Last Crusade or First Modern War? The Crimean War 1853-1856

The Crimean War between the Ottoman Empire and Russia (and later the UK and France) has been called the last crusade and the first modern war at the same time. 

» SUPPORT US

» THANK YOU TO OUR CO-PRODUCERS
Murray Godfrey, John Ozment, Stephen Parker, Mavrides, Kristina Colburn, Stefan Jackowski, Cardboard, William Kincade, William Wallace, Daniel L Garza, Chris Daley, Malcolm Swan, Christoph Wolf, Simen Røste, Jim F Barlow, Taylor Allen, Adam Smith, James Giliberto, Albert B. Knapp MD, Tobias Wildenblanck, Richard L Benkin, Marco Kuhnert, Matt Barnes, Ramon Rijkhoek, Jan, Scott Deederly, gsporie, Kekoa, Bruce G. Hearns, Hans Broberg, Fogeltje

» SOURCES
• Badem, Candan: The Ottoman Crimean War – 1853-1856, Brill Verlag, Leiden & Boston, 2010.
• Balci, Ali et al.: When Doves Feed Hawks: Ottoman War Decision and European Powers Towards the Crimean War, in: Alternatives: Global, Local, Political, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 67–83, SAGE Publications, Istanbul, 2022.
• Baumgart, Winfried: The Crimean War, Bloomsbury Academic Verlag, London [u.a.], 2020.
• Bektas, Yakup: The Crimean War as a Technological Enterprise, in: Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 71, No. 3, pp. 233-262, The Royal Society, London, 2017.
• Daniel, Ute: Der Krimkrieg 1853-1856 und die Entstehungskontexte medialer Kriegsberichterstattung, in: Daniel, Ute (Hg.): Augenzeugen – Kriegsberichterstattung vom 18. Zum 21. Jahrhundert, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Verlag, Göttingen, 2006.
• Figes, Orlando: Krimkrieg – der letzte Kreuzzug, Berlin-Verlag, Berlin [u.a], 2012.
• Gouttman, Alain: La guerre de Crimée 1853-1856, Kronos S.P.M., Paris, 1995.
• Gorizontov, Leonid: The Crimean War as a Test of Russia’s Imperial Durability, in: Russian Social Science Review, Vol. 62, pp. 416–442, Taylor & Francis, London, 2021.
• Grosul, Vladislav: Russian Society and the Crimean War, in: Russian Studies in History, vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 35–64, Taylor & Francis, London, 2012,
• Hearder, Harry: Clarendon, Cavour, and the Intervention of Sardinia in the Crimean war, 1853-1855, in: The International History Review, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 819-836, Taylor & Francis, London, 1996.
• Kirimli, Hakan: Emigrations from the Crimea to the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War, in: Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 751-773, Taylor & Francis, 2008.
• Kozelsky, Mara: Crimea in war and transformation, Oxford University Press, New York, 2019.
• Kozelsky, Mara: Casualties of Conflict – Crimean Tatars during the Crimean War, in: Slavic Review, Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 866-891, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008.
• Lambert, Andrew: Crimean Illusions, in Freedman, Lawrence, ed. War, Oxford UP, 2011.
• Lang, Wilhelm: Cavour und der Krimkrieg, in: Historische Zeitschrift, Vol. 53, No. 1 pp. 1-42, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München, 1885.
• LA SOCIETA DEI REDUCI DALLA CRIMEA (Hg.): Ricordo Pittorico Militare Della Spedizione Sarda, Consiglio Direttivo della Societa dei Reduci dalla Crimea, Turin, 1884.
• Maag, Georg (Hg.): Der Krimkrieg als erster europäischer Medienkrieg, in: Kultur und Technik (Band 14), Lit Verlag, Berlin, 2010.
• Rath, Andrew: The Crimean War in imperial context - 1854-1856, Palgrave Macmillan Verlag, New York [u.a], 2015.
• Stepanov, Valerii: The Crimean War and the Russian Economy, in: Russian Social Science Review, Vol. 62, No. 4–6, pp. 470–493, Taylor & Francis, London, 2021.
• Trager, Robert: Long-Term Consequences of Aggressive Diplomacy – European Relations after Austrian Crimean War Threats, in: Security Studies, Vol. 21, pp. 232–265, Taylor & Francis, London, 2012.

»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: David Lang, Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Above Zero
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
Research by: David Lang
Fact checking: Florian Wittig

Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster

Contains licensed material by getty images
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2023

[noobster]

Yes, the Austrian Emperor "Franz Josef" mentioned on the sideline here is the same one as in World War 1
The guy ruled for 68 years...

[toekneekerching]

I think when the Tsar said "Crimea is not Russia" he meant it more in the sense that defeat in Crimea does not mean Russia is defeated in the same way that in 1812 the fall of Moscow did not mean Russian defeat.

[Stamboul]

4 details about the war that I think are worth mentioning:

1) To ensure that Greece would not enter the war on Russia's side, Anglo-French forces occupied the port of Piraeus. The Hellenic government did sponsor revolts among the Greeks in the Ottoman Empire, but these were unsuccessful. Popular dissatisfaction with this failure to exploit a moment of Ottoman weakness would contribute to the overthrow of King Otto in 1862.

2) In the Pacific, Russian ships were saved from destruction at the hands of the British by crossing the narrow Nevelskoy Strait that separates Sakhalin from the Asian mainland. The Russians at this time were the only Europeans to have discovered that Sakhalin was actually an island rather than a peninsula and what looked like a bay was actually a strait.

3) The Treaty of Paris led to the demilitarization of the Ålands, a status they have maintained even to this day, as part of independent Finland.

4) The Treaty of Paris also led to creation of Romania. The Danubian Principalities were placed under the collective protectorate of the belligerent countries plus Austria and Prussia and popular consultations were organized in each principality that eventually led to the same man being elected as prince of both.

[theyellowjesters]

"A brief history of the Crimea war" was one of the first history books I read in highschool, and alongside Phyrrus of Epirus, the Crimean War was one of the first true history topica I tackled in school. It has a special place in my heart for that so thank you for covering it!!

[MrWhiskers]

Great to see YouTube historical sites working together for a more comprehensive in-depth and detailed coverage of the same historical event at the same time! This equals awesomeness for us nerds who love and can’t get enough of this stuff! 🎉❤😊
Thank you!🙏

[andreastveranger]

Can you in Real Time History make a video about the Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878? This war is in my opinion one of the forgotten preludes to ww1, and it is somewhat strange that it's not that much information on it in Norway or the west

[Halcon_Sierreno]

French and British fighting alongside Ottomans against Russians. There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests.

[YapsiePresents]

Crimean war should never be forgotten. Thank you for the modern approach in telling it's story compared to the usual snorefest we see on tv making it somewhat neglected.

[joiedevie]

Although you cite technological advances, there are several aspects of this war you do not mention that would have significant impact on our own Civl War to begin five years later. Among the Crimean War's foreign observers was the Union's own General McClellan. He observed the siege of Sevastopol and prepared a critical analysis, as well as detailed description of European army organization and deployment. He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics based on Russian regulations. He observed the advantage that the railroad provided for tactical troop deployment: something that would give the Union distinct advantage over the Confederacy in the near future.  

While the U.S. was officially neutral, American support for Russia was reflected by the more than 30 American surgeons who volunteered to serve the Russian military and the presence of American military observers, like McClellan, on the Russian side. Years later that diplomatic amity would manifest in Russian naval support of the Union during the Civil War with its Atlantic fleet in New York Harbor and its Pacific fleet in San Francisco Bay. Six Russian sailors are buried at the Mare Island Military Cemetery north of San Francisco who helped fight the SF fire of 1863. That relationship also laid the foundation for the Alaska purchase.  

Finally, the Crimean War was the first major war to have a photographic record. The power of wartime journalism via photography and the telegraph (which you do mention) would change the political relationship between war and the home-front forever. Roger Fenton was among the great early photographers who brought back a sense of the real horror and carnage of the war as well as how people adapted on the fronts and right behind the lines. Our own Civil War would elevate the art and craft of wartime photography with Alex Gardner and Matthew Brady, who learned across an ocean from Fenton's visual accomplishments with the Crimean War and they would set standards here that would be followed for generations.

Luv ya' madly, Jesse! You are a history nerd's best buddy on the worldwide web!
💪🤎🎓

[rabihrac]

What a war! A mini world war... Being the first war with photographs is awesome. We can see the attitudes of men who lived and probably died nearly 180 years ago! Great storytelling Jesse. And great maps, too. Happy Easter. Cheers!

[tpgorman]

As a history major my senior thesis was arguing that Crimea was the first modern war, so when I saw the title for this video I felt justified! So many of the tactics used here were eventually adapted during the Civil War in America, and then used for years after.

[GabdeVue]

Such a well structured and sourced video on this fascinating historical issue. Thank you. I love learning this way.

[davidwallace]

Thank you so much for covering this war. It’s not covered enough. I have been waiting for this🎉

[m.roland]

Few is changed, same wars in same regions in order to protect same interests. Just nowadays, countries are not declaring war directly because of nuclear weapons. History is the greatest teacher if you know how to look.

[ThatVeryStrangeMan]

As always, the RTH team delivers!

I do prefer the more relaxed pace of other RTH productions that allow for more details and interesting anecdotes, but I'm sure RTH had their reasons.

That said, it's their usual quality work, and the team delivers a great introduction to an important conflict.

They also get extra points for the final statement that references the current conflict in the same region—do watch to the very end!

[FoxWolfWorld]

I absolutely love how this channel and Drachinifel sort of collaborate now

[Aothis]

Thank you for a long video on this content. Not enough on youtube. Great work!

[BattleGuideVT]

Excellent video as always guys, really well done!

[alan-dxzf]

It's a small thing but it means a lot to me. This history guru/narrator gets his pronunciation of people and places absolutely spot on perfect. I love the graphics as well. I am an armchair history pervert and this guy never puts a foot wrong! Brilliant series of documentaries. I particularly loved his Franco-Prussian war post..simply riveting.

[ares]

“The last crusade” fought to prop up the Ottomans 😂
But I suppose it wasn’t as bad as the 4th crusade.