The Map and Geospatial Hub is excited to announce the beginning of our new Map of the Month series where we will highlight a unique map in our collection at the end of each month. Our first featured Map of the Month is a historic map of the Crimean War titled Seat of War, published in 1854 by G.S. Wells.
The Crimean War (1853-1856) was fought mainly in the Crimean Peninsula between the Russian Empire and the allied forces of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and France. The main cause of the war was a conflict over the rights of different sects of Christians in the Holy Land, then part of the Ottoman Empire. After negotiations mediated by Britain between Russia and France failed, Russia invaded and occupied the Danubian Principalities, an Ottoman tributary state. The Ottomans- with support from Britain and France- declared war on Russia. The Crimean War is regarded as one of Russia’s greatest military defeats and was one of the factors that led the Russian Empire to begin to modernize in response to the more advanced technology of Western Europe.
Seat of War depicts Eastern Europe as it was during the Crimean War, including an insert of the plans for the Siege of Sebastopol. Sebastopol (modern day Sevastopol) was the heart of Russia’s black sea fleet, and thus a prime target for the allied forces. The Siege of Sebastopol lasted from October 1854 to September 1855. Some of the war’s most renowned battles occurred during the siege and eventually the Russian forces were overwhelmed and forced to retreat. The loss of Sebastopol is largely considered to have been the precursor to Russia’s loss a year later. G.S. Wells’ inclusion of a depiction of the plans gave the public new insight into the siege and how it was carried out.
The American people were particularly interested in the Crimean War and their interest led to the publication of American-made maps of the conflict like Seat of War. Wells first published the map in 1854, but went on to include a copy of it in his book titled The Battles of the Crimea in 1855. The book sold well due to the rising public interest, and Seat of War was frequently marketed as one of its highlights given its detail, accuracy, and additional depiction of the siege plans.
We hope you enjoyed this look at our first Map of the Month. If you would like to get a high resolution scan of the map or schedule an appointment to explore the collection in person, please submit a service request to the Map and Geospatial Hub.
-Kelsey Kerley, Map and GIS Assistant