How prepared was the British Army to fight in the Crimea? (Intro and Raglan)

Question 1

At what expense did Russia see a chance for territorial gains on its southern borders?

Answer 1

Turkey

Question 2

Why else did Russia want territorial gains at the expense of Turkey?

Answer 2

For an opportunity to access the Mediterranean to challenge the power of France and Britain.

Question 3

How did Russian ships enter the Mediterranean from the Black Sea and why was this a problem?

Answer 3

Ships passed through the straights of Bosporus and the Dardanelles, controlled by Turkey and defended by their artillery

Question 4

What would happen if Turkey was forced into an alliance with Russia?

Answer 4

The Russian Black Sea fleet based at sevastopol in the Crimea could pass freely through the straits

Question 5

What was a key flashpoint in big power tensions?

Answer 5

The Dardanelles

Question 6

Where didn’t the British and French want russian warships?

Answer 6

Mediterranean

Question 7

What did Britain fear the collapse of Turkey would lead to?

Answer 7

Russia threatening their naval supremacy in the Mediterranean and key routes to India

Question 8

When did the Russians press the Ottoman sultan for concessions regarding the Empire’s Christian subjects?

Answer 8

1853

Question 9

Why did Russian soldiers invade the Ottoman Danube Provinces?

Answer 9

Because the sultan refused to give the Empires Christian subjects concessions

Question 10

When did Turkey declare war on Russia?

Answer 10

5th October 1853

Question 11

How did the French and British show support for Turkey after they declared war?

Answer 11

Sending fleets to the Dardanelles and on into the Bosporus

Question 12

What did the Russian Navy do on the 30th November 1853?

Answer 12

Attacked an Ottoman fleet at the Black sea port of Sinope, sinking many Turkish warships

Question 13

Why did British and French public opinion turn against Russia?

Answer 13

The press made much of the attack against Sinope

Question 14

When did British and French fleets sail to blockade the Russian fleet and where did they go?

Answer 14

In January 1854, sailing into the Black sea

Question 15

How did the Russians keep Austria out of the anti-Russian alliance?

Answer 15

In August they withdrew troops from the Danube war zone

Question 16

Where were there issues in the British military during the Crimean war?

Answer 16

British military readiness, tactics and provision systems

Question 17

Which battles in the Crimean war caused criticism in Britain?

Answer 17

Crimea, Alma, Balaklava and Sevastopol

Question 18

Which commander-in chief’s performance was seen as unsatisfactory during the Crimean War?

Answer 18

Lord Raglan

Question 19

What about the British had hardly changed since the French Wars?

Answer 19

Style of land warfare

Question 20

What did wars in India and Burma against poorly armed opposition in mass formations reinforce in terms of British land warfare?

Answer 20

Infantry in line fire muskets with artillery support and cavalry with swords at the gallop

Question 21

What about the British Army’s fundamentals were the same between the Crimean War and Waterloo?

Answer 21

Uniforms and Firearms

Question 22

What gave the British and French an edge?

Answer 22

New French Minié rifle

Question 23

What was the new French Minié rifle like?

Answer 23

The old Brown Bess musket but more powerful and had three times the range of the smoothbore muskets used by Russian soldiers, its rifling improving accuracy. Fired a Minié ball.

Question 24

Minié Ball

Answer 24

A large projectile that could inflict serious wounds and penetrate wooden planks

Question 25

What shocked miliary complacency in 1857?

Answer 25

The Indian rebellion

Question 26

What made the British navy overconfident?

Answer 26

Recent successes like China in the Opium Wars

Question 27

What was the British Navy’s role in the Crimea?

Answer 27

To blockade the Russian fleet, transport the army, safeguard supplies and lend gunfire support where needed

Question 28

What mix of ships were used in the Crimea?

Answer 28

Wooden steamers and sailing vessels

Question 29

What did the commissariat arrange?

Answer 29

Food, supplies and transport

Question 30

What was the commissariat still dependent on by the Crimean war and why was this bad?

Answer 30

Civilians contractors who were inefficient and sometimes fraudulent

Question 31

How and when did Lord Raglan die?

Answer 31

28th June 1855 from cholera

Question 32

Why did Raglan’s reputation and the army’s performance soon come under fire after his death?

Answer 32

Critics called for change as his conduct of the war showed deeper issues. He was old school and similar to Wellington in not wanting to encourage reform.

Question 33

Why did Raglan deploy infantry against the Great Redoubt?

Answer 33

because it was a key objective

Question 34

Why did Raglan commit cavalry at Balaklava?

Answer 34

To buy time for his slower moving infantry

Question 35

What was not Raglans fault but what could he have done to help?

Answer 35

The Charge of the Light Brigade, the British cavalry were reckless but he should have known this and been more precise

Question 36

What was the difference between the Peninsular and Crimean war?

Answer 36

In P, Portuguese population was friendly and British had access to a secure base, In C, locals were hostile. His troop starved and died of disease and there was a stalemate as Raglan didn’t want to retreat to Balaklava

Question 37

What were the three most important events in the Crimean War to Britains public opinion?

Answer 37

Battle of Alma, Battle of Balaklava, Siege of Sevastopol