Where is crimean war

The growing tension over this issue climaxed when rioting occurred in Bethlehem, then a region of the Ottoman Empire. During the fighting a number of Orthodox monks were killed whilst engaging in conflict with French monks. The Tsar blamed these deaths on the Turks who had control of these regions. The Holy Land posed many problems, as it was the domain of the Muslim Ottoman Empire but also of great importance to Judaism and Christianity.

In the Middle Ages religion had fuelled the Crusades in a bid to control this land, whilst the Christian church had fragmented into the smaller denominations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church representing two of the largest groups. Unfortunately, the two proved unable to resolve differences as both claimed control of the holy sites; religion as a source of conflict reared its head once more.

The Ottomans were not happy to have the conflict between France and Russia taking place in their territory, so the Sultan set up a commission to investigate the claims.

France made the suggestion that the Catholic and Orthodox Churches should have joint control over the holy sites, but this led to a stalemate. By , the Turks had sent the French two keys to the Church of the Nativity, meanwhile a decree had been sent to the Orthodox Church giving assurances that the keys would not fit the door lock!

The Door of Humility, the main entrance to the Church of the Nativity. The subsequent row over the key to the door escalated and by the French had seized control of various holy sites. This was viewed by the Tsar as a direct challenge to both Russia and the Orthodox Church. For Nicholas it was simple; he saw protection of Orthodox Christians as a priority, as many he believed were treated as second-class citizens under Ottoman control.

Meanwhile the churches themselves were attempting to resolve their differences and come to some form of agreement, unfortunately neither Nicholas I nor Napoleon III were going to back down. Forced to advance under heavy fire over yards of open ground, they suffered over 1, casualties before falling back. On 8 September , the Allies attacked again. For a second time, the British failed to take the Redan. But the French capture of the Malakoff redoubt, another key part of the defences, led to the Russians abandoning Sevastopol.

The Allies spent another winter in the Crimea. The Russians were shaken by the loss of Sevastopol. In October , their mainland base of Kinburn also fell to the Allies. When the Austrians threatened to enter the war against them, the Russians agreed to peace terms and the Treaty of Paris was signed in March One of the treaty's clauses was the neutralisation of the Black Sea and Dardanelles.

This served as a blow to the Russian dream of a warm water naval port in the south. Allied troops land on the north-west coast of the Crimea at Calamita Bay. The Russians are defeated on the River Alma. The Allies move on to besiege Sevastopol. The Allies defeat a Russian attempt to break the British siege lines and then capture their supply base. The Allies defeat another Russian attempt to break their siege lines. Poor administration causes severe hardship for the British soldiers during the bitter Crimean winter.

A British attempt to storm the strongpoint of the Redan is beaten off. The French take a key part of the Sevastopol defences, forcing the Russians to abandon the port city. Defeats for Russia, along with the threat of Austrian intervention on the Allied side, force the Tsar to negotiate.

The Battle of Balaklava in witnessed one of the most famous acts of battlefield bravery and one of the most infamous blunders in military history. Florence Nightingale was a legend in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in British history.

Follow this gallery trail to find out about soldiers' lives during the Crimean War. In this video, we look at how changing national interests have affected Britain's military relationship with Russia from the 18th century to the present day. He later led a relief army with great distinction during the Indian Mutiny of Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley won important victories in several colonial campaigns. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Be the first to hear about our latest events, exhibitions and offers.

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The Charge of the Light Brigade, Landing troops on the Aland Islands in the Baltic, August Turkish troops storming enemy positions at Silistria, Map of the Crimea and the Black Sea, The Allied landing in the Crimea, September The Battle of the Alma, 20 September Russian drum captured by the 88th Regiment at the Alma, Missed opportunity The way to Sevastopol was now open.

Prince Menshikov's boots captured at the Alma, The Crimean War was the result of both factors. During the years leading up to the Crimean War, France, Russia and Britain were all competing for influence in the Middle East, particularly with Turkey.

Religious differences were certainly a catalyst in the Crimean War. Control of access to religious sites in the Holy Land had been a cause of tension between Catholic France and Orthodox Russia for a number of years and in , the conflict came to a head with rioting in Bethlehem, which was then part of the Ottoman empire ruled by Turkey.

A number of Orthodox monks were killed during fighting with French monks. Tsar Nicholas I blamed the Turks for these deaths. Tsar Nicholas I demanded that the dispute be resolved in favour of the Orthodox Church and sent his representative Menshikov to Constantinople now Istanbul with demands on the Porte the Turkish court.

These demands were not met however and Nicholas took the opportunity to mobilise the Russian army against Turkey, which at this point was beginning to lose its grip on its empire.

The Russians led by General Khrulev attempt to launch a surprise attack on Ottoman garrison, which ultimately fails as the Ottomans and Allied fleet respond forcefully, leaving Khrulev no alternative but to retreat.

Siege of Sevastapol. The plan is to push back Allied forces and end the siege of the city. The result is an Allied victory forcing a Russian retreat. The Russians evacuate the city and blow up forts as well as sink their ships.

They are unsuccessful. October The Ottomans are in desperate need of reserves in Kars as they are running out of supplies. Due to treacherous weather conditions, reinforcements are unable to reach the garrison.

The Russians are shocked by the conditions. Treaty of Paris. Issues of Russian expansionism and the importance of the Ottoman Empire would however continue to be a feature in geopolitical events. Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history.