Siege of Calafat

Siege of Calafat
French cartoon mocking the Russians, published by Le Charivari.
Date February - May 1854 Location Calafat, Principality of Wallachia, Ottoman Empire Result Russians withdraw
Belligerents
Russian Empire	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Joseph Carl von Anrep	Ahmed Pasha
Strength
40,000	30,000
Casualties and losses
20,000	12,000

The Siege of Calafat took place in 1854 during the Crimean War. Ottoman troops crossed the Danube river in the summer of 1853 and occupied Calafat. The Russians counterattacked and after the battle at Cetate the Russian forces advanced and besieged Calafat for 4 months before withdrawing. The Russians suffered heavy losses from disease and frontal attacks. The Turks were led by Ahmed Pasha, the Russians by General Joseph Carl von Anrep.

Sources

• Tony Jaques, Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), 184.