Battle of Alma
The Battle of Alma, fought on September 20, 1854, marks a significant early engagement in the Crimean War between allied forces of Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire against Russia. The allies aimed to capture the Russian stronghold of Sevastopol, which was strategically important for controlling the Black Sea. Positioned on high ground south of the Alma River, Russian troops under Prince Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov confronted the advancing allies. The battle saw the French and Turkish forces attack on the right flank, while British troops, led by General Fitzroy Raglan, engaged uphill against the Russian center. Despite initial tactical missteps, the allied forces' numerical advantage led to a decisive victory over the Russians, inflicting approximately 6,000 casualties compared to the allies' 3,000. This victory was pivotal, as it allowed the allies to gain territory necessary for launching further operations against Sevastopol, ultimately impacting the course of the war. The Battle of Alma is remembered not only for its military significance but also for its implications in the broader context of 19th-century European conflict.
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Battle of Alma
Type of action: Ground battle in the Crimean War
Date: September 20, 1854
Location: Crimean peninsula, twenty miles north of Sevastopol
Combatants: 26,000 British, 37,000 French, and 7,000 Turks vs. 35,000 Russians
Principal commanders:British, General Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, Baron Raglan (1788–1855); French, Marshal Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1801–1854); Turkish, Omar Latas Pasha (Michael Latas; 1806–1871); Russian, Prince Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov (1787–1869)
Result: Allied victory, successful beginning of the Sevastopol campaign.
The allies began landing (September 14) just south of Eupatoria, Crimea, their objective being to capture the Russian stronghold, Sevastopol, thirty-five miles south. Prince Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov’s troops were dug in on high ground south of the Alma River, blocking the allied line of march toward Sevastopol.
The allies deployed in sight of the Russians but out of range, then attacked uphill on a wide front. The French, led by Marshal Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud, and Turks, led by Omar Latas Pasha, were on the allied right, toward the Black Sea, the British on the allied left, inland. On the British left was Major General Colin Campbell’s Highland Brigade facing the Suzdal Regiment on the Russian right.
General Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, Baron Raglan, in his first battle since Waterloo, led his troops uphill into the Russian center before the French had accomplished their objective of turning the Russian left flank. Despite Raglan’s tactical error, sheer numbers prevailed. Allied losses were about 3,000; Russian, about 6,000.
Significance
The allies routed the Russians in the first major engagement of the Crimean War and thus gained territory to begin shelling Sevastopol (October 17).
Bibliography
Barker, A. J. The War Against Russia, 1854–1856. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1971.
Lambert, Andrew D., and Stephen Badsey. The Crimean War. Dover, N.H.: Sutton, 1994.
Palmer, Alan Warwick. The Banner of Battle: The Story of the Crimean War. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1987.
Pemberton, W. Baring. Battles of the Crimean War. New York: Macmillan, 1962.
Sweetman, John. Raglan: From the Peninsula to the Crimea. London: Arms & Armour, 1993.