Crimean War
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Crimean War (1853–1856) was fought by Russia against the Ottoman Empire, Britain and France. Piedmont-Sardinia joined against Russia in 1855. Most of the fighting took place in the Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea. The main cause was rivalry over the weakening Ottoman Empire. Britain and France wanted to stop Russia from growing stronger at Turkey's expense. Russia was defeated.
Example
Cavour, chief minister of Sardinia-Piedmont, sent troops to the Crimea. This won him a seat at the 1856 peace talks and the goodwill of France. That friendship led to the French alliance which defeated Austria in 1859, a key step in Italian unification. Florence Nightingale's nursing of wounded British soldiers also became famous during this war.
Don't confuse with
- Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Russia fought Turkey alone and won. That war led to the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
Related concepts
- Imperialism
- Balkan problem
- Ottoman Empire
- Sick man of Europe
- Eastern Question
- Congress of Berlin 1878
- Pan-Slavism
- Austria-Hungary
- Young Turks
- Balkan Wars 1912-1913