Continuation, read the beginning: Zero World War (part 1). The interests of the five empires. / Zero World War (part 2). All-round defense. / Zero World War (part 3). Onslaught to the East.
It was smooth on paper
The British would not be the British we know if they hadn't tried to rip off such a tempting slice as Siberia and the (Russian) Far East. Everything is never enough for them.
Immediately after the founding of the city of Petropavlovsk (later Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), the Governor of Eastern Siberia N. N. Muravyov-Amursky, realizing its critical strategic importance, put a lot of effort into equipping the fortifications of this convenient port.
Even then, several years before the war, British spies began to infiltrate the port on civilian ships to assess the structure of the defense. But the fortifications do not fight by themselves. And at the time of the declaration of war, there were only 200 garrison soldiers and 7 guns in the city, which gave the British reason to hope for an easy profit.
In 1854, the Russian frigate Aurora sailed from the coast of South America to its base in the Far East. A little later, having received a notice of the beginning of the war and wanting to receive prize money, a pursuit of 6 Anglo-French warships (with 212 guns and 2.6 thousand crew and landing personnel) set off after him. Replenishing supplies in the Hawaiian Islands, they received a new task, and the Americans, neutral in this war, proudly told everyone about this - they notified our Consul General, who in turn sent a warning to Petropavlovsk.
The position of Petropavlovsk was saved by the Aurora, which entered the port for water and food. Upon learning of the situation, the ship's captain agreed to help the city in defense. After him, another ship came to Petropavlovsk with cannons, supplies and 350 soldiers to help the garrison. Governor V. S. Zavoiko collected and armed all the inhabitants of the city, organized 7 batteries from the guns removed from the ships on the outskirts of the city.
Promotional video:
The militia and soldiers of Petropavlovsk.
By the time the Allied squadron arrived, Petropavlovsk was already a fairly well fortified port. After a short artillery duel, the British admiral realized the full depth of the shame that had fallen on him, because of the failure of the operation and shot himself. Having recovered a little from the shock, in the hope of a significant advantage in firepower and numerical superiority, the allies nevertheless decided to storm.
On the coastal batteries, making up for the lack of soldiers, women and children over 12 years old helped. As a result of a fierce battle, the British suppressed two coastal batteries and decided to land an assault force. The first batch of 600 selected warriors was repulsed by a detachment of 130 soldiers and townspeople. And the second batch of 950 paratroopers was attacked by scattered detachments totaling 350 people (whoever they could have gathered from all directions). The brave "sea wolves" seeing the furious townspeople and soldiers approaching from all sides, in panic rushed to run and jumped straight into the sea from the cliff of the Nikolaevskaya volcano (there is not an ounce of exaggeration in this description!). And the squadron of allies, withdrew from anchors and, without waiting for their wounded paratroopers, went to the raid parking.
Fight on Nikolaevskaya Sopka.
Allies' Greatest Inspiration
Shameful results in naval battles in all directions in 1854, appealed to the allies in the coalition for revenge. And in 1855, having gathered even greater forces, the Europeans went on campaigns.
For complete confidence in success, the British withdrew from China almost their entire fleet - 34 ships and received 22 French reinforcements, swung to destroy the ALL Pacific fleet and settlements on the Russian coast! Most of them went to get satisfaction to Petropavlovsk. Imagine their surprise when they saw an EMPTY city!
Realizing that the allies would return with reinforcements, Governor Zavoiko decided to evacuate the city. Disruption of all fortifications, taking guns, property and citizens with belongings, on 4 ships, accompanied by two warships, they went south, to the mouth of the Amur.
British landing.
The naval armada, which was late for the war with Petropavlovsk, had no choice but to get away. Finally, these proud carriers of European culture, decided to take out the evil on empty buildings and the fire of ship guns, burned the city. According to a long-established European tradition, they tried to shift their humiliation onto a prisoner of war. However, our sailor preferred death at sea to shooting at the city with British guns.
And at this time, the convoy with the Petropavlovsk men was already on the way to the mouth of the Amur, collided with the three Allied warships prowling there and, having adopted the order of battle, entered into a firefight with them. At nightfall, the shooting stopped. And at night our convoy, passing through the orders of enemy ships, slipped out of the bay and entered the mouth of the Amur.
As the British newspapers later wrote: "The greatest delight inspired the allied squadron", which gathered in the morning to sink the settlers … But those were gone! Not believing that the ships had passed them, these filibusters rushed in pursuit. It really did not last long. Lacking accurate data on the geography of those places, the admirals decided that they had reached the land isthmus, and if so, the Russians simply evaporated! This news so strongly impressed the representatives of the first and second most powerful naval powers in the world that the Pacific campaign was immediately curtailed.
On the batteries of Petropavlovsk.
Victory or defeat?
That war, called the Crimean war in our historiography, is considered by the greatest mistake to have been lost by Russia. But, is it really so?
By winter, fighting on all fronts had subsided. Thanks to the steadfastness and courage of the Russian soldiers, the offensive impulse of the coalition fizzled out. The allies did not succeed in ousting Russia from the shores of the Black Sea and the Pacific Ocean. "We," wrote the London Times, "have found resistance that surpasses anything hitherto known in history."
At the end of 1855, Austria demanded that St. Petersburg conclude an armistice on the terms of the allies, otherwise threatening war. Sweden also joined the alliance between England and France. All this prompted Alexander II to peace negotiations, which took place in Paris (1856), where representatives of seven powers (Russia -VS- France, Austria, England, Prussia, Sardinia and Turkey) gathered. The main terms of the contract were as follows: navigation on the Black Sea and Danube is open to all merchant ships; the entrance to the Black Sea, Bosphorus and Dardanelles is closed to warships. Russia and Turkey, by mutual agreement, maintain an equal number of ships in the Black Sea.
Russia returned to Sevastopol in exchange for Kars, and the lands at the mouth of the Danube were transferred to the Moldavian principality. Russia was forbidden to have a military fleet on the Black Sea (this limitation of Russia's naval forces on the Black Sea - was eliminated by Alexander II in 1870). Christians in Turkey are compared in rights with Muslims, and the Danube principalities come under the general protectorate of Europe.
Why the allies who have not achieved success anywhere, with the exception of Crimea (returned by the end of the peace), have appointed themselves the winners, I understand. But why our historians forget about the glorious victories in the Baltic, White, Barents Seas and the Pacific Ocean remains a mystery to me. In any case, the reader has the opportunity to form his own opinion about this unknown world war and its results.
Monument to the coastal battery.
I recommend as a logical continuation of the material: Who are they - the true masters of the Far East?