The Crimean War began as a conflict between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, but it had long-lasting consequences for most of Europe. This war would be a turning point in European history and it would destroy the uneasy peace that the Concert of Europe had established.

In 1853, the Ottoman Empire was weakening. Russia, seeking to expand, wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosporus; in order to achieve this, it first needed to remove the Ottomans from Europe. The problem was that any Russian movement toward the Bosporus would threaten British colonies in India, Egypt, and Cyprus. Also, France, now under the control of Napoleon III (seeking to improve his empire’s prestige), found Russia’s aggressive stance threatening.

The Catalyst

The catalyst for war was an argument over which nation would protect the Holy Places in Palestine. Catholic monks under the protection of the French had guarded the Holy Places since the 16th century when a treaty with the Ottoman Empire had guaranteed them this right. This protection lapsed during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars and, now, Napoleon III wanted to resume this guarantee. At the same time, the Russians wanted to take over the duty in order to protect the Orthodox Christians right to pilgrimage. Tsar Nicholas I believed that the historical enmity of England and France would prevent an alliance in opposition to his wishes; additionally, he thought that no European power would be willing to support the Muslim Ottomans against a Christian nation. He was wrong on both counts. Watch these film clips on the start of the Crimean War that incorporate primary source material from diaries, photographs and interviews of men and women who served on the front lines of the Crimean front.

The War Begins

When the Crimean War began it was a glorious endeavor. The British and French were convinced that this was the fulfillment of their destiny. This alone would show the superiority of Western Civilization, at least that’s what they thought. What they found when they reached Constantinople to defend the Ottomans was a completely foreign culture and one that many simply did not understand. The British and French troops focused on a siege on the Russian naval base at Sevastopol on the Black Sea. Watch this film clip and listen to the words of those who were there as they describe just how foreign the Ottomans really were.