The plan was this : the Allies were to form three armies. One was to continue to guard the trenches and push the siege. Another, under Lord Raglan, was to assemble in the valley of Baidar (east of Balaklava), and to push its advanced posts towards Bakshisarai. The third, under Louis Napoleon himself, or a general appointed by him, composed of troops taken from before Sebastopol, and the reserves from Constantinople, was to be landed at Aloushta, on the south-eastern face of the peninsula, nearly in point of latitude abreast of Bakshisarai. This last army was to march, over a pass of the Tchatir-dagh Mountain, upon Simpheropol. Should the Russians concentrate on that point for the defence of their central depot of supply, Lord Raglan, moving on Bakshisarai, was to combine his action with that of the other army by threatening the Russian right or rear. But should the enemy, abandoning Simpheropol, concentrate in the neighbourhood of Sebastopol, the French Army from Simpheropol would advance upon it by Bakshisarai, while Lord Raglan, in concert, would attack the heights of Mackenzie's Farm. The Russian army, if defeated, would be driven off the line of communication, the Allies would sever it, and Sebastopol, deprived of supplies and of reinforcements, must speedily surrender.
The Emperor's determination to proceed himself to the Crimea, and undertake the conduct of a plan of this kind, was announced, in a letter he wrote to Lord Palmerston, on the 26th February. The reason he put forward for desiring to go himself was the necessity
22O Lord Clarendon sent to dissuade Him.
of placing over all the Allied Forces a chief whose influence would secure unity of command. "You will tell me, perhaps," the letter said, " that I might entrust some general with this mission. Now, not only would such a general not have the same moral influence, but time would be wasted, as it always has been, in memorandums between Canrobert and Lord Raglan, between Lord Raglan and Omar Pasha." If England would find ships for the necessary transport animals, he would find the additional men required for the enterprise.
This proposal not only startled our Government, but filled it with dismay. But it was felt to be a difficult matter to argue against a scheme which had taken such strong possession of his mind. It happened that he was about to visit the camp at Boulogne ; and the opportunity was taken to send Lord Clarendon thither to discuss the matter with the Emperor in person. It was a momentous crisis in the alliance ; for in the absence of the chief of the State, the gravest attempts to subvert his authority were to be feared in Paris, where, moreover, the spirit which supported the war, always feeble, might die out without him ; while, on the other hand, a failure, or even a check, in his operations in the field might be fatal to power resting on such foundations as supported his. Moreover, it was strongly impressed on Lord Clarendon that the Emperor was (as the Prince Consort's diary records) " entirely mistaken in the belief that his going to Sebastopol would be popular with the Army generally, or that he would even be well received by the troops in the
The Emperor visits the Queen. 2 2 1
Crimea. They adhered to him as Emperor, but did not like to be commanded by anyone but a professional man, and they looked upon him as a civilian."
Louis Napoleon received Lord Clarendon very cordially, and explained his plan of operations, to which, as a problem of strategy, the trained diplomatist made no brusque opposition, but at once assured him that everyone to whom it had been made known was impressed with its sagacity. Where it was open to question, he said, was in the means for executing it. These were then discussed at large ; delays were inevitable ; if the Emperor were to go at once, he might be detained there much longer than he expected ; and it was suggested, as a fresh difficulty, that the English and Turks would view his assumption of the supreme command as promising to confer on the French the chief share of credit in the new campaign. Lord Clarendon was so far successful as to induce him at least to postpone his departure.