Siege of Sevastopol Worksheets
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Summary
- Outbreak of the Crimean War
- Major operation at the naval base of Crimea
Key Facts And Information
Let’s know more about the Siege of Sevastopol!
The Crimean War broke out in October 1853 due to a combination of short-term and long-term issues. It was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia-Piedmont.
The Siege of Sevastopol was the major operation of the war lasting from October 1854 to September 1855. Several battles were fought during the siege. Winter brought on severe suffering and heavy casualties, especially among the allied forces. The allies launched six heavy bombardments against Sevastopol. The French capture of the Malakhov was significant to the fall of the Sevastopol to the allies. Both the Russians and the allies suffered significant losses in the siege.

Outbreak of the Crimean War
- Fought mainly on the Crimean Peninsula from October 1853 to February 1856, the Crimean War was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia-Piedmont. Its geopolitical causes encompassed the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the expansion of the Russian Empire in the preceding Russo-Turkish Wars, and the British and French preference to preserve the Ottoman Empire in order to safeguard the balance of power in the Concert of Europe.
- The apparent immediate cause of the conflict involved the rights of Christian minorities in Palestine, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. France stood for the rights of Roman Catholics, while Russia promoted those of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
- While the churches resolved their differences through a status quo, Russian Tsar Nicholas I and the French Emperor Napoleon III refused to back down. Nicholas I issued an ultimatum that the Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire be placed under his protection.
- Britain attempted to negotiate and reached a compromise that Nicholas I concurred with. When the Ottomans changed their mind about the agreement, the Russian tsar prepared for war and then sent his troops into the Danubian Principalities in July 1853.
- When the Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid I received assurances of assistance from Britain and France and knew that their ships were close, he declared war on Russia in October 1853.

- The Ottomans led a determined defensive campaign and thwarted the Russian advance at Silistra.
- At the Battle of Sinop in November 1853, a Russian fleet defeated an Ottoman attempt to reinforce the garrison in Kars in the Ottoman Empire.
- In January 1854, Britain and France sent fleets to the Black Sea to assist the Ottomans, as they feared a quick Russian victory after Sinop.
- In March, the British and French officially entered the war after Russia ignored their ultimatum to withdraw from the Danubian Principalities. Britain and France, along with the Ottomans, later became collectively known as the allies.
- Around this time, the Russians moved by crossing the Danube River into the Turkish province of Dobruja. They laid siege to Silistra with thousands of troops outnumbering those of the allies.

- The presence of the Austrian forces in the west deterred Russia from launching an attack on Vidin. Furthermore, the Russian tsar was also concerned that Austria would enter the war on the allies’ side and launch an attack on his armies on the western flank.
- Austria was an old ally of Russia, but it felt threatened by Russian expansion. During the war, it maintained a policy of hostile neutrality towards Russia and was supportive of the Anglo-French coalition.
- Austria then issued an ultimatum to Russia to withdraw from the principalities. Nicholas I was forced to lift the siege of Silistra and begin abandoning the principalities in June.
- The allies arrived just in time for the Russians to leave Silistra. The lifting of the siege removed the threat of a Russian advance into Bulgaria.
- Austria occupied the principalities after Russia’s withdrawal.
- In August, in the Baltic near the Russian capital of St Petersburg, an Anglo-French fleet imposed a naval blockade and bottled up the outnumbered Russian Baltic Fleet.
- This brought about significant economic damage to Russia, as it generally relied on imports both for its domestic economy and for the supply of its military forces.
- The blockade forced Russia to depend on the more costly overland shipments from Prussia. This is believed to have contributed to shortening the war.
- One last peace attempt was made in August, with the allies proposing the Four Points to end the conflict, in addition to the Russian withdrawal:
- Russia was to renounce its protectorate over the Danubian Principalities.
- The Danube was to be opened up to foreign commerce.
- The Straits Convention of 1841, which allowed only Ottoman and Russian warships in the Black Sea, was to be revised.
- Russia was to abandon any claim granting it the right to interfere in Ottoman affairs.
- The Four Points, specifically the third, would need to be clarified through negotiations, which Russia declined. Consequently, the allies, including Austria, agreed that further military measures should be taken to avert any further Russian aggression against the Ottomans. The British and French concurred with the invasion of Crimea as the first step.
Major operation at the naval base of Crimea
- In September 1854, the allies began its main assault against the Russians with the Crimean campaign. They decided to land on Crimea as this would enable them to threaten Russia’s Black Sea trade, eliminate its fleet and lay siege to its major cities while still maintaining logistical efficiency by the proximity to the Ottomans through the Balkans.
- The allied forces set sail from the Ottoman port of Varna with hundreds of ships in early September. They anchored in the bay of Yevpatoria and occupied the town after it surrendered. The town would serve as a backup in case of disaster.
- The allies then sailed east to make a landing on the sandy beaches of Kalamita Bay on Crimea’s western shore, which came as a surprise to the Russians who were expecting a landing at Kacha.
- With the enemies nowhere in sight, the allies landed along with their stores, equipment, horses and artillery. Soon thereafter, they made preparations to besiege the port of Sevastopol, some 30 miles south of their camp.
- The allies marched towards Sevastopol. In response, the Russians rushed to the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River.
- At the Battle of Alma, the allies launched several disjointed attacks, forcing the Russians to retreat. Thousands of people were killed, almost half of them Russian.
- The preparations for the capture of Sevastopol continued in October. On the other hand, the Russians readied the defence of the city.
- On 17 October, the allied forces commenced their bombardment. In addition, their fleet attacked the Russian defences and shore batteries. The bombardment inflicted little damage on the Russians, while the damage to two of the British warships was severe. Other allied warships were also significantly damaged as a result of numerous direct assaults by the Russian coastal artillery. The allies’ postponement of their planned infantry attack enabled the Russians to regroup.
- When the bombardment continued the next day, the Russians had repaired the damage. This pattern would be repeated throughout the siege. The Russians later moved some heavy guns to the southern defences, surpassing the allies’ arsenal.
- The allies prepared for a protracted siege. The French occupied the bay of Kamiesch on the west coast, while the British advanced to the southern port of Balaclava. This decision committed the British to the defence of the right flank of the allied siege operations, which lacked sufficient troops. The Russians took advantage of this and prepared to attack the defences around Balaclava in an attempt to cut off the supply chain between the British base and their siege lines.
- On 25 October, the Battle of Balaclava began with a Russian artillery and infantry attack on the allies. The allies were initially able to repel the attacks. However, their final cavalry charge resulted in many casualties. This battle provided the Russians with a morale boost and led them to believe that the allied lines were thinly spread out and undermanned.
- Meanwhile, the Russians were defeated at the Battle of Inkerman on 5 November, which upset their plan to defeat the allies in the field in order to lift the siege of Sevastopol. They then decided to move their troops into the city to assist in the defence.
- In late November, a winter storm ruined the supply lines and camps of both sides. This caused a halt in ground operations. The allies were more impacted as they were unprepared for a winter campaign. Men and horses suffered greatly from cold and sickness.
- At the Battle of Eupatoria in February 1855, the Russians attacked the allied base in which the Ottoman troops had built up and were threatening Russian supply routes. They were defeated, resulting in a change in their command.
- At the end of March, the new Grand Crimean Central Railway was completed, enabling the transport of supplies from Balaclava to the siege lines. More than five hundred guns and a huge amount of ammunition were delivered by the lengthy railway.
- On 8 April, the allies launched a second all-out bombardment, resulting in an artillery clash with the Russian guns. No ground assault followed.
- In May, thousands of allied troops set off for a raid on the city of Kerch, east of Sevastopol, in an effort to open another front to impede the enemies’ supplies and to outflank their army. They landed successfully but made little progress thereafter.
- On 6 June, the allies staged a third bombardment, which was followed by a successful attack on the Mamelon. A fourth bombardment commenced on 17 June. A follow-up assault on the Malakhov was unsuccessful, with significant losses.
- In August, the Russians again carried out an attack towards the base at Balaclava, which was defended by the French and Sardinian troops who joined the allies early that year. The resulting Battle of the Chernaya was a victory for the allies, while the Russians suffered heavy casualties. This was followed by a fifth bombardment by the allies.
- On 5 September, the final assault was made, with the allies starting their sixth and most severe bombardment. This was followed by an assault by the French, leading to the capture of the Malakhov fort. This made the Russian defensive position untenable. Meanwhile, the British assault on the Great Redan failed.
- On 11 September, the Russian forces abandoned the southern side of Sevastopol. They also blew up their powder magazines, burnt the remaining ships of their Black Sea fleet and retreated to the north.
- After the siege of Sevastopol, both sides were exhausted, and so no military operations were immediately launched in Crimea. The Crimean War continued after the siege and lasted until February 1856.
Image Sources
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/BombardementOfSebastopolHMSRodney.jpg/267px-BombardementOfSebastopolHMSRodney.jpg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sevastopol_(1854%E2%80%931855)#/media/File:Siege_of_Sevastopol_-Our_fighting_services_-_Evelyn_Wood_pg473.jpg
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Victorious_sally_by_the_Turkish_garrison_of_Silistria.jpg/800px-Victorious_sally_by_the_Turkish_garrison_of_Silistria.jpg
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the Siege of Sevastopol?
The Siege of Sevastopol was a major military engagement during the Crimean War (1853-1856).
- What was the significance of Sevastopol in the Crimean War?
Sevastopol was the primary naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and a crucial logistical and strategic point. Its capture was essential for the Allied forces to weaken Russian naval power in the Black Sea and secure victory in the war.
- Who were the main combatants in the Siege of Sevastopol?
The main combatants were the Russian Empire on one side and the allied forces of Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other.