Alma, Battle of the

In the Crimean War, joint British, French, and Turkish assault on Russian forces outside Sevastapol 20 September 1854 with a loss of about 9,000 troops, 6,000 of whom were Russian. Although the Allies defeated the Russians, the Russians were able to hold off an attack on Sevastapol itself long enough to complete their defences.

Some 63,000 Allied troops under General Lord Raglan and Marshal Jacques St Arnaud had landed at Eupatoria, intent upon marching to attack Sevastopol; the Russian commander General Alexander Menshikov placed his 40,000-strong force on high ground close to the River Alma. The British and part of the French made a frontal advance on the Russian lines, while the remainder of the French and the Turks made a flanking movement through difficult and hilly country and surprised the Russians. The French forces in the centre were moved to the flank to exploit this success, leaving the British to complete the frontal attack. Due to confused orders part of the British line retired while the remainder advanced, but this was corrected and the Russians were driven from their position to fall back into Sevastopol.