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48,000 shells in 2 Hours: Why Was Acre Attacked in 1840?

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In November 1840, a British naval squadron unleashed one of the most devastating bombardments in military history against the ancient fortress of Acre. 

In just over two hours, Admiral Sir Robert Stopford's fleet fired 48,000 shells, reducing walls that had withstood Napoleon himself to rubble and killing over 1,000 defenders in a single magazine explosion.

But why were British warships attacking this Syrian coastal fortress? The answer lies in the Oriental Crisis of 1840 - a forgotten conflict that nearly dismembered the Ottoman Empire and reshaped the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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