A failed British assault on the Great Redan during the Siege of Sevastopol, contrasting with the decisive French capture of the Malakoff that ended the siege.
Key Facts
- War
- Crimean War
- First assault date
- 18 June 1855
- Second assault date
- 8 September 1855
- Siege duration
- Approximately eleven months
- British objective
- Great Redan (Third Bastion)
- French objective
- Malakoff redoubt
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the prolonged Siege of Sevastopol, Allied forces coordinated a dual assault to break Russian defenses. The British were assigned the Great Redan to the south, while the French targeted the strategically critical Malakoff redoubt. Two major British attacks were planned, the first on 18 June and a second on 8 September 1855, as part of a synchronized Allied offensive to capture the city.
On 8 September 1855, British forces launched a direct assault on the Great Redan fortification while French troops simultaneously attacked the Malakoff redoubt. The French successfully stormed and captured the Malakoff after an eleven-month siege. The British assault on the Great Redan, however, was repulsed by Russian defenders, resulting in a failed attack despite considerable effort over both assaults.
The French capture of the Malakoff proved decisive, rendering the British failure at the Great Redan strategically moot, as Malakoff was the more critical position. With the Malakoff lost, Russian forces evacuated Sevastopol, effectively ending the siege. Contemporary observers noted that the Great Redan, while symbolically important to Victorian Britain, was not the key to taking Sevastopol.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent