Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855)
A classic siege that decided the Crimean War.
The Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) was a major military engagement of the Crimean War, lasting from October 1854 until September 1855. Allied forces from France, Sardinia, the Ottoman Empire, and Britain besieged the Russian port city of Sevastopol, home of the Tsar's Black Sea Fleet. The siege is considered one of the last classic sieges in history and was the culminating struggle for the strategic port, leading to the Russian defeat in the war.
- start_date
- October 1854
- end_date
- September 1855
- location
- Sevastopol, Crimea
- belligerents
- Allies (French, Sardinian, Ottoman, British) vs. Russian Empire
- key_commanders
- Vice Admirals Vladimir Kornilov and Pavel Nakhimov (Russian); Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Totleben (Russian engineer)
- allied_landing_force
- 50,000 men at Eupatoria on 14 September 1854
- notable_battles
- Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman, Tchernaya, Redan, Malakoff
Lore & Background
The allies landed at Eupatoria on 14 September 1854, intending a triumphal march to Sevastopol. After the Battle of the Alma, Russian field forces withdrew, leaving the city's defense to Vice Admirals Kornilov and Nakhimov, assisted by engineer Totleben. The defenders numbered just over 35,000, including militia, gunners, marines, naval seamen, and workmen. The Russians scuttled ships to block the harbor and used naval cannon as artillery.
Throughout the siege, the allies conducted six bombardments of the city. The first on 17 October 1854 saw Admiral Kornilov killed. The siege lines featured extensive trenchworks and rifle pits, foreshadowing World War I tactics. Key battles outside the siege lines included Balaklava and Inkerman in late 1854. A winter storm in November 1854 devastated allied camps and supply lines.
In 1855, the Grand Crimean Central Railway, completed in March, restored allied supplies. The final bombardment began on 5 September 1855, with 307 cannon firing 150,000 rounds. On 8 September, the French seized the Malakoff redoubt, making the Russian position untenable. The Russians abandoned the southern side of Sevastopol on 9 September 1855.
Reader's Guide
The Siege of Sevastopol was the decisive campaign of the Crimean War, ending with the fall of the city and leading to Russian defeat. It is remembered as one of the last classic sieges, involving extensive trench warfare and heavy artillery bombardments. The siege was memorialized in Victorian culture: Leo Tolstoy wrote Sebastopol Sketches, and the first Russian feature film, Defence of Sevastopol, depicted it. The Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris was named for the allied victory. The Battle of Balaklava inspired Tennyson's poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' and Robert Gibb's painting The Thin Red Line. A panorama of the siege was painted by Franz Roubaud. The siege demonstrated the growing importance of logistics, as the Grand Crimean Central Railway enabled the allies to sustain their operations. The Russian commanders Kornilov and Nakhimov were interred in the Admirals' Burial Vault in St. Vladimir's Cathedral.
Did You Know?
- The siege lasted from October 1854 to September 1855.
- The allies conducted six bombardments of Sevastopol: 17 October 1854; 9 April, 6 June, 17 June, 17 August, and 5 September 1855.
- The Russian defenders scuttled ships including Grand Duke Constantine and City of Paris to protect the harbor.
- The siege was the subject of Leo Tolstoy's Sebastopol Sketches and the first Russian feature film, Defence of Sevastopol.
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