In the Crimean War, the Battle of Balaklava (Battle of Balaclava) was a Russian attack on British positions on the 25th of October 1854, near a town in Ukraine, 10 km south-east of Sevastopol. It was the scene of the ill-timed Charge of the Light Brigade of British cavalry against the Russian entrenched artillery. Of the 673 soldiers who took part, there were 272 casualties. The Russian army broke through Turkish lines on the 25th of October and entered the valley of Balaklava, intending to attack the British supply base in the harbour and relieve the encirclement of Sevastopol by attacking British positions from the rear.
The battlefield consisted of two valleys divided by low hills; the British cavalry's Heavy Brigade were positioned in the South Valley, while the Light Brigade were in the North Valley. The first Russian advance broke into the South Valley and was immediately driven back over the hill by the Heavy Brigade, forcing the Russians to fall back on their line of artillery. The Light Brigade were ordered to 'prevent the enemy carrying away the guns' - it seems that this was intended to direct them to the hills where the Russians had captured some Turkish guns, but the order was badly phrased, leading the Light Brigade's commander to assume his target was the Russian guns about a mile away up the North Valley. Erroneously obeying what he assumed to be his instructions, he led the infamous ' Charge of the Light Brigade' up the length of the valley between two rows of Russian artillery, sustaining heavy casualties. A charge by French cavalry saved the Light Brigade from total destruction, and the 93rd Highland Regiment broke up a Russian cavalry attack. The battle ended with the Russians retaining their guns and their position. Research Battle of Balaklava
The Crimean War was conducted between Russia on one side and Turkey, Britain, France and Sardinia on the other and was occasioned by a conflict over the supposed right of a Tsar to protect all Christians in the Sultan's dominions, the allies attempting to prevent the undue preponderance of Russia in the east of Europe. The old plans for the extension of Russian power conceived by Catherine II and Potemkin were resuscitated by Nicholas I, who, believing that he had secured himself from interference on the part of Austria and Prussia, and that an Anglo-French alliance was impossible, prepared to carry them into action. Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and the principalities of the Danube were to become Russian protectorates, and Constantinople (Istanbul) was to be provisionally occupied by Russian troops.
In 1853 a Russian army invaded the principalities of Moldavia and Walachia and Turkey declared war. England followed her traditional policy of protecting Turkey against possible dismemberment and of trying to prevent an expansion of Russia that might threaten British interests in India. France under Napoleon III joined in with the intention of increasing her prestige and diverting attention away from domestic issues.
A French and English fleet entered the Baltic and captured Bomarsund and one of the Aland Islands, and in the south the allies landed at Varna, under LordRaglan and Marshal St Arnaud as commanders-in-chief. While the allies were making preparations Prussia and Austria demanded the evacuation of the Danubian principalities, and on evacuation being ordered by Nicholas, 'for strategic reasons', the principalities were provisionally occupied by the Austrians. It soon became obvious that the Crimea must be the seat of the war, and 50,000 French and English troops with 6000 Turks were landed at Eupatoria in September 1854. Five days later the battle of Alma was won by the allies on the 20th of September, and the march continued towards the south side of Sebastopol.
Soon after St Arnaud died and was succeeded by Canrobert. The siege of Sebastopol was commenced by a grand attack which proved a failure, and the Russians under Liprandi retaliated by attacking the English at Balaclava on October the 25th, but were defeated with heavy loss. It was at this battle that the famous, but useless, charge was made by the Light Brigade. A second attack at Inkerman was again repulsed by the allies, but the siege works made slow progress during the winter, in which the ill-supplied troops suffered great privations. The death of Nicholas and succession of Alexander II, in March, 1855, brought no change of policy.
Canrobert resigned in favour of Pelissier; and shortly after an unsuccessful attack on those parts of the fortifications known as the Malakhoff and RedanLordRaglan died, and was succeeded by Simpson. The bombardment was continued, and in September the French successfully stormed the Malakhoff, the simultaneous attack on the Redan by the British proving a failure.
The Russians, however, then withdrew from the city to the north forts and the allies took possession. The chief subsequent event was the capture of Kars, in Asia, by the Russians after a splendid defence by the Turks under General Williams. By this time, however, the allies had practical possession of the Crimea, and overtures of peace were gladly accepted. A treaty was accordingly concluded at Paris on the 27th of April, 1856, by which the independence of the Ottoman Empire was guaranteed.
Of the British casualties of 20,000 men only 12 percent were due to combat, the remaining 88 percent died through disease and famine. Research Crimean War
The balaclava is a knitted or sometimes crocheted helmet-like head covering, with various degrees of facial covering. Balaclavas are popular for disguising the wearer's identity among criminals and members of the armed forces such as the SAS. Research Balaclava
Abbreviations
Research 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
