Balaclava, battle of
Balaclava, battle of, 1854. On 25 October 1854 the Russian commander in the Crimea, Menshikov, attempted to lift the siege of Sebastopol by attacking with 25,000 troops towards the British base at Balaclava. The ‘thin red line’ of 93rd Highlanders repulsed a charge by Russian cavalry. This was followed by a successful attack on the main body of the Russian horse by the numerically inferior British heavy [cavalry] brigade and by the notorious Charge of the Light Brigade. The battle was a victory for the allies, commanded by Lord Raglan and General Canrobert, although the Russians retained the Causeway Heights.
Gary Sheffield
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Balaclava, battle of
