In 1853, Turkey declared war on Russia. On November 1 of the same year, Russia supported the initiative and declared war on Turkey.
The beginning of military operations was successful for the Russianside. At the Danube theater, the Russian army successfully repulsed the onslaught of the Turks, then crossed the Danube and seized the fortress of Silistria. At the same time, the Turkish army was defeated in Transcaucasia.
The allies of Turkey were France and England.These states were afraid of strengthening Russian influence, so on March 1 the Allies put forward a demand that the Russian troops should be withdrawn from the Danube principalities. Russia refused, after which France and England declared war on it. The great event, which led to the Crimean War, - the defense of Sevastopol - originates here.
In 1854, sabotage of the English fleet in the Baltic and White Sea and landing in the Crimea. On September 12, many thousands of Anglo-French troops arrived in the Crimea and headed towards Sevastopol.
For the first time the troops collided on September 8 near the riverAlma. Here the Russian army, losing to the enemy in numbers, was defeated and had to retreat. The enemy went to Sevastopol and, having bypassed the city from the east, occupied convenient harbors. The siege and defense of Sevastopol began.
The beginning of defense
The defense of Sevastopol lasted 349 days.Sevastopol was well fortified from the sea by the city, since the Black Sea Fleet was based here. But there was practically no fortification from the land. In 1854 they just started erecting. The defense of Sevastopol was organized by Admirals PS Nakhimov, VA Kornilov and VI Istomin.
Anglo-French ships blocked the city from the sea. To block the way for enemy ships, it was decided to flood seven large ships. Later, another five were flooded.
When the defense of Sevastopol began, in the city there was a garrison of 17 thousand people. In October, the troops of Prince A. S. Menshikov arrived in Sevastopol. At the defense of the city now stood 35 thousand people.
The course of defense
Defenders of the city - thousands of soldiers and sailors,city residents, women and children - created 8 km of fortifications, which were designed to protect the southern part of the city. Bastions, lunettes, redoubts, lodges were placed here. The Crimean War, the defense of Sevastopol, forced the townspeople to give everything they had: wagons, materials, horses. Strengthening works did not stop even at night. On October 16 the city already had 20 batteries, heavy weapons doubled. The leadership of engineering defense lay on Colonel E. I. Totlebene. Land lines were defended by naval artillery from ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The defense of Sevastopol in 1854 continued.
Immediate storming of the city was unfavorable to the enemy.During the siege Sevastopol was bombed six times. On June 6, an attempt was made to assault the ship's side, but it was repulsed by the defenders of the city.
In an attempt to destroy the defense of Sevastopol, the enemydug 1,280 meters of underground galleries, where he produced 120 explosions. But defenders of the city outstripped opponents in the mine war: they dug 6889 meters of galleries. The Mineral War was conducted under the leadership of the officer AV Melnikov.
Bloody and stubborn struggle was fought for Malakhovmound. August 27, 1855 the French took this position, and the next day the Russian troops left the South side of Sevastopol. They blew up all the fortifications, then pulled up the floating bridge across the bay, built during the campaign, to the North side. As a result of these actions, the opponents were separated by the Sevastopol Bay.
In 1856 negotiations were held.According to the peace treaty, the Russian fleet on the Black Sea, as well as military fortifications, were liquidated. During the next twenty years, Sevastopol was in decline.
