The crimean war 1954-56

What religious reason caused the Crimean War?

France declared themselves the protectors of the Catholic Church and they therefore wanted to seize control of churches in the Ottoman Empire that were currently under Russian control

What other factors played into the start of the Crimean War other than the religious reasoning?

Britain feared Russia's expansionism which could have threatened their naval superiority, Napoleon III wanted to destroy 1815 peace settlement by weakening Russia, Tsar Nicolas I ordered advance into Ottoman provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia, division in Britain's parliament between pro and anti-war

Describe the relationship between France and Britain up until this point

The possibility of an Anglo-French War was very real between 1851 and 1853, ironically the Royal Navy had been strengthened in order to attack the French

Where did the Russian fleet destroy the Ottomans in November 1853?

Sinope

When did Britain declare war on Russia?

28th March 1854

How big was the British Army that sailed for Crimea in September 1854?

26,000

Why was there little governmental change in the army?

Because they were previously successful and therefore they didn't need to change

Who called for military reform before the war started?

Wellington

How had the army budget reduced in the 1840s?

1815 it was £43 million and in 1840 it was £9.5 million

Who was the commander of the British troops in Crimea?

Raglan

Discuss the issue of age in the command system of the army

Only one commander was under 60 and it was the Duke of Cambridge who had never seen action before

Why did the army have trouble recruiting?

The army was overcrowded, poor pay, poor treatment, punishment

What was the basic wage for a soldier?

1s per day

What weapon gave British soldiers the advantage against the Russians?

The Minié Rifle

Compare the sizes of the British, French and Russian forces

Britain = 115,000. French = 120,000. Russia = 1 million

What was the difference between the projected and actual sizes of the army of the Ottoman Empire?

Projected = 700,000. Real = 350,000

How many British and French troops landed in Sebastopol in September 1854?

63,000

Who was the opposing commander at Sebastopol in September 1854?

Prince Menshikov

What did St. Arnaud and Raglan argue about early on in the war?

Raglan believed that St. Arnaud underestimated the Russians

What was the role of the Light Division in the battle of Alma?

They crossed the Alma and captured the Great Redoubt but then they fell back

What did Lucan and Raglan disagree on?

Lucan wanted the cavalry to pursue the fleeing Russians, Raglan didn't

How many men died for Britain and Russia at the Battle of Alma?

Russia lost 5,700 and Britain lost 1,500

What were the weaknesses of British troops at the Battle of Alma?

Officers provided poor leadership and troops were untrained

When did they advance on Sebastopol following Alma?

23rd September 1854

Where did they enter on 26th September?

Balaclava

The stand of the 93rd Foot was also known as what?

The thin red line

Who led the 93rd Foot?

Sir Colin Campbell

What position change did Campbell employ to make his thin red line in balaclava effective, that mirrored wellington’s tactics?

Moved them from a reverse slope of hill to the top of the hill in two ranks

How many highlanders were there in the 93rd Foot?

500

How successful were Russian attempts to break the thin red line?

Not successful had two failed assaults

How many men were in the Heavy Brigade?

800

Who commanded the Heavy Brigade?

Scarlett

Who ordered the Heavy Brigade to support the Highlanders?

Lucan

Explain the poor communication int he Charge of the Light Brigade

Raglan wanted Lucan to stop advancing Russian troops, Raglan told Nolan to tell Lucan to send in Cardigan's cavalry, cardigan unsure of attacking, Lucan insisted Raglan told him they should attack

What leadership changes preceded the Charge of the Light Brigade?

Lucan was replaced

What is the argument to blame Raglan for the Charge?

His order wasn't specific enough, made rash decisions

What is the argument to blame Nolan for the Charge?

Had strong bias against Lucan and Cardigan and he wanted them to fail, he was just a puppet and so didn't give Lucan an opinion on Raglan's decision

What is the argument to blame Lucan for the Charge?

Didn't communicate well with Cardigan and failed to provide cavalry support for the charge

Where did the Russians attack in November 1854?

Inkerman Ridge

Why was it hard to co-ordinate a serious attack in the Battle of Inkerman Ridge?

Soldiers were hidden by fog and rain

What was the turning point of the Battle of Inkerman Ridge?

French reinforcements

How many Russians were killed in the Battle of Inkerman Ridge?

12,000

What did Raglan warn the Duke of Newcastle about following the Battle of Inkerman Ridge?

The severity of then Crimean winter

And the duke replied that Crimean winters were among the mildest in the world

In what ways was the winter of 1854-5 terrible for the British Army?

Shortage of tents and firewood, 20 ships sunk carrying much needed supplies, Admiral Boxer's transport arrangements were inefficient, no-one knew which boxes contained what, consumables rotting in the open air, Russians controlled the Worontsov Road, cholera, scurvy, gangrene, typhus, typhoid and dysentery and overcrowded hospitals

Which medical problem was the most fatal for British soldiers?

Bowel and stomach infections (dysentery)

Who helped Britain's transport in January 1855 and what did he do?

Samuel Peto helped to lay a track from Balaclava to the port

How many were in the British Army by January 1855?

11,000

How many British soldiers were sick or wounded by early 1855?

23,000

How did they resolve administrative issues by the spring?

Provisions dropped off at separate depots so they could be identified, railway completed, Ottoman labour increased

What were the statistical improvements in hospitals in 1855?

January had 3000 patients, March had 1400 patients and April had 600 patients

Who joined the Anglo-French alliance in December 1854?

Austria

Why was the death of Nicholas good for Britain?

His successor did not have the same level of enthusiasm for the war

How many allied troops were there when the Russians tried to re-capture Sebastopol in March 1855?

175,000

What problems did the allies face when they tried to capture Sebastopol?

Sebastopol could be easily supplied to resist the allies, Sebastopol had strong defences

What problems did the Russians face when the Allies retried to capture Sebastopol?

Took 3 months to deliver supplies, bad administration, Russia was involved in other external wars therefore less focus on Crimea

What did the French capture on 7th June 1855?

Mamelon fortress

What did the French capture on 18th June 1855?

The Malakhov fortifications

Why was the invasion of Sebastopol a failure?

Allies lost 5,000 men, divisions widened, internal blaming

Why was Raglan a bad leader?

Used same methods as his predecessors, dreadful conditions caused by poor administration, unable to persuade the allies to attack at Sebastopol

When did Raglan die and what did he die of?

28th June 1855, died of dysentery

Who replaced Raglan?

Sir James Simpson

What happened at Russia's last attack?

60,000 Russians crossed River Chernya, beaten, Russians abandoned Sebastopol

Where did Nightingale train to be a nurse?

Germany

When did Nightingale set sail for the Crimea?

October 1854

Where was Nightingale based?

Scutari

Why did the transport limit the number of medical staff?

Raglan prioritised transporting soldiers rather than wasting space for medics

Why was Scutari hospital not an ideal place to treat the wounded?

Previously had been a barrack for the Turks and had hardly any clean water

What things did Nightingale do to improve the hospital in Scutari?

Cleaned the kitchen, improved the food, provided clean bedlinen, sent men with minor wounds to grow vegetables in the hospital grounds, recognised miasma

In what ways is Nightingale wrongly depicted?

She was a tough administrator, doctors alienated by her brusque approach, she was quick to criticise, caused a rancorous atmosphere, nurses accused of theft, drunkenness and immorality

Who did Nightingale have friendships with in positions of authority?

William Russell (journalist) and Sidney Herbert (government minister)

How much did the Times manage to fund to but medical supplies for Nightingale?

£30,000

What did Panmure (new minister for health) order?

The Sanitary Commission

What happened as a result of the Sanitary Commission?

Cespit cleared up, dead animals removed and improvement int he supply of medicines and hot water bottles

Which chef did Nightingale welcome to Scutari?

Alexis Soyer

Why was Soyer brought to the Crimea?

To improve the quality of food

What happened when Nightingale went to Balaclava?

She became ill

Who visited Nightingale on her death-bed?

Raglan

What nickname was Nightingale given?

The Angel of the Crimea

What inquiry was argued for in 1857?

The Royal Commission on the Health of the Army

When and where Mary seacole born?

1805 in Jamaica

What was Seacole trained to treat by her mother?

Cholera

Where did Secaole move to in the early 50s?

Panama

Why was Seacole asked to return to Jamaica?

There was an outbreak of yellow fever

After Seacole applied to the War Office was she allowed to go?

No

How did Seacole get to the Crimea?

She sailed on her own boat

What happened when Seacole asked to help Nightingale?

She got turned away

Who did Seacole set up the British hotel with after being turned away by Nightingale?

Thomas Day

When was the British Hotel opened?

Spring 1855

Why was the British hotel popular with soldiers?

Better quality food than rations and warm clothing and shoes were offered

In what ways was Seacole more hands-on than Nightingale?

Seacole treated soldiers on the battlefield

What did Nightingale say about Seacole?

She was very kind to the men and did some good and made made more drunk

What did Russell say about Seacole?

Warm and successful physician who cures all manner of men with extraordinary success

Why did literacy standards improve in Britain in the 19th century?

Sunday schools, workers basic education law, Public Libraries Act of 1850

By 1850, what percent of the British population were literate?

50%

How long did it take newspapers to be sent across Britain in the 1840s?

1 day

What was the main reason why people didn't read the newspaper?

It was too expensive

Who did William Russell work for?

The Times

What did William Russell tend to portray in his writing?

The horrors of the war, the soldiers perspective

How did William Howard Russell critique/compare Britain with France?

Made unfavourable comparisons with the British and french medical services, with the french being better equipt

Russell's description of which battle became the basis for a poem by Tennyson?

The Charge the Light Brigade