Siege of Sevastopol (02:10)

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Eight months after the war began; British and French forces had failed to take Sevastopol and were demoralized. Leo Tolstoy's account reveals Russian troops were comfortable behind the front line.

Azov Campaign (02:47)

Russia's control over the Sea of Azov maintained supplies to Sevastopol. Learn how British and French naval forces took the Straits of Kerch.

Preparing to take Sevastopol (02:14)

Learn the allied strategy for taking the besieged city and hear Roger Fenton's description of photographing British and French officers.

Battle of Sevastopol (05:09)

Hear British accounts of the July 18, 1855 assault on the Russian city, including a coordination failure with French forces that resulted in unnecessary casualties. Battlefield sketches were published in the U.K.

Sevastopol Aftermath (04:05)

Hear British accounts of the failed assault and subsequent camp cholera epidemic. Raglan admitted his strategic mistake before succumbing to the disease.

Sveaborg Victory (04:12)

Learn how the allied fleet bombarded Russian fortifications in the Gulf of Finland in June 1855, threatening St. Petersburg and lowering Russian morale.

Mary Seacole (02:21)

Learn how the Jamaican field nurse boosted British morale during the Crimean War.

Battle of Chernaya (06:54)

Allied troops continued shelling Sevastopol during summer 1855. Facing defeat, Russian commanders planned a final attack; hear accounts of devastation from both sides.

Fall of Sevastopol (07:03)

Learn details of the final allied attack and pontoon bridge allowing Russian citizens to evacuate. British tourists came to witness the spectacle; although French troops won at Malakoff the British retreated from Redan.

Sebastopol Evacuation (03:51)

Learn how Russian forces destroyed the city as they left and hear British victory accounts. Allied engineers destroyed the shipyards, crippling the Russian Navy.

End of Crimean War (01:18)

After Sebastopol, the British considered taking St. Petersburg but winter approached. Austria threatened to intervene and Russia was forced to surrender in 1856.

Crimean War Outcome (04:00)

Learn the affect of Russia's defeat on the British, French and Ottoman empires. The Tzar learned the importance of a modernized, industrial state and abolished serfdom.

Crimean War Veterans (01:13)

View early film footage of Russian, French and British soldiers that lived to see European empires fall.

Credits: War and Peace: The Crimean War (00:37)

Credits: War and Peace: The Crimean War