Sebastopol (cannon)

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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, let alone did any damage to the British. In any case, 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.

Sebastopol is mentioned in the novel Flashman on the March, by George MacDonald Fraser.