Friedrich Engels

Alma

Written between 11 July and 10 August 1857.

From the English.

["The New American Cyclopædia", Volume I]

Alma — a small river in the Crimea, which flows from the heights near Bakhchysarai in a westerly direction and empties into the Kalamita Bay, between Eupatoria and Sevastopol. The southern bank of this river, which rises very steeply in the area of the mouth and commands the whole opposite bank, was chosen during the late Russo-Turkish war by Prince Menshikov as a defensive position from which he intended to meet the attack of the allied armies that had just landed in the Crimea.

The forces under his command comprised 42 battalions, 16 squadrons, 1,100 Cossacks and 96 guns, in all 35,000 men. The Allies landed on 14 September 1854 a little north of the Alma, 28,000 French (4 divisions), 28,000 English (5 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division) and 6,000 Turks. Their artillery was exactly as numerous as that of the Russians, consisting of 72 French and 24 English guns. The Russian position was apparently fairly strong, but in reality presented many weak points. Its front extended nearly 5 miles, much too long for the small number of troops at Menshikov’s disposal. The right wing was completely uncovered, while the left (as the fire of the allied fleets commanded the coast) could not extend the position to the sea and therefore suffered from the same defect. The allied plan was based upon these facts. The Russian front was to be engaged by feint attacks, while the French, covered by the 5 fleet units, were to turn the Russian left wing and the English, protected by their cavalry, were to envelop the right wing.

On the 20th the attack took place. It was to be carried out at daybreak, but owing to the slow movements of the English, the French could not venture to cross the river before that time.

On the extreme French right, Bosquet’s division crossed the river, which was shallow almost everywhere, and climbed the steep heights of the south bank without encountering the slightest resistance. With great difficulty they also succeeded in bringing 12 guns up onto the plateau. On Bosquet’s left, Canrobert brought his division across the river, and it began to deploy on the plateau, while Prince Napoleon’s division cleared the gardens, vineyards and houses of the village of Alma-Tamak of the Russian skirmishers. To all these attacks, which were carried out with 29 battalions, Menshikov opposed in his first and second line only 9 battalions, to whose support another 7 soon arrived. These 16 battalions, supported by 40 guns and 4 hussar squadrons, had to bear the brunt of the French attack, which was conducted with far superior forces and was soon reinforced by the remaining 9 battalions of Forey’s division. Thus all of Saint-Arnaud’s troops were committed, with the exception of the Turks, who remained in reserve. The outcome could not long remain in doubt. The Russians slowly gave way and retired, as well as they could, in good order.

Meanwhile the English had begun their attack. At about 4 o’clock the fire of Bosquet’s guns from the height of the plateau upon the left wing of the Russian position had shown that the battle was in full swing; about an hour later the English line of skirmishers attacked the Russian skirmishers. The English had abandoned the plan of enveloping the Russian right wing, because the Russian cavalry, which without the Cossacks was twice as strong as the British, covered that wing so well that it even threatened the English left wing. Lord Raglan therefore decided to attack the Russians before him frontally. He launched himself upon their centre with Brown’s light division and Evans’ division in the first line; the two divisions of the Duke of Cambridge and General England formed the second line, while the reserve (Cathcart’s division), supported by the cavalry, followed behind the left wing. The first line deployed, attacked two villages in its front, and crossed the Alma after having driven out the Russians. Here the reports diverge. The English confidently maintain that their light division had reached the breastwork behind which the Russians had posted their heavy artillery, but was then repulsed. The Russians declare that the light division never actually crossed the river, let alone climbed the steep slope on which this breastwork had been erected. In any case, the second line followed close behind the first, deployed, had to form columns again in order to cross the Alma and ascend the heights; it then deployed once more and attacked after a few volleys. It was particularly the Duke of Cambridge’s division (Guards and Highlanders) that came to the assistance of the light division. Although Evans advanced slowly, he was not repulsed, so that England’s division operating in his rear could hardly support him. The breastwork was taken by the Guards and Highlanders, and the Russians abandoned the position after a short but severe fight. Eighteen Russian battalions faced the same number of English battalions here, and if each English battalion was 50 men stronger than a Russian one, the Russians fully made up for this by their superior artillery and the strength of their position. The English infantry fire, however, generally known to be very murderous, was so on this occasion in particular. Most of the troops engaged were armed with the Minié rifle, and its bullets, whose penetration killed whole ranks at once, had an extremely devastating effect in the deep Russian columns. The Russians, having committed all their infantry except 6 battalions and having no hope of stemming the advancing flood, broke off the battle, with the cavalry and light artillery together with the small infantry reserve covering the unhindered retreat. The English fought decidedly better in this battle than all the other troops, but they did so in their usual cumbersome manner of manoeuvring, deploying, forming columns and deploying again, under enemy fire, which was completely unnecessary and cost them both time and human lives. The success of this battle for the Allies was the undisputed possession of the open territory of the Crimea and, so long as the Russians remained without reinforcements, also of access to the road to Sevastopol. The first advantage brought the Allies nothing, but they took advantage of the second without delay.