Sebastopol (cannon)
Encyclopedia
Sebastopol was the name of a huge mortar
commissioned by the Ethiopian
Emperor
Tewodros II
. The name derived from that of the Crimean town Sevastopol
, the site of a battle during the Crimean War
.
Sebastopol was large, weighing approximately 6.7 tons, and capable of firing off half-ton artillery. Tewodros, hoping to speed up his country's so called "Industrial revolution", captured British
officials so as to coerce more technological help out of England. England eventually attacked Ethiopia because of this, and Sebastopol did very little good; it is not certain whether it was even fired at the Battle of Magdala
. Despite Emperor Tewodros' efforts, the gun did not stop his opponents; Tewodros took his own life and the British subjects he held prisoner on Magdala
were freed. The mortar may be seen to this day, half-buried in the ground, near Amba Mariam
.
The cannon is mentioned in the novel Flashman on the March
, by George MacDonald Fraser
.
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
commissioned by the Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Tewodros II
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
. The name derived from that of the Crimean town Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
, the site of a battle during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
Sebastopol was large, weighing approximately 6.7 tons, and capable of firing off half-ton artillery. Tewodros, hoping to speed up his country's so called "Industrial revolution", captured British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
officials so as to coerce more technological help out of England. England eventually attacked Ethiopia because of this, and Sebastopol did very little good; it is not certain whether it was even fired at the Battle of Magdala
Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...
. Despite Emperor Tewodros' efforts, the gun did not stop his opponents; Tewodros took his own life and the British subjects he held prisoner on Magdala
Amba Mariam
Amba Mariam is a village in central Ethiopia. It was known as Magdala or Meqdela during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia...
were freed. The mortar may be seen to this day, half-buried in the ground, near Amba Mariam
Amba Mariam
Amba Mariam is a village in central Ethiopia. It was known as Magdala or Meqdela during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia...
.
The cannon is mentioned in the novel Flashman on the March
Flashman on the March
Flashman on the March is a 2005 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the twelfth and last Flashman novel.-Plot introduction:As in all of Fraser's Flashman novels, the story is presented as part of the Flashman Papers, supposedly written by Sir Harry Flashman, the villain of Tom Brown's Schooldays...
, by George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
.