Origin of the Crimean War--Russia and “the Sick Man”--Coercing Turkey--The Dispute about the Holy Places--A Monkish Quarrel--Contradictory Concessions--The Czar and the Tory Ministry of 1844--The Secret Compact with Peel, Wellington, and Aberdeen--Nesselrode’s Secret Memorandum--The Czar and Sir Hamilton Seymour--Lord John Russell’s Admissions--The Czar’s Bewilderment--Lord Stratford de Redcliffe--The Marplot at Constantinople--A Hectoring Russian Envoy--The Allied Fleets at Besika Bay--The Conference of Vienna--The Vienna Note--The Turkish Modifications--The Case for England--The British Fleet in the Euxine--A Caustic Letter of the Queen to Lord Aberdeen--Prince Albert’s Warnings--The Massacre of Sinope--Internal Feuds in the Cabinet--Lord John Russell’s Intrigues--Palmerston’s Resignation and Return--The Fire at Windsor--Birth of Prince Leopold--The Camp at Chobham--The Czar’s Daughters--Naval Review at Spithead--Royal Visit to Ireland 540 CHAPTER XXX. WAR. The War Fever in 1854--Attacks on Prince Albert--Aberdeen’s Correspondence with the Queen--The Queen’s Opinion of the Country--“Loyal, but a little mad”--Stockmar on the Constitution--Prince Albert’s Position at Court--The Privileges of a Reigning Queen’s Husband--Debates on the Prince’s Position--The Peace and War Parties--Mr. Cobden’s Influence--A new Vienna Note--A Challenge to Russia--The Russian Ambassador leaves London--Recall of Sir H. Seymour from St. Petersburg--Russian Intrigues with the German Powers--The Czar’s Counter-Propositions--His Sarcastic Letter to Napoleon III.--An Austrian Compromise--Lord Clarendon’s _Ultimatum_ to Russia--The Czar’s Reply--Declaration of War--Omar Pasha’s Victories in the Principalities--The Siege of Silistria--Evacuation of the Principalities--The Rising in Greece--The Allies at the Piræus--The Allies occupy Gallipoli--Another English Blunder--Invasion of the Crimea--The Duke of Newcastle and a Sleepy Cabinet--Lord Raglan’s Opinion on the War--The Landing of the Allies at Eupatoria--Battle of the Alma--Russian Fleet Sunk at Sebastopol--At Balaclava--Death of Marshal St. Arnaud--The Siege of Sebastopol--Battles of Balaclava and Inkermann--Mismanagement of the War--Public Indignation against the Government--Mr. Roebuck’s Motion--Fall of the Coalition Ministry 574 CHAPTER XXXI. PARTY GOVERNMENT AND WAR.