Crimean Issue
  
Introduction A.S. Caton
Alma Despatches Letters
Balaclava Despatches Letters
Inkerman Despatches letters  Sebastopol Despatches letters

The immediate cause of the Crimean War (one might say the pretext) was a trivial argument over three sets of keys to the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a dispute between the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox Churches.

The Tsar of Russia was a staunch upholder of the Greek Ortho-dox faith, while the Roman Catholic cause was cham-pioned by Louis Napoleon of France. Louise needed to consolidate his position as Emperor, and the best way to achieve these ends was a successful war.

If he could defeat the Russians his future would be assured. He would in one move prove to his people that he was a better leader than Napoleon I, and also exact vengeance for the defeats of 1812, both of which would be extremely popular with the French.

Using the obscure matter of the keys to the Holy Places as his grounds he instructed his ambassador in Constantinople  to  make  demands  upon  the  Turkish

government to allow Catholics more ready access to these shrines. This was done in the sure knowledge that any interference in the Holy Places would incur the displeasure of the Tsar, who would immediately make demands that the existing state of affairs should

remain to the favour of the Greek Orthodox worshippers who were, after all, in the majority. Once this occurred it would be a simple matter to fan the Turks inherent hostility to Russia into an outright defiance and so precipitate the war that Louis desired.

Tsar Nicholas sent two army corps to the Turkish borders. This caused alarm to the British, for if Russia occupied Turkey, the Mediterranean and the route to India and the Far East would be open to them.