The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-11
WARS OF THE SECOND EMPIRE.

WARS OF THE SECOND EMPIREs
The Foreign Conflicts In Which Napoleon III
Has Engaged-The Urimea, Italy, China, and
Mexico.
The present French Emperor, conscious pro-
bably of a deficiency in military genius in COM
parison [with the First Napoleon, has for the
most part refrained from appearing before the
world as an actual leader of armies. Notwith-
standing, however, that his most brilliant sue
cesses have been in the capacity of diplomatist
he has been anxious to crafty the French love
for glory and to consolidate his own power [by
waging successful war against foreign enc
mics. If the Emperor has obtained
for himself no celebrity as a general, it cannot
be denied that the record of the French armies
during his reign has been brilliant one. The
manner in which he was forced to withdraw his
troops from Mexico at the bidding of the United
States was the first serious loss of prestige that
he sustained, and it was looked upon as practi-
cally defeat, although no armed force was
brought into the field to support Mr.. Stewards
diplomacy.
The CrImean War.
When Napoleon III assumed the imperial pur-
pie it was necessary for him to make himself
both feared and respected at home and abroad
by proving that he was no unworthy successor
to his great uncle The attack of Russia upon
Turkey soon gave him the opportunity he de-
sired and in the war which ensued France
managed to drag England into the contest, but
secured for herself pretty much all the honors.
This war was brought about by the cunning
management of Napoleon, who was anxious to
make French influence predominant in the East,
and at the same time to engage in contest that
would afford opportunities for gratifying the
thirst for military glory of the French people.
He began a dispute with the Emperor Nicholas
about the guardianship of the holy places at
Jerusalem, and succeeded in exciting that
monarch to the. fighting point. Then he aban-
doned so much of his claim as was sufficient to
appease the jealousy of England and to ex-
cite her against Russia. The Russian
Emperor, led on by these maneuvres,
commenced an attack upon Turkey, and Napo-
leon, by consummatipg an alliance with England,
obtained the position and recognition as lead
ing sovereign of Europe that he desired. The
war between Russia and the two allied Western
powers broke out in 1854, and on the 14th of Sep
tember the allied armies affected landing at the
bay of Eupatoria, in the Crimean peninsula, and
commenced to march upon Sebastopol. Upon
the banks, of the river Alma they
were met by the Russian army, under the COM
mand of Prince Mentschikoff, and on the Goth
of September a bloody battle ensued, in which
the Russians were totally defeated. On the
25th of September Balaklava was seized
by the British troops, and on
the 9Th of October the southern section of
Sebastopol was regularly besieged, the northern
part of the city being beyond the reach of the
allies owing to the entrance of the harbor having
been rendered inaccessible by sunken vessels.
The Russians were badly routed at the battles
of Balakava and Inkermann on October 25 and
November 5, and afterwards they mostly con-
fined themselves to the defense of the city. II
was at the battle Of lnkermann that the French
troops under Canrobert won special distinction.
In this fight BOIL Russians were killed and 5997
wounded. The English loss was 462 killed and
2143 wounded, and the French loss 3S9 killed
and 1887 wounded.
During the siege the Russians made frequent
sorties, and some of the contests which ensued
frem these were of sufficient magnitude to war
rant being designated regular battles.
Among the most prominent of these incidental
fights were brilliant but unsuccessful attack by
the French upon a new redoubt: their first
assault upon the Malakoff and Redan, June 18,
1855, and the battle of the Tchernaya, August 10,
in which the Russians with $4,000 infantry and
5000 cavalry made desperate effort TO cripple
the enemy. The trenches having been advanced
close enough, the final lombard
ment commenced on the 5th OF
September and was continued for three days,
The Malakoff and Redan were stormed on Sep
tember 8, and captured after a tremendous
struggle, and Sebastopol was at the mercy OF
the allies. With the conclusion of the siege OF
Sebastopol the war with Russia virtually ended
and the French Emperor found himself recog-
nized as the leader of European politics
The Italian War.
Having humbled Russia, Napoleon III nexi
turned his attention to Austria, and he deter
mined TO aid in establishing an Italian kingdom
which would be the natural ally of France and
a perpetual barrier against the extension OF
Austrian influence and power TO the south.
few remarks addressed to the Austrian Ambas
sador by the French Emperor on NewYear,
day, 1859, informed the world of his intention
TO interfere between Austria and Italy, and 81
soon as hostilities were publicly determined
upon, the Italians were assured that the coming
contest did not mean for them merely change
of masters, but free and united Italy under
liberal and progressive government. The quar-
| rel In ite jnciDieucV was between Austria an(