Crimean War (1854-6)

Question 1

what were the principles of British Foreign policy in the 19th century

Answer 1

• preservation of the balance of power
• maintenance of the status quo
• support for constitutional states
• avoidance of any allies/commitments
• respect for international law and rights of small nations
• protection of Britain’s fundamental interests

Question 2

what were Britain’s fundamental interests

Answer 2

• trade routes
• independence of Holland and Belgium
• free access through the straits - the water between Europe and Asia controlled by the Ottoman empire
• preservation of Turkey as an independent state - they want to keep trade with Turkey alive

Question 3

how was religion the spark of war

Answer 3

• Walachia and Moldavia had a degree of independence from Turkey due to their Christian faith
• Russia asserted their right as an orthodox power and wanted to help by freeing the two states to make them part of Russia
• Britain and France join Turkey in repelling Russian take over to maintain the status quo

Question 4

discuss British attitude to Russia

Answer 4

• felt threatened by them
• Russia was powerful and Britain couldn’t keep track of its influence and threat to status qui
• good navy but primarily a land power
• Russia was a threat to India

Question 5

what was the Ottoman Empire nicknamed as

Answer 5

‘The Sick Man of Europe’ by Tsar Nicholas in 1844

Question 6

what was Waterloo mentality

Answer 6

• the success of Waterloo had carried on right through the 40 years peace so that when the Crimean War came there was a buzz and a sense of patriotism
• recruitment boost
• love for the war ensuing the victory at Waterloo

Question 7

discuss the British landing in Crimea

Answer 7

• it wasn’t easy
• allied armada of ships gathered of Cape Tarkan and on 13th September approached the Crimean coast in good order
• Britain slow to offload onto shore - took them 4 days
• French more efficient did it in 2
• France been fighting in 35 years peace Britain hadn’t
• initial plan to land quickly, march south for surprise attack on Sevastopol
• but nothing had been brought to move equipment over land - carts had to be requisitioned from local farms
• soldiers spent first night in heavy rain - tents still on ships
• Britain didn’t start marching for 6 days so Russians had plenty of time to prepare

Question 8

discuss Raglan

Answer 8

• he had served under Wellington
• had his arm amputated during Waterloo
• Nightingale thought him a good man but a poor general
• considerate general distressed by fruitless casualties
• blamed lots

Question 9

discuss the lead up to the battle of Alma, why it took place

Answer 9

• Allies landed 55 miles North of Sevastopol and began marching south
• the Russians had adopted the strategic defensive position at the River Alma - took the high ground as they aimed to fortify their position

Question 10

how many men did the Anglo/French forces have in comparison to the Russians at the battle of Alma

Answer 10

• Anglo/French had 60,000
• Russians had 35,000 although their superior position and heavy artillery guns evened the playing field
• Russia’s sole objective was to hold their position and stop the allies getting closer to Sevastopol
• the allies planned a two pronged assault with the French attacking the right flank along the coast in the hope that the British attack through the middle would go unnoticed, it didn’t…

Question 11

discuss the attack at the Battle of Alma

Answer 11

• disastrous first assault - French advanced on the right flank - got bogged down - had to wait for reinforcements which were slow to arrive
• the British then attacked through the middle which curtailed their plan as the French hadn’t broken the Russian line so the Russians were able to shuffle their defences and repel the British offensive with devastating artillery
• the British made a grave mistake in not spreading their forces wide enough
• despite failures Britain charged up the slope - British rifles superior in accuracy and distance - Russians retreated

Question 12

what was the blunder of Sir George Brown at the Battle of Alma

Answer 12

• light division officer
• he was hopelessly short sighted and hadn’t noticed that his men were too close to the other divisions and thus lost the strategic formation of attack
• epitome of what was wrong with the purchase system as he had bought his rank by it

Question 13

discuss the difference between British and Russian rifles

Answer 13

• Russian rifles could be accurate up to 300 paces
• British could be up to 1,2000 paces due to the invention of the ‘minie ball’
• technology had given Britain a devastating advantage

Question 14

discuss the second half of the Battle of Alma attack

Answer 14

• British eventually crossed the river and captured the redoubt but through mistakes and confused commands
• British largely unorganised - many divisions made their own decisions - some retreated - some confused Russian soldiers for French and ceased fire and gaps were created in the offensive line
• 93rds blow
• Raglan chose not to finish the retreating Russians with his cavalry

Question 15

discuss the 93rd regiment at the Battle of Alma

Answer 15

• they struck the decisive blow - advanced upon 10,000 unused and uncommitted Russian soldiers
• led by Sir Colin Campbell they advanced firing (a difficult task) and forced them into retreat
• in the smoke and confusion the Russians could not see how much they outnumbered the highlanders which were only compromised on two thin red lines and chose to retreat under heavy fire from the far superior rifles and muskets which perhaps gave the illusion of greater numbers

Question 16

discuss the lead up to the battle of Balaclava

Answer 16

• after victory at Alma Raglan wanted to attack Sevastopol immediately but the French refused and suggested that preparations for a siege should be undertaken first
• Raglan conceded and the allied forces marched around Sevastopol to the small village of Balaclava yet the two harbours further West would have been much better
• allies spent unnecessary amount of time deploying siege preparations which were largely pointless and gave the Russians plentiful time to move their army and prepare their already formidable defences
• due to the inactivity of the allies, Menshikov was able to move his army to the Causeway Heights that overlooked Balaclava
• position of advantage and forced the allies to retreat from the siege and prepare for an attack at Balaclava

Question 17

discuss the attack of the Battle of Balaclava

Answer 17

• Britain had more foolish deployment site it was down to them to protect the allied forces
• Ottomans had set up a series of redoubts to hold the off the Russians but were given no British support and quickly succumbed to might of Russian army
• heavier/better placed Russian artillery constantly pounding Ottoman and British defences - chaos

Question 18

what happened at the battle of Balaclava when the Ottomans retreated after their redoubts were captured

Answer 18

• Menshikov sent his cavalry in for the kill but were met by the 93rd highlanders who had been hiding on the reverse slope of a hill
• they moved to the crest of the hell and opened fire on the charging cavalry to devastating effect
• the Highlanders did form squares which encouraged the cavalry to charge but the superior muskets and bravery of the ‘thin red line’ made the difference
• after witnessing the steadfast bravery of the 93rds, the heavy brigade charged to their side to push the Russians back for good
• General Scarlett sent his 300 strong brigade up the hill to face the depleted Russian cavalry and inflicted heavy casualties.

Question 19

discuss the lead up to the COTLB during the battle of Balaclava

Answer 19

• success of 93rds/Heavy Brigade was a turning point and forced the Russians to retreat
• Scarlets’ cavalry had managed to kill 50 Russian cavalry and wound 200+ only losing 10 British
• but it was still a missed opportunity
• Lord Cardigan’s light brigade was no more than 500ft from the event and should have capitalised on the Russian retreat and inflicted more damage but they just watched
• blame game - officers gave contrasting orders - confusion occurred
• Raglan from his high position saw Russians removing Turkish artillery guns from the redoubt captured during the early stages of the battle
• Lucan could not see these from his position
• issued hasty order to Nolan to send for cavalry to intervene - inform Lucan to give the order to Cardigan to attack and retrieve the guns

Question 20

discuss the COTLB

Answer 20

• unsure of whether to charge but compelled by duty the Light Brigade set off towards the Russian guns not the Turkish ones Raglan meant
• heavy fire from 3 sides - Nolan killed
• cavalry reached guns but over half dead or incapacitated - those who survived fought bravely against Russian artillerymen and were spared by a French cavalry charge
• death toll 113/673 with 134 wounded - but it was the principle of this ill-fated charge which made it infamous

Question 21

what was the aftermath of the COTLB

Answer 21

• the event stood to symbolise everything that was wrong within the British army in Crimea
• poor planning, poor communication, conflicting orders and a general who was both vague and distant
• after the battle Lucan was replaced and Raglan shouldered heavy blame but it was a comedy of errors that led to this sorry event
• shortly after the charge, the battle ended as the Russians could not penetrate the British base at Balaclava although they were again not defeated

Question 22

discuss the ‘Thin Red Line’

Answer 22

• by the time of the Crimean War, the Brown Bess musket had been replaced in the British army by the Enfield rifle
• enabled infantry to face cavalry in a line
• best example - battle of Balaclava - 93rd highlanders caught by advancing Russian light cavalry
• commander Sir Colin Campbell thought his men could withstand the charge without forming square, so the 93rd remained in a two-rank line
• fired volleys at 600, 350 and 150 yards and thereby halted the Russian charge
• action immortalised in Robert Gibbs’s 1881 painting the thin red line

Question 23

Discuss Earl of Lucan

Answer 23

• major general of the cavalry division
• age 54 - perhaps could have found someone younger - purchase system
• arguably Lucan was responsible for the fate of the Light Brigade because he misinterpreted Raglan’s order
• in his defence he could not see the guns from his position
• recalled from position in Feb 1855
• Mar 1855 - addressed House of Commons, blamed Raglan and Nolan for bungling orders
• it worked
• he was knighted and promoted in July 1855

Question 24

Discuss Earl of Cardigan

Answer 24

• Lieutenant general in command of the Light Brigade
• brother in law to Lucan
• Lucan and Cardigan detested each other
• but Cardigan still did not question Lucan’s command to charge to the Russian guns in the North Valley
• he simply pointed out that the Russians had guns in the front and on each flank

Question 25

Discuss Captain Nolan

Answer 25

• Aide-de-camp to the Quartermaster General
• 36 years old
• ‘messenger of death’ - carried the fateful order that led to the COTLB
• upon receipt of Raglan’s order, Lucan yelled ‘attack sir attack what what guns sir’
• flinging his arms to the end of the valley Nolan replied there is your enemy there are your guns
• so was the evidence provided by Lucan to Parliament of Nolan’s role in the destruction of the Light Brigade
• he was killed in the Valley of Death by an exploding shell

Question 26

give a brief overview of the battle of Inkerman

Answer 26

• Russians attacked the British at dawn in order to ease the siege on Sevastopol
• the foggy conditions led to a confused battle
• French intervention helped the British regain control
• allies lost nearly 5000 killed and wounded
• Russians lost almost 12,000
• this was the last battle as the Russians lost the will to fight the allies on open ground
• 13,200 allies v 68,000 Russians

Question 27

discuss the lead up to the battle of inkerman

Answer 27

• despite failing to achieve victory at and capture Balaclava, the Russians still held a position of strength overlooking the British base
• the Russians spotted weaknesses within the British forces realising they did not have enough troops to appropriately defend their siege lines
• Russians chose to attack the British right flank situated close to the River Tchernaya - key crossing was the Inkerman bridge
• as the attack took place at dawn a thick layer of fog covered the area which initially aided the Russians as it hid their advance
• British outnumbered but the resilience of the men allowed them to hold out

Question 28

what British leadership mistake was made at the battle of Inkerman

Answer 28

• the British defensive commander De Lacy Evans fell off his horse and became unable to lead his men
• he was replaced by a far more aggressive major general Pennefeather who was unaware of how big the Russian force was
• he ordered his men to charge rather than retreating and drawing the Russians in range of British artillery

Question 29

why did the battle of Inkerman become a ‘soldier’s battle’

Answer 29

• thick fog present at the start of the battle did not relent - mixed with the shroud of artillery fire - both sides had incredibly poor view of the battlegrounds
• Russians inflicted heavy damage on British but didn’t know if it was enough to advance
• had they been able to see how weak the British were they may have launched another attack before the British could scramble reinforcements
• Russians waited for reinforcement - lost opportunity
• despite been outnumbered - British held out until timely arrival of the French towards the end of the battle had secured the defences
• such was the thickness of the fog that many divisions were cut off and decisions had to be made by the individual battalions

Question 30

how was the Enfield rifle decisive at the battle of Inkerman

Answer 30

• the range and accuracy proved to be the difference once more as within 15 minutes, the British sharp shooters killed 3 Russian generals leading to chaos among their ranks as nobody was then willing to take command

Question 31

outcome of the battle of Inkerman

Answer 31

despite victory once more the battle had set the allies further back in their siege, removed any possibility of a quick victory and winter was coming…

Question 32

what did success at Balaclava, Alma and Inkerman mean

Answer 32

left the naval citadel of Sevastopol isolated

Question 33

how did the Royal Navy partake in the siege of Sevastopol

Answer 33

• they broke the siege by stopping the Russian supplies from reaching Sevastopol
• Royal Navy bombardment of Bomarsund

Question 34

discuss the siege of Sevastopol

Answer 34

• lasted 349 days
• 17th Oct 1854 - 9th Sep 1855
• it was surrounded by the allied armies but they were initially unable to penetrate the strong Russian defences
• the allies therefore had to ‘dig in’ and try to starve the Russians out with aid from the Navy stopping their supplies
• strategy was reduced to trench warfare
• for the British and French soldiers this meant surviving through the harsh Russian winter with minimal shelter and fuel
• pitiful organisation of the British army swiftly became apparent

Question 35

what immense thing did the French do at the Battle of Alma

Answer 35

• French scaled 50 foot Russian cliffs which the Russians didn’t defend well - they were overconfident they couldn’t be reached as it was too steep a natural barrier
• French immense
• took 12 guns up with them!
• set them up quickly and efficiently
• fire further than the 50 Russian ones - by time in firing range - French shooting them
• but Russia were only fighting the French here so could put all their force on them

Question 36

discuss how the British failed to support the French at the Battle of Alma

Answer 36

• when the French scaled the cliffs they had the full Russian force on them
• French asked British to relieve pressure - Raglan eventually relented commanding 3 divisions to advance but with poor orders - chaotic advance - 2 divisions mixed/discipline failed - no one knew who to listen to and the Russians exploited the advance
• British officers couldn’t reassert discipline
• scrambled bayonet charge to redoubts but forced to retreat - lack of reinforcements
• at the beginning of the battle they were meant to advance together but at last minute Raglan delayed British advance until French broke through the Russians

Question 37

when were the three battles

Answer 37

Alma - 20th Sep 1854
Balaclava - 25th Oct 1854
Inkerman - 5th Nov 1854

Question 38

what did the Russians do at Alma that asserted how confident they were against us

Answer 38

• many Russian families arrived to watch the battle with picnics

Question 39

discuss the situation of the weather and the winter in a brief overview

Answer 39

• Balaclava surrounded by high ground - protect from wind but if in right channel - port becomes a wind tunnel
• flooding/boggy rain runs off mountains
• winter of 1854 one of the worst Crimean winters
• wind blew away tents left them in mud and soaked

Question 40

what did the Duke of Cambridge propose when the winter of 1854 came, what was Raglan’s response

Answer 40

• he proposed a fall back to Balaclava where troops could be sheltered/supplied
• Raglan refused - ‘criminal decision’
• decision led to some 5% of British officers resigning their commissions and going home
• pulling back 6 miles to Balaclava would have saved lives and boosted morale while not causing major problems
• the Russians weren’t going to leave Sevastopol and do a daring attack in the middle of winter
• Raglan’s decision to keep the knife in the Russians back was reckless - manslaughter
• S pol was a formidable defence anyway but not the British too cold and tired to cause major damage
• worked to death for the sake of it

Question 41

what was the Russian’s best soldier

Answer 41

• the weather
• all they have to do is close Sevastopol walls and sit in their nice stone houses watching the Allies struggle against the elements

Question 42

why was the French camp better and how were the French better prepared

Answer 42

• Kameesh had a path and actual road which the French improved between the front lines and the camp - easy to supply lines - they also had carts and wagons to do so - men didn’t have to work as hard
• more primal - better adaptability/survival skills
• their men weren’t overworked
• British army from urban industrial Britain - poor lungs due to smog etc…
• better planning and experience
• wider harbour
• french death rates still quite high from disease tho

Question 43

how were Britain naïve and arrogant in terms of supplies

Answer 43

• thought they would win in 2 weeks then go home
• Raglan bolstered ships with men instead of taking a balanced army
• didn’t expect to be there in winter months so took few engineers

Question 44

what was ironic about the lack of jackets the British men had

Answer 44

• after Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, men were to be given service medal for bravery and success but they didn’t even have a winter coat to display their medal on
• these men can survive three bloody battles and then die to frostbite

Question 45

discuss the consequences of the Great Storm of Nov 1854

Answer 45

• sunk the HMS Prince carrying 40,000 winter uniforms
• sunk the HMS Progress carrying enough hay for the horses for 3 weeks - horses die - men have to carry more - even higher death rate
• the harbour was not large enough to deal with the amount of supplies and so the ships weren’t unloaded quick enough - these jackets had sat in the harbour for weeks in touching distance of men - coats which could have saved lives were lost because of poor logistical planning
• 17 ships sink

Question 46

who should be blamed for poor choice of Balaclava harbour and why

Answer 46

• Raglan should have chosen a different harbour and deviated from original plans when they realised they would be there longer than they thought and the winter was coming in harsh
• didn’t think about situation properly
• but has lots to do not his job to micromanage Balaclava
• Quartermaster - it was his job to be in charge of logistics and supply he should be making sure unloaded quickly - had too many ships in the bay and didn’t distribute the unloaded supplies properly

Question 47

how long did it take for a railway to be built from Balaclava harbour to the front line

Answer 47

• it wasn’t built until spring 1855
• new Government send engineers
• British should have built it way earlier it would have taken a few weeks or a month but they didn’t think they would be there long enough to benefit from it

Question 48

discuss the circumstances of the Balaclava harbour

Answer 48

• muddy banks - no real jetty to unload on to - no pathway or railway line
• everyone and ships clustered together - even harder to unload
• could be food on ships that rots because its waiting so long to be unloaded
• high priority ships may not have been able to get anyway near the front because its so crowded
• boxes of stuff been piled up on shore not sent to men - unforgivable as it is there!!! - men desperately trying to take things to front line - have to look through what’s in it, get it signed off, find out where it has to go, waste of time
• primitive buildings

Question 49

briefly discuss the journey to getting medical treatment at Scutari

Answer 49

• precious few medical staff on front lines - Mary Seacole even more important
• if ill take you on horseback (messy affair as lack of carts) to loading bay - put you in a row boat to take you to a larger ship to take you to Scutari - larger ship to big for shallow water of bay
• rickety row boat - either journey horrendous or you just straight up die
• if good weather 4-5 days between Scutari
• if things difficult could be 7-10 days - slim chance of survival if super ill or if do arrive so ill you’re a threat to others.

Question 50

when did Lord Aberdeen resign

Answer 50

• January 1855

Question 51

who replaced Raglan when he died

Answer 51

• Sir James Simpson
• another officer with little recent military experience
• he had no wish to command and resigned four months later

Question 52

discuss the concern about desertion

Answer 52

• when the winter came some 5% of British officers resigned their commissions and returned home
• rates of desertion increased - hundreds of Allied soldiers surrendered to the Russians
• would be warmer and fed a little sat in a Russian prison
• 650/ 700 ish surrendered a lot from an army of 40,000
• maybe higher had it gone on longer - futility/desperation

Question 53

what type of people are reading the newspapers

Answer 53

• pipe smoking rich aristocrats who will think it is not acceptable to sacrifice people at COTLB and have failures in supply
• these people begin to exercise their power to put pressure on government
• PM Aberdeen resigns due to vote of no confidence
• severe impact of failures of something that wasn’t happening directly in Britain - public perception must be terrible

Question 54

give five areas of problems in Crimea

Answer 54

• healthcare
• military leadership
• political leadership
• attitudes in society
• women and society

Question 55

discuss Raglan as a choice of leader

Answer 55

• might have been smart at the start of the war - but too out of touch with changes that happened during the industrial revolution and Britain’s 39 years of peace
• need an overhaul

Question 56

why was leadership so poor in this war

Answer 56

THE PURCHASE SYSTEM

Question 57

how where the French superior to British in terms of morale

Answer 57

• stable for horses so not spreading disease
• still used Scutari but had field nurses - difference between surviving journey over black sea and not
• better morale - Britain don’t have that till Seacole - fight better and deal with leadership issues
• British challenged by boredom
• French had set meal times to ensure rations used effectively and (+) for morale

Question 58

how were the French superior in terms of supply and military

Answer 58

• professional army - been fighting in Algeria
• had a transport core - wagons and carts sent
• proper army medical care - one thing to be a doctor another to be one who can deal with battle injuries and mass casualties
• had winter clothing
• kameesh wider/ships easier to unload
• more infrastructure their plus built more
• huts not tents
• engineers keeping everything going
• French didn’t expect to be there long either but were smart and had contingency plans Britain just focused on space for men and weapons
• primitive - hunted and foraged for food

Question 59

who was Andrew Smith, what was his task and why?

Answer 59

• doctor
• in the peacetime Britain had disbanded the army medical team to save money - no reason to have one but should be prepared at all times.
• lost a lot of quality as in March 1854 it had to be scrambled back together
• Dr Andrew Smith was left with that task
• reason in Varna so long
• medical team in Crimea not as good as it could have been
• had to create war ready team from scratch
• no wagons no stretcher bearers no doctors
• disbanding it in the first place had been strongly opposed by Welly

Question 60

what is the statistic of doctors to men

Answer 60

4 medical assistants per 100 men as Raglan wanted to bolster ships with men not medical professionals

Question 61

why was medical care never going to be brilliant regardless of what Raglan did or what Andrew Smith could come up with

Answer 61

• knowledge of medicine at this time was poor with no real understanding
• basic
• didn’t get hygiene
• surgery and amputation with poor anaesthetic
• didn’t know how and when to use medicine effectively

Question 62

why was Raglan’s decision to not have medical ships bad from the very start

Answer 62

• tried to bolster forces while in varna turning two troop carriers into hospital ships
• his logic was that in they wouldn’t even need any in Varna as it wasn’t going to be as bad as when they arrived at Crimea
• but 10,000 men died of Cholera in Varna so hospital needed at this time
• when they went to Crimea in August 1854 he gave the ships back but they were not fitted out in time for Alma - slow everything down - build up of ill men

Question 63

discuss the place of Scutari itself

Answer 63

• disused Turkish barracks
• not repaired in decades
• not big enough for level of challenge
• had leaks/rats/unclean - not fit to be a hospital
• Britain picked as it was big and cheap
• miles of corridors - men all over - they didn’t use the space effectively and just crammed men into certain areas.
• running of it was poor

Question 64

discuss Scutari in relation to Britain underestimating how long they would be in the Crimea for

Answer 64

• thought fitting 6000 men in would be fine for the short time they were there
• but the battles/weather/disease meant it filled up faster than anticipated
• Nov/Dec - 10,000 need hospital care - fitting 11-12,000 men in a space meant for 6000
• crammed - beds 18 inches apart - disease spreads

Question 65

how were doctors recruited for the Crimean War

Answer 65

• on a voluntary basis
• puts quality and experience of them into question
• well to do doctors would rather stay in London and get paid loads then risk life in Crimea
• rookie doctors that wanted to make a name for themselves
• some turn out good but most inexperienced and out of their depth with battle injuries and widespread outbreaks of cholera
• costly during the desperation of winter
• this voluntary nature of the medical team would not have been an issue if the government had not disbanded the medical department in 1853

Question 66

why is pensioners been recruited as stretcher bearers so problematic

Answer 66

• idiotic
• if you’re injured you want fast youngsters to carry you to safety not old, weak veterans who are likely to need a bloody stretcher themselves
• goes back to cost cutting and poor planning

Question 67

discuss the ATROTCIOUS statistic on British casualties

Answer 67

• British forces suffering 18,058 casualties yet only 1,761 were killed in action!
• remainder succumbed to disease or wounds
• a lot of lives could have been saved if hospital provisions had been better

Question 68

what was the mortality rate at Scutari for the first 5 months

Answer 68

• around 50%
• harrowing
• over half of the people that go the hospital will die due to poor organisation, journey, lack of professionals and poor hygiene
• almost better not going to the hospital in the first place

Question 69

what did Sidney Herbert, S.O.S for war do following outcry from the reports of Chenery and Russel

Answer 69

• asked his family friend Nightingale to head a nursing staff at Scutari to investigate and deal with the problems
• their relationship was key but she did also have ability
• she arrived in Crimea in Nov 1854 with a team of 38 nurses

Question 70

why was the relationship between Herbert and Florence key

Answer 70

• women at this time were not challenging men/making huge decisions but because she has friend in high political position she can have more influence than she could have done without knowing him
• perhaps it was this security that allowed her to feel able to challenge Menzies without been belittled or ignored

Question 71

discuss Florence’s relationship with Menzies

Answer 71

• it was not her job to run/criticize him just report to him but she does and takes over logistics
• Menzies was struggling to do everything on his own
• not enough stuff
• Flo takes it on herself to request things from Herbert/Commissariat as opposed to getting Menzies to

Question 72

discuss impacts flo had

Answer 72

• uses her funds/influence to fix supply problem
• reorganizes the hospital - restructures into wards
• persuaded the government to commission Isambard Brunel to design a pre-fabricated hospital to be shipped out to Scutari although it arrived after the battles had ceased
• she noted down statistics and kept patient records which was a very new concept
• paved the way for nursing as an acceptable career for women
• in 1858 she lobbied Parliament for creation of a Royal Commission to examine the health of soldiers in India leading to reduced deaths and improved sanitation in Indian rural life

Question 73

why was Florence’s decision to restructure the hospital into wards so monumental

Answer 73

• people could now receive specialised treatment
• limit disease spread
• not waste time running around getting different things or moving certain treatments to certain patients
• save lives
• layout forever different even now for what she did

Question 74

discuss the legacy and reality of Flo

Answer 74

• angelic figure of lady with the lamp caring and compassionate
• in reality she was an iron fisted maiden loved by soldiers because she improved cleanliness and got them what they needed no because she was loving
• she indirectly saved lives with her focus on supply and administration

Question 75

why did the Sanitary Commission take place and the McNeill Tulloch report be produced

Answer 75

• in Feb 1855, 52% of patients at Scutari died
• because of Russel and Chenery making bad press come from Crimea
• see whether the stories are true and what can be done to improve
• what still needs changing (Flo already in Crimea)
• shed light on supply problems and high death rate

Question 76

who headed the Sanitary Commission and why is this important

Answer 76

• Sir John McNeill
• Scottish surgeon
• well respected/ knew what a hospital should and shouldn’t have
• Alexander Tulloch
• war office administrative expert
• knew what supplies an army needed

Question 77

what were the conclusions of the McNeill Tulloch report

Answer 77

• highly criticised Raglan and his staff
• leadership, supply chain and Scutari
• majority of casualties due to disease not enemy
• poor health due to lack of fresh food
• army failed to provide all units with their full daily ration of food
• lack of fodder for the horses
• lack of cooking supplies
• soldiers still had to work even when ill
• unforgiveable outbreak of scurvy
• officer mainly set good examples and were paternal

Question 78

when was the McNeill Tulloch report

Answer 78

June 1855 (first report on the conditions of the soldier, diet and supply of food)
Jan 1856 (second report on inadequecy of equipment that wasn't even published due to outcry about the first one)

Question 79

what did the McNeill Tuloch report lead to

Answer 79

• led to heated debate in the House of Commons
• minor reforms in 1858 - war ends in 55 so don’t feel the need to make major changes - bad should get on top of things and make a difference when you can regardless of peace time
• outcry in Britain about this stuff had been allowed to happen
• people read Chenery and Russel’s reports but were unsure of whether they were sensationalised this confirmed it wasn’t although the Government tried to play it down calling him a miserable scribbler because they were shocked it was all true

Question 80

discuss limes been thrown away due to poor supply

Answer 80

• outbreak of Scurvy at Scutari and vitamin D needed
• poor logistical supply and planning led to food being wasted
• 1000s of limes dumped in the sea as the order didn’t match the paper work
• harbour at Balaclava terribly organised- boxes of food sat and rotted due to ships not been unloaded quick enough
• paper work issues - too many turned up

Question 81

what was the Chelsea report

Answer 81

• after the McNeill Tulloch report, an Army Board of Enquiry (the Chelsea Report) in April 1856 largely exonerated the military ( a whitewash)
• many lives could have been saved if better management had been in place
• shows upper class nature of the army where if you are rich you can get away with things
• don’t really pin anyone to account - essentially like we won what’s the issue and Raglan died anyway
• but they need to learn from mistakes not push them under the carpet!!!

Question 82

discuss the Royal Warrant issued in Oct 1858 as a result of the McNeill Tulloch report

Answer 82

• provided for professional reform of the Commissariat
• led to army becoming entirely responsible for its own supply
• BIGGEST IMPACT of McNeill Tulloch report
• army actually gets what it needs
• doesn’t have to go through penny pinching politicians
• following the navy
• better for Boer and FWW

Question 83

what did it take for real change to be made after the Crimean war

Answer 83

• a change to liberal Government which wouldn’t come until 1868
• change to purchase system and meritocracy

Question 84

what was the ST and LT impact of Flo

Answer 84

ST - Scutari
LT - viable career path for women - changed the nursing standard - carried on to improve sanitation and healthcare of the Indian army - hygiene

Question 85

what was the Nightingale fund

Answer 85

• In Nov 1855 - Flo still in Crimea a public meeting to give her recognition for her work led to the creation of the Nightingale fund
• essentially a public donation
• money raised used to establish the Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas Hospital in London

Question 86

discuss the person of Mary Seacole

Answer 86

• bubbly persona
• life and soul of the army - created a family atmosphere
• compassionate and exactly what the Crimea needed
• huge impact on all
• beacon of light in dark times

Question 87

where was Seacole based

Answer 87

on the front lines - they didn’t need to wait to Scutari - but only one woman so limited impact in that sense

Question 88

discuss the journey of Seacole in getting to the Crimea

Answer 88

• daughter of a Scottish army officer and a Jamaican creole mother - she came from a wealthy background but felt wasted in Jamaica and wanted to help Crimea she was black but proud to be a part of the British Empire
• taught herbal remedies by her mother and helped to treat cholera victims in Jamaica
• applied to the war office to become an assistant to tend the wounded in Crimea but was rejected
• she borrowed money and travelled to Scutari anyway - rejected by Nightingale
• she crossed the black sea to Balaclava and built a hotel with salvaged material
• she returned to Britain in 1856 bankrupt and poorly

Question 89

why was it in a way good she was rejected by Nightingale

Answer 89

she was more helpful on the front line

Question 90

what was her hotel like

Answer 90

• a business
• changed for services and made a profit
• store, canteen, healing, bar
• she got supply when the British army were so terrible at doing it themselves
• trades with locals and got stuff from Commissariat

Question 91

what should you NOT do with Seacole and Nightingale

Answer 91

• DO NOT COMPARE THEM
• their roles are very different
• Flo LT and ST
• Seacole just ST
• their impact on soldiers depended on the soldiers circumstances
• both experienced tho Seacole better in terms of medical skills
• Seacole doesn’t have as much of a legacy but it doesn’t mean she is any less important

Question 92

discuss what issues there was with the Commissariat

Answer 92

• government ran
• tried to save as much money as possible
• drag heels
• Raglan had to ask multiple times for stuff
• penny pinching
• people in Crimea were not imaginative enough to not care if orders didn’t match paperwork - supply is supply at the end of the day

Question 93

discuss been washed at Scutari

Answer 93

• washed once every 80 days
• one sponge used across countless men
• no soap
• this only slightly improved when Flo got there and requested stuff and improved hygiene

Question 94

what was the impact of Inkerman

Answer 94

• not really any closer to Sevastopol but huge casualties which proved medical care inadequate

Question 95

discuss blame in Crimea specifically of Raglan

Answer 95

• he was dealt a rough hand of cards by the government
• could have complained more
• medical situation out of his control
• it was not his decision to disband the medical department a year before the war
• can blame him for packing ships with troops instead of a balanced army
• blame him for amount not quality of medical

Question 96

discuss the legacy left by Seacole

Answer 96

• returned to London 1856 bankrupt
• had 4 medals from Gov
• soldiers did fundraiser for her July 1857
• 4 nights, 80,000 bought tickets to celebrate her
• celebrity - no one outside military had heard of her in London
• given pension - Queen Vic gave her £50 - other royal members employed and sculpted her
• finally accepted in British Empire
• when veterans died no one left to carry her flame - as she was forgotten so were the African remedies that had helped so many in Crimea
• after her death things like the Indian mutiny hardened racist attitudes