The Crimean War was a conflict pitting the Russian Empire against an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France, and Piedmont-Sardinia.

The long-term cause was the 'Eastern Question,' concerning the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the ambitions of other powers in the region.

The immediate cause was a dispute over the rights of Christian minorities in the Holy Land.

Britain and France entered the war primarily to curb Russian expansionism and maintain the balance of power.

The war was notable for its military and logistical incompetence on all sides.

Most of the fighting took place on the Crimean Peninsula, with the long Siege of Sevastopol being the main engagement.

It was one of the first wars to be documented by war correspondents and photographers, bringing the realities of the conflict home to the public.

The work of Florence Nightingale during the war exposed the terrible sanitary conditions in military hospitals and led to the birth of modern nursing.

The war ended in a Russian defeat, which temporarily halted its expansion into the Balkans.

The conflict shattered the 'Concert of Europe' that had maintained peace since 1815, paving the way for the unification of Italy and Germany.