Continuation, read the beginning: Zero World War (part 1). The interests of the five empires. / Zero World War (part 2). All-round defense.
Caucasian theater of military operations
It was here that the Russian armed forces achieved the greatest successes, which subsequently allowed the development of acceptable conditions for peace. The victories in the Caucasus were largely due to the high fighting qualities of the Russian Caucasian army. She had many years of experience in military operations in the mountains behind her. Its soldiers were constantly in the conditions of a small mountain war, they had experienced combat commanders, aimed at decisive actions.
Ottoman troops made an attempt to break through into warring Chechnya and unite with the highlanders. The implementation of such a plan could lead to the isolation of a small Russian army in the Transcaucasus and its destruction. Despite the multiple numerical superiority of the Ottoman troops, the Russians repulsed attacks in all directions and (traditionally) inflicted one defeat after another.
Ismail Pasha and Turkish officers.
As a result, under the command of General Nikolai Muravyev, the combined Russian forces went on the offensive and forced the largest and most important fortress of Kars, in eastern Turkey, to surrender. After the end of the war, at the conclusion of a peace treaty, this fortress and Ottoman territories were exchanged for the Crimea and Sevastopol. The victory in the Caucasus remained with Russia.
Promotional video:
Northwestern theater of operations
Petersburg war
Combat operations simultaneously with the Black and Azov seas took place in the Baltic, White and Barents seas. Although you can call them that with a big oooooy stretch. It was much more like a pirate raid: the bombing of peaceful objects and the landing into the "horror and panic" city. Somehow simple for the "storm of the seas" - is not it?
At the beginning of 1854, even before Britain officially declared war on Russia, the combined Anglo-French fleet (65 ships, most of them steam), stuffed to the eyeballs with mercenaries from all over Europe, approached the Gulf of Finland. And then it turned out that there was no further move! The shallow bay and the difficult fairway did not allow a comfortable approach to Petersburg. To top it all, the approaches to the city were defended by the fortresses of Kronstadt and Sveaborg, as well as vast minefields with remote detonation (Jacobi mines).
Undermining British ships on Russian mines near Kronstadt.
It must be said that Nicholas the First perfectly prepared for the visit of his recent allies. All the forts on the coast of the Baltic Sea, at that time already had electrical telegraph communication, and were centrally controlled from the General Staff in St. Petersburg. Gunboats were built and equipped with bombards, which had a low draft and, as a result, great freedom of maneuver in the bay. The artillery batteries were strengthened and re-equipped, even rocket launchers and submarines were in service!
In addition, strong ground forces are concentrated in the landing areas. At the same time, 44 Russian ships were blocked and evaded a naval battle (as in the Second World War).
At the cost of heavy losses, the allied armada was able to capture only the Bomarzund fortress on the Aland Islands and, having shot all the ammunition from afar, left in disgrace.
Allied squadron.
In the summer of 1855, the Anglo-French fleet, spurred on by the resulting humiliation, made a second call on St. Petersburg, but this time too, it limited itself to the blockade of the coast, shelling of Sveaborg and other cities (no one deepened the Gulf of Finland, again, forts and minefields were not dismantled - solid annoyance!). However, they completed the minimum task: they blocked the fleet, sea transportations and large ground forces that were not transferred to help in the Crimea.
Attack on the Russian North
On the White Sea, several English ships tried to take possession of the Solovetsky monastery, which was protected by monks and a small detachment with 10 cannons (from the time of the "Tsar Pea"). To the offer to surrender, the defenders of Solovki responded with a decisive refusal. Then the naval artillery began an active shelling of the monastery. The first shot knocked out the monastery gates. The matter did not go further than this - the northern stone from which the Solovki was built - did not even crumble from being hit by nuclei!
Bombing of Solovki.
An attempt to land a landing was repelled by the fire of the fortress artillery (or rather, 4 cannons pulled from the fortress into position and by decisive monks with hooks and hooks for lack of guns!). Fearing losses, the brave British paratroopers immediately returned to the ships.
After shooting for another two days and getting bored, the British went to Arkhangelsk. But the attack on him ended without actually starting. Although British traders have been sailing to Arkhangelsk for a long time, none of the military has bothered to consult them about the hydrography of the area. Indeed, even the deepest channel leading to Arkhangelsk is less than 6 feet deep, while the smallest of the invaders' ships had a total draft of 15 feet.
In addition, a fairly strong garrison, prepared batteries, gunboats and a decommissioned brig, awaited the unnamed guests there, as a guardhouse. In such conditions, even having a significant advantage in firepower and the numerical strength of the landing, the vaunted Europeans considered it best to retire in good health.
Kola fortress.
Then the British decided to try their luck in the Barents Sea. Joining with French ships there (to gain confidence and firepower), they ruthlessly fired incendiary cannonballs at the defenseless fishing village of Cola, destroying 110 of the 120 wooden houses there and the ancient church. On this, the actions of the British and French in the White and Barents Seas ended ingloriously.
In conclusion, I'll tell you about the victory at the Pacific Rim. And read this unknown, heroic part of our story in the next, final part.
Continuation: Part 4. Victory or defeat?