Crimean War

On 21st May 1853, Menshikov left Constantinople, leading to a breakdown in relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

By the end of May 1853, the Russians issued an ultimatum to Turkey, escalating tensions between the two powers.

On 4th October 1853, Turkey officially declared war on Russia.

The Crimean War began on 5th October 1853.

The Crimean War began on October 16, 1853, when the Ottomans declared war on Russia with the support of France and Britain. The war was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom, and Sardinia-Piedmont.

The Battle of Sinope in 1853 was a Russian naval victory where a squadron of Ottoman ships anchored in the harbour was destroyed. This victory led to retaliation from Western forces.

The United Kingdom and France demanded Russia to withdraw its forces from the Danubian Principalities, leading to Austria's support for the demand. Russia's rejection of the ultimatum was used as a justification for Britain and France to enter the war.

On March 28, 1854, Britain and France officially declared war on Russia, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.

On 23 June 1854, Austria entered the Crimean War on the side of the Ottomans, forcing the Russians to raise the siege of Silistra and begin abandoning the Danubian Principalities.

On 7th September 1854, the Allied troops led by French commander Maréchal Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud and British commander Lord Fitzroy Somerset Raglan set sail from the Ottoman port of Varna with around 400 ships. They left Ottoman territory with no clear plan of attack, a characteristic that would define much of the conflict.

On September 14, 1854, the Allies landed in the Crimea during the Crimean War.

The 19th of September 1854 saw the initial encounter at River Bulganek, a crucial event in the early stages of the Crimean War.

The Battle of the Alma took place on September 20, 1854, during the Crimean War.

The Allies decided to besiege Sevastopol from the south, allowing the Russians to strengthen the city's fortifications. The initial bombardment of Sevastopol began on 17 October.

On October 23, 1854, Florence Nightingale and a group of 38 nurses departed from England to provide medical assistance to the wounded soldiers in Sevastapol during the Crimean War.

The Battle of Balaklava occurred on October 25, 1854, as part of the Crimean War.

A significant battle that took place on 26th October 1854 during the Crimean War.

On November 5, 1854, the Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War.

A great storm swept the Crimea on 14 November 1854, causing destruction to the tents at the Allied camp outside Sevastopol and wrecking several British ships, including the steamship HMS ‘Prince’.

On 26th January 1855, the Sardinians join the war effort by sending 10,000 troops to assist the Allied forces during the Crimean War.

The Russians, led by General Khrulev, attempted to launch a surprise attack on the Ottoman garrison in the important port city of Eupatoria in western Crimea. The attack failed as the Ottomans and Allied fleet responded forcefully, forcing Khrulev to retreat.

Multiple mines blew up the five docks, the canal, and three locks in Sevastopol, as part of the main objective of the siege to destroy the Russian fleet and docks over the winter.

Tsar Nicholas I, feeling remorse for the disasters caused by the war, passed away on March 2, 1855, due to pneumonia.

The Allied forces conducted a second bombardment against Sevastapol, a significant event in the Crimean War.

On 19th April 1855, the British forces successfully launched an assault on the rifle pits during the Siege of Sevastapol.

The city of Sevastapol faced its 3rd bombardment on 6th June 1855 during the Crimean War.

On 8th-9th June 1855, the Allied forces successfully assaulted the 'White Works', Mamelon, and 'The Quarries' during the Siege of Sevastapol.

On June 17-18, 1855, there were unsuccessful attacks on Sevastopol during the Crimean War.

The first general assault of Sevastopol took place on June 18, 1855, with heavy losses on both sides. The assault was not successful, and short-term truces for removal of corpses were signed due to the high casualties.

The Battle of Chernaya took place on the outskirts of Sevastopol, where Russian forces, under the orders of Tsar Alexander II, attempted to push back Allied forces and lift the siege of the city. However, the battle ended in an Allied victory, leading to a Russian retreat.

The 6th and final bombardment of Sevastopol by Allied forces marked the conclusion of the year-long siege of the city during the Crimean War.

Allied forces launched assaults on key Russian defenses including Malakoff, Little Redan, Bastion du Mat, and the Great Redan. The French achieved significant strategic gains in the conflict.

After a 337-day-long siege, the French captured the Malakoff fort and the Russians abandoned their positions, leading to the fall of Sevastopol on 9 September 1855.

The Siege of Sevastapol ends as the Russians evacuate the city, blow up forts, and sink their ships.

On November 7, 1855, Omar Pasha crossed the Ingur river into Abkhazia from Georgia proper during the Crimean War. Despite facing challenges like the rainy season and lack of supplies, he aimed to confront the Russian forces and lift the siege of Kars.

Kars surrenders to General Muravyov, shocking the Russians with the conditions.

By December 2, 1855, Omar Pasha had reached the Tskhenistsqali river during the Crimean War. However, facing adverse weather conditions and lack of provisions, he eventually had to withdraw to Batum after learning about the fall of Kars to the Russians.

The Crimean War officially ended on February 1, 1856. It marked the conclusion of the conflict that had involved major European powers and had significant impacts on the region.

On February 24, 1856, the Paris Peace Conference commenced to address the ongoing conflicts.

By the end of February 1856, an armistice was declared in the Crimea, marking a temporary halt in hostilities.

The Treaty of Paris was signed on March 30, 1856, officially ending the Crimean War. It forbade Russia from basing warships in the Black Sea and granted more independence to the Ottoman vassal states of Wallachia and Moldavia.