Editing Battle of the Chernaya (section)

==Planning==
The battle was planned as an offensive by the Russians with the aim of forcing the Allied forces (French, British, Piedmontese, and Ottoman{{sfnp| Kozelsky |2019|p=153}}) to retreat and abandon their [[Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855)|siege of Sevastopol]]. Tsar [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander II]] had ordered his commander in chief in the Crimea, [[Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov|Prince Michael Gorchakov]] to attack the besieging forces before they were reinforced further.
<br>The Russian generals prepared a massive force: a 47,000-strong infantry, supported by a 10,000-strong cavalry, which were organized in 6 divisions: the IV, the V, the VI, the VII, the XII, the XVII, together with another division, the II, in reserve.<br>
The Tsar hoped that by gaining a victory, he could force a more favorable resolution to the conflict. Gorchakov did not think that an attack would be successful but believed the greatest chance of success to be near the French and Piedmontese positions on the Chernaya River. The Tsar ordered the hesitating Gorchakov to hold a war council to plan the attack. The attack was planned for the morning of August 16 in the hope to surprise the French and Piedmontese as they had just celebrated the Feast day of the Emperor (France) and [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption Day]] (Piedmontese). The Russians hoped that because of these feasts the enemy would be tired and less attentive to the Russians.{{sfnp|Figes|2010|pp=380-381}}