THE BATTLE OF OLTENIŢA
4 NOVEMBER 1853
- 8,000 Ottomans v 6,000 Russians
- Killed: 30 Ottomans, 600-700 Russians
The war's first military engagement came several months before Britain and France Joined the hostilities. Near the village of Olteniţa in the region of Wallaehia (now part of Romania), the Ottomans established fortified positions on the banks of the River Danube, ready to defend their territory against the steadily advancing Russians under the command of General Peter Dannenberg.
As his troops approached these defences, Dannenberg moved his infantrymen to the front. However, despite some of them managing to breach the fortifications’ moat, the Russians suffered heavy losses and were recalled, clearly unprepared for the level of artillery required to destabilise the Ottomans’ defences. Perhaps surprisingly, the Ottomans didn't pursue the retreating Russians, content to have merely contained the opening battle of what would be a drawn-out war. But while not a crucial victory militarily, Olteniţa's impact was more to do with psychology and morale.
THE BATTLE OF SINOP
30 NOVEMBER 1853
- 12 Ottoman ships v 11 Russian ships
- Killed: 3,000 Ottomans, 37 Russians
Less than a month after Russian progress on land had been derailed at Olteniţa, the first
