, England, Austria, Prussia and Sardinia. Russia lost its bases and part of its fleet, the Black Sea was declared neutral. Russia lost its influence in the Balkans, and its military power in the Black Sea basin was undermined.

The basis of this defeat was the political miscalculation of Nicholas I, who pushed economically backward, feudal-serf Russia into conflict with strong European powers. This defeat prompted Alexander II to carry out a number of radical reforms.

Crimean War- events that took place from October 1853 to February 1856. The Crimean War was named because the three-year conflict took place in the south of the former Ukraine, now Russia, which is called the Crimean Peninsula.

The war involved coalition forces of France, Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire, which ultimately defeated Russia. The Crimean War, however, will be remembered by the coalition as a poor organization of the leadership of joint actions, which was epitomized by the defeat of their light cavalry at Balaklava and led to a rather bloody and prolonged conflict.

Expectations that the war will be short, for those superior in combat experience The equipment and technology of France and Great Britain did not materialize and the initial dominance turned into a long, drawn-out affair.

Reference. Crimean War - key facts

Background before events

The Napoleonic Wars, which brought unrest on the continent for many years until Congress of Vienna- from September 1814 to June 1815 - brought the much-awaited peace in Europe. However, almost 40 years later, for no apparent reason, some signs of conflict began to appear, which in the future developed into the Crimean War.

Engraving. Battle of Sinop Russian and Turkish squadron

The initial tension arose between Russia and Ottoman Empire, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Russia, which tried for many years before the start of the Crimean War to expand its influence in the southern regions and by that time had already curbed the Ukrainian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars, looked further south. The Crimean territories, which gave Russia access to the warm Black Sea, allowed the Russians to have their own southern fleet, which, unlike the northern ones, did not freeze even in winter. TO mid-19th V. There was no longer anything interesting between Russian Crimea and the territory where the Ottoman Turks lived.

Russia, long known in Europe as the protector of all Orthodox Christians, turned its attention to the other side of the Black Sea, where many Orthodox Christians remained under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Tsarist Russia, which was ruled at that time by Nicholas I, always considered the Ottoman Empire as the sick man of Europe and, moreover, the weakest country with a small territory and lack of funding.

Sevastopol Bay before the attack by coalition forces

While Russia sought to defend the interests of Orthodoxy, France under the rule of Napoleon III sought to impose Catholicism on the holy places of Palestine. So, by 1852 - 1853, tensions between these two countries gradually increased. Until the very end, the Russian Empire hoped that Great Britain would take a neutral position in a possible conflict for control over the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East, but it turned out to be wrong.

In July 1853, Russia occupied the Danube principalities as a means of putting pressure on Constantinople (the capital of the Ottoman Empire, now called Istanbul). The Austrians, who were closely connected with these regions as part of their trade, took this step personally. Great Britain, France and Austria, which initially avoided resolving the conflict by force, tried to come to a diplomatic solution to the problem, but the Ottoman Empire, which had the only option left, declared war on Russia on October 23, 1853.

Crimean War

In the first battle with the Ottoman Empire, Russian soldiers easily defeated the Turkish squadron at Sinop in the Black Sea. England and France immediately presented Russia with an ultimatum that if the conflict with the Ottoman Empire did not end and Russia did not leave the territory of the Danube principalities before March 1854, they would come out in support of the Turks.

British soldiers in the Sinope bastion recaptured from the Russians

The ultimatum expired and Great Britain and France remained true to their word, siding with the Ottoman Empire against the Russians. By August 1854, the Anglo-French fleet, consisting of modern metal ships, more technologically advanced than the Russian wooden fleet, already dominated the Baltic Sea to the north.

To the south, the coalitionists gathered a 60 thousand army in Turkey. Under such pressure and fearing a rift with Austria, which could join the coalition against Russia, Nicholas I agreed to leave the Danube principalities.

But already in September 1854, coalition troops crossed the Black Sea and landed in the Crimea for a 12-week attack, the main issue of which was the destruction of the key fortress of the Russian fleet - Sevastopol. In fact, although the military campaign was successful with the complete destruction of the fleet and shipbuilding facilities located in the fortified city, it took 12 months. It was this year, spent in the conflict between Russia and the opposing side, that gave its name to the Crimean War.

Having occupied the heights near the Alma River, the British inspect Sevastopol

While Russia and the Ottoman Empire met in battle several times as early as the beginning of 1854, the first major battle involving the French and British took place only on September 20, 1854. On this day, the Battle of the Alma River began. The better-equipped British and French troops, armed with modern weapons, greatly pushed back the Russian army north of Sevastopol.

Nevertheless, these actions did not bring final victory to the Allies. The retreating Russians began to strengthen their positions and separate enemy attacks. One of these attacks took place on October 24, 1854 near Balaklava. The battle was called the Charge of the Light Brigade or the Thin Red Line. Both sides suffered heavy damage during the battle, but the Allied forces noted their disappointment, complete misunderstanding and improper coordination between their various units. Incorrectly occupied positions of well-prepared Allied artillery resulted in heavy losses.

This tendency towards inconsistency was noted throughout the Crimean War. The failed plan for the Battle of Balaklava brought some unrest into the mood of the Allies, which allowed Russian troops to redeploy and concentrate an army near Inkerman that was three times larger than the army of the British and French.

Disposition of troops before the battle near Balaklava

On November 5, 1854, Russian troops tried to lift the siege of Simferopol. An army of almost 42,000 Russian men, armed with whatever they had, tried to break up the group of allies with several attacks. In foggy conditions, the Russians attacked the French-English army, numbering 15,700 soldiers and officers, with several raids on the enemy. Unfortunately for the Russians, the several-fold excess of numbers did not lead to desired result. In this battle, the Russians lost 3286 killed (8500 wounded), while the British lost 635 killed (1900 wounded), the French 175 killed (1600 wounded). Unable to break through the siege of Sevastopol, the Russian troops nevertheless pretty much exhausted the coalition at Inkerman and, given the positive outcome of the Battle of Balaklava, significantly reined in their opponents.

Both sides decided to wait out the rest of the winter and mutually rest. Military cards of those years captured the conditions in which the British, French, and Russians had to spend the winter. Beggarly conditions, lack of food and disease decimated everyone indiscriminately.

Reference. Crimean War - casualties

In the winter of 1854-1855. Italian troops from the Kingdom of Sardinia act on the side of the Allies against Russia. On February 16, 1855, the Russians tried to take revenge during the liberation of Yevpatoria, but were completely defeated. In the same month, Russian Emperor Nicholas I died of the flu, but in March Alexander II ascended the throne.

At the end of March, coalition troops tried to attack the heights on Malakhov Kurgan. Realizing the futility of their actions, the French decided to change tactics and start the Azov campaign. A flotilla of 60 ships with 15,000 soldiers moved towards Kerch to the east. And again, the lack of a clear organization prevented the rapid achievement of the goal, but nevertheless, in May, several ships of the British and French occupied Kerch.

On the fifth day of massive shelling, Sevastopol looked like ruins, but still held on

Inspired by the success, the coalition troops begin the third shelling of Sevastopol positions. They manage to gain a foothold behind some redoubts and come within shooting distance of the Malakhov Kurgan, where on July 10, fallen by a random shot, the mortally wounded Admiral Nakhimov falls.

After 2 months, Russian troops last time They test their fate, trying to wrest Sevastopol from the besieged ring, and again suffer defeat in the valley of the Chernaya River.

The fall of the defense on Malakhov Kurgan after another bombardment of Sevastopol positions forces the Russians to retreat and surrender the southern part of Sevastopol to the enemy. On September 8, the actual large-scale military operations were completed.

About six months passed until the Treaty of Paris of March 30, 1856 put an end to the war. Russia was forced to return the captured territories to the Ottoman Empire, and the French, British and Turkish-Ottomans left the Black Sea cities of Russia, liberating occupied Balaklava and Sevastopol with an agreement to restore the destroyed infrastructure.

Russia was defeated. The main condition of the Treaty of Paris was the prohibition of the Russian Empire from having Navy in the Black Sea.

The spirit in the troops is beyond description. During times ancient Greece there was not so much heroism. I was not able to be in action even once, but I thank God that I saw these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The wars of the Russian and Ottoman empires were a common phenomenon in international politics in the 18th-19th 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 in the defeat of Russia. In addition, this war showed the strong resistance of the leading countries of Western Europe (France and Great Britain) to the strengthening of Russia’s role in Eastern Europe, in particular in the Balkans. The lost war also showed Russia itself problems in domestic policy which led to many problems. Despite victories in 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 in the territory Crimean peninsula. This article describes the reasons, course, main results and historical meaning V short story about the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Reasons for the aggravation of the Eastern Question

By the Eastern Question, historians understand a number of controversial issues in Russian-Turkish relations, which at any moment could lead to conflict. The main problems of the Eastern Question, which became the basis for the future war, are as follows:

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

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

The reason for the war and its beginning

These problematic issues were brewing throughout the late 1840s and early 1850s. In 1853, the Turkish Sultan transferred the Temple of Bethlehem in Jerusalem (then the territory of the Ottoman Empire) to the management of the Catholic Church. This caused a wave of indignation among the highest Orthodox hierarchy. Nicholas 1 decided to take advantage of this, using the religious conflict as a reason to attack Turkey. Russia demanded the transfer of 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 Danube principalities dependent on it.

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

Progress of the war and main stages

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

1. October 1853 – April 1854. During these six months, the war was between the Ottoman Empire and Russia (without direct intervention from 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 and also marks a turning point in the course of the war. The Allied forces were technically superior to the Russians, which was the reason for the changes during the war.

As for specific battles, the following key battles can be identified: for Sinop, for Odessa, for the Danube, for the Caucasus, for Sevastopol. There were other battles, but the ones listed above are the most basic. Let's look at them in more detail.

Battle of Sinop (November 1853)

The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop in 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 the morale of the Russian army and inspired hope for an early victory in the war.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle November 18, 1853

Bombing of Odessa (April 1854)

At the beginning of April 1854, the Ottoman Empire sent a squadron of the Franco-British fleet through its straits, which quickly headed for the 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 Danube principalities, as well as weaken the defense of Crimea. However, the city survived several days of shelling. Moreover, the defenders of Odessa were able to deliver precise strikes on the Allied fleet. The plan of the Anglo-French troops failed. The Allies were forced to retreat towards Crimea and begin battles for the peninsula.

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

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

Fighting in the Caucasus (1853-1856)

An important battle took place in July 1854 near the village of Kyuryuk-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 Karsu fortress, so that the Allies would send some troops to this region, thereby slightly easing 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 impact on the outcome of the war. Moreover, according to the results of the “peace” signed later, the Kars fortress was returned to the Ottoman Empire. However, as the peace negotiations 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, French-English troops captured the last point of defense of the city - Malakhov Kurgan. The city survived an 11-month siege, but as a result it was surrendered to the Allied forces (among which the Sardinian kingdom appeared). This defeat was key and provided the impetus for ending 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 Crimea (1854-1856)

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

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

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

"Distant" battles

The main fighting of the war 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. Petropavlovsk defense. The battle that took place on the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula between the combined Franco-British troops on one side and the Russian ones on the other. The battle took place in August 1854. This battle was a consequence of Britain's victory over China during the Opium Wars. As a result, Britain wanted to increase its influence in eastern Asia by displacing Russia. In total, the Allied troops launched two assaults, both of which ended in failure. Russia withstood the Petropavlovsk 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 waters Barents Sea. The British also launched a 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

Nicholas 1 died in February 1855. 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 there by Alexey Orlov and Philip Brunnov. Since neither side saw the point in continuing the war, already on March 6, 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty 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 prohibited from having a Black Sea fleet. The Black Sea was declared neutral.
3. The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits were declared closed to the Russian Empire.
4. Part of Russian Bessarabia was transferred to the Principality of Moldova, the Danube ceased to be a border river, so navigation was declared free.
5. On the Allad Islands (an archipelago in the Baltic Sea), Russia was prohibited from building 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, Ottoman Empire - more than 10 thousand. The Sardinian kingdom lost 12 thousand military personnel. The number of deaths on the Austrian side is unknown, perhaps because it was not officially at war with Russia.

In general, the war showed the backwardness of Russia compared to European countries, especially in terms of the economy (completion of the industrial revolution, construction railways, use of steamships). After this defeat, the reforms of Alexander 2 began. In addition, the desire for revenge had been brewing in Russia for a long time, 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 article briefly describes the Crimean War of 1853-1856, which influenced further development Russia and became the immediate reason for the reforms of Alexander II. The war revealed Russia's significant lag behind Europe both in the military field and in all spheres of government.

1. Causes of the Crimean War
2. Progress of the Crimean War
3. Results of the Crimean War

Causes of the Crimean War

• The cause of the Crimean War was an aggravation in the middle of the 19th century. eastern question. Western powers showed increased interest in the territories of the weakening Ottoman Empire in Europe, and plans were made for the possible division of these territories. Russia was interested in seizing control of the Black Sea straits, which was economically necessary. The strengthening of Russia would allow it to expand its influence in this region, which worried Western countries. They adhered to the policy of maintaining a weak Turkey as a source of constant danger to the Russian Empire. Turkey was promised Crimea and the Caucasus as a reward for a successful war with Russia.
• The central reason for the war was the struggle between the Russian and French clergy for the possession of holy places in Palestine. Nicholas I, in the form of an ultimatum, declared to the Turkish government the recognition of the right Russian Emperor to provide assistance to all Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire (mainly the Balkan region). Hoping for support and promises from the Western powers, Türkiye rejected the ultimatum. It became clear that war could no longer be avoided.

Progress of the Crimean War

• In June 1853, Russia sent troops into the territory of Moldavia and Wallachia. The pretext is the protection of the Slavic population. In response to this in the fall, Türkiye declares war on Russia.
• Until the end of the year, Russia's military actions are successful. It expands its sphere of influence on the Danube, wins victories in the Caucasus, and the Russian squadron blocks Turkish ports on the Black Sea.
• Russian victories are causing concern in the West. The situation changes in 1854, when the fleet of England and France enters the Black Sea. Russia declares war on them. After this, European squadrons are sent to blockade Russian ports in the Baltic and Far East. The blockades were of a demonstrative nature; landing attempts ended in failure.
• Russia's successes in Moldavia and Wallachia ended under pressure from Austria, which forced the withdrawal Russian army and she herself occupied the Danube principalities. A real threat has emerged to create a pan-European coalition against Russia. Nicholas I is forced to concentrate his main forces on the western border.
• Meanwhile, Crimea becomes the main arena of the war. The Allies are blocking the Russian fleet in Sevastopol. Then a landing occurs and the Russian army is defeated on the river. Alma. In the fall of 1854, the heroic defense of Sevastopol began.
• The Russian army is still winning victories in Transcaucasia, but it is already becoming clear that the war is lost.
• By the end of 1855, the besiegers of Sevastopol managed to capture the southern part of the city, which, however, did not lead to the surrender of the fortress. Great amount casualties forces the allies to abandon further assault attempts. The fighting actually stops.
• In 1856, a peace treaty was signed in Paris, which is a black page in the history of Russian diplomacy. Russia was losing the Black Sea Fleet and all bases on the Black Sea coast. Only Sevastopol remained in Russian hands in exchange for the Turkish fortress of Kars captured in the Caucasus.

Results of the Crimean War

• In addition to territorial concessions and losses, Russia was dealt a serious moral blow. Having shown its backwardness during the war, Russia was excluded from the list of great powers for a long time and was no longer perceived in Europe as a serious adversary.
• Nevertheless, the war became a necessary lesson for Russia, revealing all its shortcomings. There was an understanding in society of the need for significant changes. The reforms of Alexander II were a natural consequence of the defeat.

The Eastern or Crimean direction (including also the territory of the Balkans) was a priority in the Russian foreign policy XVIII-XIX centuries Russia's main rival in this region was Türkiye, or the Ottoman Empire. In the 18th century, the government of Catherine II managed to achieve significant success in this region, Alexander I was also lucky, but their successor Nicholas I had to face great difficulties, since European powers became interested in Russia’s successes in this region.

They feared that if the empire's successful eastern foreign policy continued, then Western Europe will lose complete control over the Black Sea straits. How the Crimean War of 1853–1856 began and ended, briefly below.

Assessment of the political situation in the region for the Russian Empire

Before the war of 1853−1856. The Empire's policy in the East was quite successful.

1. With Russian support, Greece gains independence (1830).
2. Russia receives the right to freely use the Black Sea straits.
3. Russian diplomats are seeking autonomy for Serbia, and then a protectorate over the Danube principalities.
4. After the war between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, Russia, which supported the Sultanate, seeks from Turkey a promise to close the Black Sea straits to any ships other than Russian ones in the event of any military threat (the secret protocol was in force until 1941).

The Crimean or Eastern War, which broke out in last years the reign of Nicholas II, became one of the first conflicts between Russia and the coalition European countries. The main reason war became a mutual desire of the opposing sides to strengthen their positions Balkan Peninsula and on the Black Sea.

Basic information about the conflict

The Eastern War is a complex military conflict, in which all the leading powers of Western Europe were involved. Statistics are therefore very important. The prerequisites, causes and general reason for the conflict require detailed consideration, the progress of the conflict is rapid, while the fighting took place both on land and at sea.

Statistical data

Note! Historians and researchers of the military conflict noted that from a logistical point of view, the Russian army was significantly inferior to the coalition forces. The command staff was also inferior in training to the command staff of the combined enemy forces. Generals and officials Nicholas I did not want to accept this fact and was not even fully aware of it.

Prerequisites, reasons and reason for the start of the war

Note! To weaken Russia, the European powers, even before the start of the war, developed the so-called Palmerston Plan (Palmerston was the leader of British diplomacy) and provided for the actual separation of part of the lands from Russia:

Combat actions and reasons for defeat

Crimean War (table): date, events, outcome

Note! The most fierce battles Eastern War deployed near Sevastopol. The city and strongholds around it were subjected to large-scale bombing 6 times:

The defeats of the Russian troops are not a sign that the commanders-in-chief, admirals and generals made mistakes. In the Danube direction, the troops were commanded by a talented commander - Prince M. D. Gorchakov, in the Caucasus - N. N. Muravyov, the Black Sea Fleet was led by Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov, and the defense of Petropavlovsk was led by V. S. Zavoiko. These are the heroes of the Crimean War(you can do about them and their exploits interesting message or report), but even their enthusiasm and strategic genius did not help in the war against superior enemy forces.

The Sevastopol disaster led to the fact that the new Russian emperor, Alexander II, foreseeing an extremely negative result of further hostilities, decided to begin diplomatic negotiations for peace.

Alexander II, like no one else, understood the reasons for Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War):

• foreign policy isolation;
• a clear superiority of enemy forces on land and at sea;
• backwardness of the empire in military-technical and strategic terms;
• deep crisis in the economic sphere.

Results of the Crimean War 1853−1856

Treaty of Paris

The mission was headed by Prince A.F. Orlov, who was one of the outstanding diplomats of his time and believed that Russia could not lose in the diplomatic field. After long negotiations that took place in Paris, 18 (30).03. 1856 a peace treaty was signed between Russia on the one hand, and the Ottoman Empire, coalition forces, Austria and Prussia on the other. The terms of the peace treaty were as follows:

Foreign policy and domestic political consequences of defeat

The foreign policy and domestic political results of the war were also disastrous, although somewhat mitigated by the efforts of Russian diplomats. It was obvious that

Significance of the Crimean War

But, despite the severity of the political situation inside and outside the country, after the defeat, it was the Crimean War of 1853-1856. and the defense of Sevastopol became the catalysts that led to the reforms of the 60s of the 19th century, including the abolition of serfdom in Russia.