31 March 1854
Crimean War

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Russia invades the Turkish principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, claiming that it needs to protect Greek Orthodox Christians from persecution. The move not only threatens the Turkish empire, but also undermines the influence of the other great European powers – Austria , Britain and France. After a conference of the great powers in Vienna fails to resolve the situation, Russia and Turkey engage in naval battles and Britain and France declare war on Russia.

The main British aim is to stop the Russian fleet entering the Mediterranean. The fighting concentrates on the Black Sea and the Crimea, a peninsula on its northern coast. British and French troops attack the Russian naval base at Sebastopol, but their campaign is slow to start and badly organised. Britain sustains heavy losses in the battles of Balaclava and Inkerman that autumn, and the infamous cavalry attack, the 'Charge of the Light Brigade', costs lives. At Scutari military hospital, Florence Nightingale struggles to combat rampaging disease with good nursing. British newspapers carry reports of the soldiers' suffering and the inept leadership, and there is a public outcry. It leads to the resignation of Prime Minister Aberdeen (see 1 February 1855); Palmerston takes over.

Supplies and organisation improve, and Austria, Piedmont-Sardinia and Sweden join Britain and France in the war. In 1855, French-led fighting results in the capture of Sebastopol. The war ends on 30 March 1856 with the Treaty of Paris. This gives independence to Moldavia and Wallachia and bans both Russia and Turkey from having a fleet in the Black Sea, creating a demilitarised zone. The dominance of the great powers is maintained for the time being, but the alliance between Austria and Russia (known as the Holy Alliance) has been ruptured.

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