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1853 - The Crimean War
1853 saw the start of the Crimean War, as Britain and France
went to help Turkey, who was threatened by Russia. This was
a bloody war that cost thousands of lives. The soldiers followed
their inexperienced and unskilled officers into the Battle
of Balaklava, the Battle of Inkerman and the Siege of Sebastopol.
Generally, the officers in charge held their position because
they were born in the upper social classes, not because they
understood how to make war. The result was disastrous - confusion
and death.
The Crimean War is usually remembered for the Charge of the
Light Brigade, which took place in 1854.
A mistake by the officers started the advance of 670 cavalry
against the cannons of the Russians. The horsemen had nowhere
to hide so the cannons just mowed them down.
They retreated while the Heavy Brigade defended them, but
only 195 of the 670 men of the Light Brigade returned to their
lines. The charge had taken only twenty minutes, but it would
be remembered for the poor leadership given by the officers
and the bravery of the men.
See Francis
Dickinson and George
Partington.
Fighting in the Crimea
In 1856, the British and their French allies won the war,
but politically nothing really changed - and the two countries
which had started the war, Turkey and Russia, were at war
again twenty years later.
The only real good to come out of the Crimean war arose from
the actions of Florence Nightingale. The conditions for the
soldiers were terrible. They were poorly equipped, ill and
badly fed.
During the winter of 1854 the army was losing nearly 1,000
soldiers a week due to sickness. The army of January 1855
had 20,400 men fit for duty and 16,200 sick. In fact, more
British soldiers died from cholera and starvation than were
killed in battle.
Florence Nightingale wanted desperately to improve things.
Despite huge official opposition she reformed the way the
army hospitals were run and invented the nursing profession.
The part that Florence Nightingale and her nurses played
in this war started to change attitudes towards women and
women's work. It was one of the steps which would eventually
lead to political and social change at home.
Florence Nightingale
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Q10. War
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How do you think Sheffield was affected by the Crimean
war? |
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Yes, the steel industry fed the demand for weapons,
and the town's grinders had many orders for swords
and bayonets.
During the earlier Napoleonic wars, France had
been the enemy and so it was very difficult for
Britain to trade with the continent. However, in
the Crimean war France and Britain were allies so
trade did not suffer. Try again.
All of Britain followed the progress of the war
through newspapers. Sheffield had had newspapers
for 100 years by this time and the Sheffield Daily
Telegraph started circulation in 1853. Try again.
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