Battle of the Alma

The Battle of the Alma was fought on 20 September 1854 during the Crimean War. British and French forces defeated a Russian army defending positions above the Alma River in Crimea.

Alma River: A river in Crimea that flows into the Black Sea. Russian forces used the river and its northern heights to obstruct the allied advance.
Crimean War: A war fought from 1853 to 1856 between Russia and an alliance including the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and France. The Alma was the first major land battle of the allied campaign in Crimea.
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan: A British field marshal who commanded British forces in the Crimean War. Raglan led the British contingent and directed its movements during the battle.
Battle of Balaclava: An 1854 Crimean War battle fought near the British supply port of Balaclava. It followed the allied advance from the Alma and became another costly contest near Sevastopol.
Battle of the Chernaya: An 1855 Crimean War battle in which French and Sardinian forces defeated a Russian army near the Chernaya River. Like the Alma, it was fought on Crimean river terrain, but came during the siege’s later phase.
Woronzoff Road: A military road running along Crimea’s southern coast toward Sevastopol. The allied army sought this route after crossing the Alma and driving back Russian forces.
Siege of Sevastopol: A prolonged allied siege of the Russian naval base at Sevastopol from 1854 to 1855. The allied victory at the Alma opened the route toward this campaign’s principal objective.
Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud: A French marshal who commanded French forces in the early Crimean campaign. He commanded the French army at the Alma shortly before his death.
Battle of Inkerman: An 1854 Crimean War battle in which allied forces repelled a Russian attack near Sevastopol. Russian forces tried again to disrupt the allied siege after the Alma.
Battle of the Alma (1854): A designation sometimes used to distinguish the Crimean War battle from other places or events named Alma. The battle is commonly called simply the Battle of the Alma; this title makes its date explicit.

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Treaty of Paris (1856)Broader topic: The defeat opened the route toward Sevastopol and the campaign that preceded the treaty.