The Zouaves at Alma

Description

The Battle of the Alma, which took place on September 20, 1854, was the first major land engagement of the Crimean War. Allied forces landed at Eupatoria (Yevpatoriya) on September 14, with the aim of advancing on Sebastopol and capturing the Russian naval base in Crimea. Advancing southeast, the Allies encountered the Russian army under General Aleksandr Menshikov on the banks of the Alma River. The Russians had established a strong defensive line on the south bank of the river, taking advantage of the natural elevations. The British attacked from the right, while the French attacked from the left flank, closer to the sea. The Zouaves (the elite light infantry of the French army) successfully attacked by climbing the steep slopes from the west bank of the river and were the first to reach the Russian artillery positions. The Zouaves' success determined the outcome of the war. The Russians were forced to abandon their positions before they could start an orderly retreat. During the assault on Alma, a group of Zouave soldiers became legendary for being the first to hoist the French flag on the Russian trenches, and this scene is depicted in the engraving. Zouave units were French light infantry units first formed in the 1830s, inspired by the Kabyle (Zuva/Zwawa) people of Algeria. Initially composed of native North Africans, these units were later reinforced with French volunteers to become the elite of the army. The soldiers in the engraving wear the distinctive Zouave garb of blue short jackets, loose red trousers, white gaiters, and red fez-like headdresses.