Thin Red Line (Battle of Balaclava) 1854
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 25 October 1854 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1854 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Ukraine | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Battle of Balaclava | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Ottoman Empire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 44.5230, 33.5986 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Thin Red Line described an episode of the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. In the incident, around 500 men of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders led by Sir Colin Campbell, aided by a small force of 100 walking wounded, 40 detached Guardsmen, and supported by a substantial force of Turkish infantrymen, formed a line of fire against the Russian cavalry. Previously, Campbell's Highland Brigade had taken part in actions at the Battle of Alma and the Siege of Sevastopol. There were more Victoria Crosses presented to the Highland soldiers at that time than at any other. The event was lionised in the British press and became an icon of the qualities of the British soldier in a war that was arguably poorly managed and increasingly unpopular.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Thin Red Line (Battle of Balaclava) (revision 1370750269), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Charge of the Light Brigade 1854 · 3 km
- Battle of Balaclava 1854 · 6 km
- Battle of Inkerman 1854 · 7 km
- Battle of Malakoff 1855 · 10 km
- Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) 1941 · 10 km
- Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) 1854 · 12 km
Other battles of the Battle of Balaclava
Browse more: battles in Ukraine · Europe · 19th century battles