Crimean War.

We have the countries all set up. We are ready to start. I couldn't tell how large Russia or Turkey should be to start so T. colored until he got tired. I will have Rob look that up when he is home for T. to see the right size. Below is our map. Flags are our men.Ottoman Turks (Muslims) ruled over the land of the Palestine (Christian holy places) The red on the map is the Turkish Empire. The picture standing up is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. T. put a British and French flag next to the church to show that the ruler of Turkey gave them permission to take care of the holy places in Palestine.
Nicholas I (Russian ruler) wanted to control Constantinople so he could sail ships through the Black sea into the Mediterranean. Below are tiny pictures of Russian warships (what Nicolas wanted to do).
Nicholas I went to meet with Queen Victoria and tried to get her to join him in fighting the Turks. She thought he had an uncivilized mind and wouldn't join him. The British thought the Russians were wild and savage (T.'s favorite part of the war).


Louis-Philippe (king of France) went to see Queen Victoria. She was pleased with him.



Russian and French Christians argued with each other over who should protect the Church of the Nativity. Picture below is showing the church again.

Nicholas didn't want the French to to protect the church so his men marched down and attacked the Turkish Empire.

Then the French and the British attacked the Russians. Lots of time was spent fighting at the Crimean Peninsula so they called it Crimean war. The British made a horrible mistake during the war it became famous with the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Nicolas I heard that his son Alexander fired a general. He got so angry over this he had a stroke and died. Reading that has made T. think about anger. He told me that he is going to try not to get angry anymore. Nicolas I is laying down in the picture to show he died. LOL!
French captured Sevastopol. Alexander (Nicholas's son) lost lots of men and needed to give up fighting. He signed a peach treaty. The Peace of Paris said Russia would have Sevastopol back after returning the Turks land to them. Russia also had to promise not to have warships in the black sea.

That is our history for the day! T. now knows the story and I feel much better as his teacher. He can now write about it or tell his Dad the story. He didn't label everything on the large map yet. I will make sure he does and we can move ahead in history. I am amazed with how much history I didn't learn in school. When I started reading the story I thought the war was going to start because Muslims wouldn't let Christians go visit holy places. I was surprised when I read it was Christians arguing with each other for keys to a church that started it. Nice thing about homeschooling is I get to learn myself everyday!