Battle Of The Alma

Description

The Battle of Alma, which took place on September 20, 1854, was the first major land conflict of the Crimean War. Allied forces landed at Eupatoria (Yevpatoriya) on September 14 to advance to Sebastopol and capture the Russian naval base in Crimea. Advancing southeast, the Allies encountered the Russian army under the command of General Aleksandr Menshikov on the banks of the Alma River. The Russians had established a strong defensive line on the southern bank of the river, taking advantage of the natural elevations. The Allied troops successfully attacked and won by climbing the steep slopes from the western bank of the river. The Russians were forced to abandon their positions before attempting an orderly retreat. This battle opened the door to advance to Sevastopol and gave the Allies great morale. The engraving provides a bird's eye view of the question "How do you see the course of a war?" It offers a visual somewhere between a map and a painting and was prepared to explain strategic geography. The sprawling mountain range in the centre of the engraving shows Russian positions and defensive lines. The upper part of the engraving reads “Russian Position”. The lower right corner is labeled with the Alma River, which is understood to be the Allied crossing. The upper left shows the regular attack line of the British troops, with the words “British Divisions”. In the middle of the engraving, opposing artillery positions and infantry lines are concentrated. The lower part of the engraving is reflected in the figures of officers observing with binoculars.