Crimean War 1854-56 Flashcards
What problems did the army face when they first arrived in the Crimea
. Very cold weather during winter
. British army did not have enough winter supplies, particularly warm clothing and accommodation
. Soldiers sent to the Crimea had summer clothes and lightweight tents
. Poor roads meant supplies did not always reach soldiers further inland
. Army failed to organise enough forage for transport animals
. Prince ship sank carrying lots of winter supplies as a result of a storm in November 1854
What issues were their with the Commissariat
. Responsible for providing rations and fuel for the army
. Reported to the treasury in London who were more concerned with costs than anything else
. Different organisations meant that the army was badly supplied and no-one took responsibility for improving supply problems
What medical care issues were their
. Thousands of soldiers became very ill from a range of diseases such as cholera,typhus,frostbite and dysentery
. Medical care and particular surgery was poor in the 1850s
. More common for a soldier to die of illness than on the battlefield
. 18058 soldiers died in the Crimea, only 1761 died on the battlefield
What was the state of the British military like at the beginning of the Crimean War
. Had not fought a major European war since Waterloo
. The navy remained Britain’s most powerful fighting force
. The British army contained veterans from Waterloo and were confident when they borded for the Crimea
. Navy was slow to modernise and was still using a mixture of steamers and sailing vessels
. The Commissariat which supplied food and transport was still dependant on civilian contractors and was not always efficient
What shortcomings did the war reveal about the British army
.Short comings in Army leadership
. Lack of professionalism among soldiers
. Inability of units to communicate and co-operate
. Inadequacy of medical treatment
.Shortages of decent food and shelter for soldiers
What occurred during the Battle of Alma 20th September 1854
. French , British and Turkish troops met the Russian army defending high ground south of the River Alma
. The allies outnumbered the Russians and had support from naval gunfire
. The allies eventually forced the Russians to withdraw but Raglan was indecisive and did not pursue them to drive home the advantage
. The battle revealed shortcomings in allied leadership and organisation
. Confusion from smoke , bugle calls and officers issuing contradictory orders
What occurred at the battle of balaclava 25th October 1854
. Russian cavalry charged the retreating Turks but 500 highlanders stood their ground and inflicted heavy casualties with their Minie rifles
. The Russian cavalry could not break the ‘ thin red line ‘ and retreated after a second failed assault
. General lord Lucan ordered 800 strong heavy brigade to charge the Russians uphill, the Russians stood still and it allowed the British cavalry to break though and forced the Russians to retreat
What occurred during the charge of the light brigade
. Lord Raglan spotted Russian troops removing Turkish guns and ordered Lord cardigans light brigade to stop them
. Captain Nolan was sent by lord Lucan to deliver Ragland orders
. The light brigade charged towards Russian guns and took heavy fire from front and sides
. Captain Nolan was killed by an exploding shell
. By the time the brigade reached the guns over half the men were killed or wounded and many horses were lost
. The death toll was 113 out of 673 with 134 wounded
Who was to blame for the charge of the light brigade
. Raglans hastily written orders did not make it clear which guns he wanted the light brigade to charge
. Lucan could not clearly see the Turkish guns
. Nolan probably did not explain what raglan intended , Nolan may have assumed raglan meant the Russian guns
. Since Nolan was killed he couldn’t clarify things later on
. Lucan and cardigan barely spoke due to a mutual dislike and neither made an effort to check what Raglan intended
. Raglan had requested the heavy brigade and horse artillery to support the charge but Lucan failed to provide this support
. Raglan was ultimately blamed but the charge of the light brigade is hailed as a glorious tragedy
What occurred at the siege of Sevastopol Sept 1854 - Sept 1855
. In Nov 1854 the Russian attacked the British at Inkerman and caught the camp off guard , the British won the day but casualties were heavy so the siege on Sevastopol was postponed
. During Nov 1854 the Crimea suffered one of the worse storms in living memory , allied camps were wrecked and many ships carrying winter supplies were sunk
. Allied soldiers suffered from cold, hunger and disease
. By spring 1855 the army received fresh horses , more ammunition and reinforcements
. A new railway was built between balaklava and Sevastopol
How did the Crimean War come to an end
. The allies bombarded Russian defences using siege guns and mortars
. In September 1855 the allies at last took Sevastopol and the Russians eventually evacuated Sevastopol
. Diplomatic arguments continued until March 1856 when the treaty of Paris ended the war
What was the influence of lord Raglan like
. Raglans reputation came under fire after his death in 1855 , Raglans conduct of war was seen as old school
. Raglans army in the Crimea was little changed from wellington in the peninsula or Waterloo
. Raglan was not afraid to commit men to danger , like during the charge of the light brigade and deploying infantry at Alma
. As his troops starved and died of disease in their thousands Raglan refused to retreat to Balaklava
. Wellingtons influence was seen in Raglans conduct of war, his troops were well trained in the old disciplines
What were some of the problems faced at Scutari hospital
. Limited number of medical staff and medical supplies bought, they were seen as low priority
. Army veterans were drafted as stretcher bearers and were often ill-suited for the work
. At the start of the war no doctors signed up for the Crimea and it was thought that wounded men would look after each other
. Hardly any clean water
. Toilet arrangement was primitive and inadequate
What impact did the arrival of Florence nightingale have at Scutari
. Florence nightingale arrived alongside 38 other nurses
. They reorganised the kitchen and improved food for patients
. They cleaned the wards and strove to provide clean , washed bed linen
. She also arranged for a school room and a library
What impact did the Sanitary commission have in conditions within Scutari
. They began work in march 1855 and ordered a clean up; walls whitewashed, dead animals removed , rubbish cleared
. After these changes mortality rate began to fall
. The supply of medicines and basic aid also improved
Who was Mary seacole
. She worked as a healer and nurse treating local people and British service families stationed in Jamaica
. She helped treat yellow fever in Jamaica in 1853 and gained a reputation for effective treatment in emergency situations
. She travelled to London in 1854 to offer her services in the Crimea but was turned down
. Eventually she made her own way to the Crimea and offered her help at Scutari but was once again turned down
What was the British hotel
. Opened in Spring 1855
. It was part hotel , store and clinic where soldiers could enjoy hot food and shelter , and the small comforts such as tea , coffee , blankets and fresh bread
. The hotel was very popular with officers and ordinary soldiers
. Soldiers were attracted by the prospect of better quality food than army rations and the change of buying warm clothing and shoes
How was Mary Seacole different to Florence nightingale
. She used her folk medicine experience to treat fevers and cholera
. She used an upstairs room in the British hotel to care for sick and wounded
. Mary seacole visited battlefields, carrying first aid on mules to troops
. She treated wounded and dying troops at Sevastopol
. Seacole was described as kind and successful and remained in the Crimea until 1856
What impact did Florence Nightingale and Mary seacole have upon modern day nursing
. Before Nightingale and Seacole nursing was seen as a job being done by uneducated lower class women with little medical training
. After nursing became a vocation and a profession
. Nightingale and Seacole remain central and contrasting figures in the Crimean war story
How did the coverage of war change with the Crimean war
. News reports were appearing more speedily
. By 1850 over half of Britain’s population could read and write
. By 1850 photography had been developed enough to take cameras into battle zones
. Improved communication meant that newspapers printed one day could be taken by train around the country by the following days
What were the limitations of Roger Fentons photography within the Crimea
. Fentons photographs were motionless pictures of people or landscapes
. His pictures were taken with the intent to be bought at souvenirs so did not show the horrors of war
. Fenton was not in the Crimea when any major battles occurred, being their from march 1855 - June 1855
. Fenton did not witness the harsh winter and so did not capture what conditions were truly like for soldiers
What was the impact of Fenton’s photography
. Fenton exhibited his photographs around Britain for 8 months , beginning in September 1855
. Fentons photographs showed how barren the Crimea was and this squalid living conditions
. Fentons photography also gave rise to a wave of empathy for the plight of the soldiers
. People began to question not just how the war was being managed , but what it was being fought for
What was William Russell reporting like
. He was sent to the Crimea with the first wave of allied forces and witnessed the battle of Alma
. His report featured the concerns that soon became common throughout his dispatches
. Russel was able to convey the horrors of war he saw by getting close to the fighting
. He was particularly interested in the treatment of wounded , brutality of battlefield surgery and the preparations for evacuating casualties
. Russel was critical of Raglan at the battle of Alma for not pursuing the defeated Russians
. Russel kept a steady stream of writing from the Crimea
. Russel witnessed the Seige of Sevastopol before leaving the Crimea in December 1855
What was the influence of the Times newspaper like
. Russell was present for major actions , unlike Fenton
. He was on the side of he common soldier
. He wrote about appealing conditions that ordinary soldiers faced
. His writing was full of sympathy for the soldiers he met and contained pointed criticism of Campaign organisation
. Raglan told his officers not to speak to Russel , while ordinary soldiers were more than willing too
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