Battles & Campaigns · 1854
Battle of the Alma
Alma River, Crimea
What happened
British, French and Ottoman armies under Lord Raglan, Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Suleiman Pasha fought a Russian army under Prince Menshikov. The allies were marching on the port of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. Russian troops held the heights above the Alma River. French troops climbed cliffs the Russians thought were too steep, the British pushed up the slope, and the Russian line gave way.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Alma heights were the last natural defence before Sevastopol, so the win opened the road to the city.
What came next
The allies were slow to follow the retreating Russians. Raglan died during the siege of Sevastopol in 1855.
Did you know?
The Pont de l'Alma, a bridge in Paris, is named after this battle.
Timeline
- 20 September 1854Battle of the Alma.
- 1855Siege of Sevastopol continues.
- 28 June 1855Lord Raglan dies at Sevastopol.