title: The Skirmish at Halkokari: Gamla Karleby/Kokkola – 7 June, 1854
abstract: In March 1854, France and Britain allied themselves with the Ottoman Empire, firstly, attempting to contain Russian troops in the Danubian principalities, and secondly transferring the conflict to the Crimea. Finally the allied powers decided to open a maritime front in the Baltic, threatening the capital of the Russian empire, putting pressure on the Czar’s government and blocking Cronstadt, St Petersburg’s port of defence. But they rapidly had a reality check: it was impossible to destroy Cron