Throughout the 1700s and 1800s and starting with Peter the Great, Russia reached southward to annex countries in the Middle East, most notably Iran and Turkey. Three wars between the years 1804 and 1827 alone were fought between Russia and Iran, resulting in the addition of Georgia and Azerbaijan to the Russian empire. Attempts to take Turkey, under the guise of protecting it, were halted because the Turks, with British and French help, were able to defend their country. Turkey lies on the south shore of the Black Sea. Just over 100 miles north, across the water, is the Crimean Peninsula, a natural launching point for Russian ships to invade Turkey, if only Russia could maintain control of it. From October of 1853 to February of 1856, British, French, and Turkish troops fought the Crimean War for dominance of the peninsula. France and Britain wanted to keep Russia from progressing to...