Chronology of the Crimean War (original) (raw)
I am grateful to 'Corporal Scott Gutzke' of Battery B, 4th US Light Cavalry for gracious permission to use this material which has been taken from its web site. Copyright, of course, remains with Battery B. — Marjie Bloy Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, National University of Singapore (2001).
ILN = Illustrated London News.
Date
Event
1853
March 2
Menshikov arrives in Constantinople with demands on the Porte
May 21
Menshikov leaves Constantinople, breaking off relations
May 31
Russian ultimatum to Turkey
June 8
British Fleet approaches Dardanelles
July 3
Russian army crosses the Pruth into Moldavia
October 5
Turkey declares war on Russia
October 28
Turkish army crosses the Danube at Kalafat
October 30
British Fleet enters the Bosphorus
November 4
Russians defeated by Turks at Oltenitza
November 30
Turkish naval squadron destroyed at Sinope
1854
January 4
Allied fleets enter the Black Sea
January 8
Russians invade the Dobruja
February 23
The Guards leave England
March 10
Baltic Fleet leaves Spithead
March 19
French troops sail for Turkey
March 20
French Baltic Fleet sails
March 28
France and Great Britain declare war on Russia
April 5
British arrive at Gallipoli
April 14
Russians besiege Silistria
April 18
Turkish victory at Rahova
April 20
Austria and Prussia declare their neutrality
April 22
Bombardment of Odessa
May 28
Embarkation of Allied force for Varna (ships in the fleet, The Illustrated London News)
June 23
Russians abandon the siege of Silitria
June 26
Allied fleet arrives off Kronstadt
July 7
Russians defeated at Giurgevo
July 28
Russians withdraw across Pruth
Russians defeat Turks at Bayezid in Asia Minor
August 13
Allies besiege Bomarsund
August 16
Surrender of Bomarsund
August 21
Bombardment of Kola, in the White Sea, by British squadron
August 30
British naval failure at Petropaulovsk
September 5
Allies embark at Varna for Crimea
September 14
September 19
Encounter at River Bulganek
September 20
September 23
Russian fleet scuttled in Sebastopol
September 24
Arrival of Colonel Williams at Kars
'Flank March' of the allies round Sebastopol
September 26
British arrive at Balaclava
September 29
Death of St Arnaud (Portrait in Illustrated London News)
October 12
Times Fund set up
October 13
Patriotic Fund set up
October 17
First bombardment of Sevastopol (deployment of both armies — image in ILN)
October 23
Departure of Florence Nightingale and 38 nurses from England
October 25
Battle of Balaclava
Charge of the Heavy Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
October 26
Russian attack of 'Little Inkerman'
November 5
Battle of Inkerman
Florence Nightingale arrives at Scutari
November 14
Hurricane in Crimea
December 22
Sir Edmund Lyons replaces Admiral Dundas as commander of British Fleet
December 24
Admiral Bruat succeeds Admiral Hamelin in command of French Fleet
1855
January 10
Russian feint attack on Balaclava
January 17
Russian attack on Eupatoria
January 26
Sardinia joins the Allies
January 31
Fall of Lord Aberdeen's government
February 05
Lord Palmerston forms new government
February 20
Allied attack across the Chernaya frustrated by snow storms
February 22
Russians seize and fortify the Mamelon
February 24
French attack on 'White Works' defeated
March 2
Death of Tsar Nicholas I, succession of Alexander II who recalls Menshikov
March 15
Vienna conference opens
April 4
Second Baltic expedition leaves Spithead
April 9
Second Bombardment of Sebastopol
April 26
Vienna conference closes
May 1
Fierce fighting on the French left, at the Quarantine Cemetery
May 2
First expedition sails for Kertch and is recalled by Canrobert
May 16
Canrobert resigns command of French army and is succeeded by Pelissier
May 23
Expedition to Kertch sails again
May 25
Capture of Kertch and Yenikale
May 26
Allied naval forces enter Sea of Azof
June 5
Massacre of boats' crew at Hango
June 6
Third Bombardment of Sebastopol
June 8-9
Capture of the 'White Works', the Mamelon and The Quarries by the Allies
June 16
First Russian attack at Kars
June 17
Fourth Bombardment of Sebastopol
June 18
Main assault on the Malakov and Redan defeated with heavy loss
June 28
Death of Lord Raglan
July 1
General Sir James Simpson appointed to command British Army
July 14
Conference at which Omar Pasha asks permission to withdraw troops for Asia Minor
August 7
Second Russian attack at Kars
August 9
Bombardment of Sveaborg
August 16
Russian attack at Battle of Chernaya defeated by French and Sardinian forces
August 17
Fifth Bombardment of Sebastopol
September 5
Sixth Bombardment of Sebastopol
September 6
Omar Pasha leaves for Asia Minor
Attack on Malakov by French is successful, though French fail at Little Redan and Bastion du Mat.
British fail at the Redan
September 9
Russians evacuate Sebastopol
September 29
Russian attack at Kars defeated.
Cavalry skirmishing at Eupatoria
Omar Pasha's troops embark for Asia Minor
October 3
Omar Pasha lands at Suchum Kaleh, with expedition for relief of Kars
October 7
Kinburn expedition sails
October 17
Allied expedition captures Kinburn, Ochakov evacuated
October 22
Selim Pasha's army lands at Trebizona and marches to Erzerum
November 6
Omar Pasha defeats Russians on river Ingur
November 11
Sir James Simpson resigns, Succeeded by Sir William Codrington
November 15
French magazine at Sebastopol explodes
November 25
Surrender of Kars
December 8
Omar Pasha's army forced to withdraw from River Skeniscal
1856
January 16
The Tsar accepts the Austrian demands
January 29
Russian guns bombard Sebastopol
February 24
Paris Peace Conference opens
February 29
Armistice in the Crimea
March 30
Treaty of Paris signed
April 27
Ratification of Treaty of Paris, formal end of the war