BATTLE // September 20, 1854

Battle of Alma

Name: Battle of Alma
Start: 1854-09-20
End: 1854-09-20
Location: Battle of Alma

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Overview

The Battle of the Alma took place during the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20 September 1854. The allies had made a surprise landing in Crimea on 14 September. The allied commanders, Maréchal Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud and Lord Raglan, then marched toward the strategically important port city of Sevastopol, 45 km away. Russian commander Prince Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov rushed his available forces to the last natural defensive position before the city, the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of the Alma was the first engagement of the allied expeditionary force on the Crimean Peninsula following their surprise landing on 14 September 1854. Russian commander Menshikov positioned his available forces at the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River, which represented the last natural defensive position standing between the allied advance and Sevastopol, the strategically important port city 45 km away. The outcome of the engagement determined whether the allied march on Sevastopol could proceed unimpeded. Allied casualties totaled over 4,100 against Russian losses of approximately 5,700, reflecting the intensity of the fighting for the defensive heights.

Tactics

Menshikov deployed Russian forces on the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River, exploiting the elevated terrain as a natural defensive barrier against the allied advance across the plain. The allies, having landed on 14 September, marched south toward Sevastopol and were compelled to cross the river and assault the prepared Russian positions on the high ground.