The Crimean War 1854-56 Flashcards
What were 3 reasons for poor manpower?
- poor pay
- flogging still allowed
- overseas service took a long toll on life and health
Who commanded the Russian force at Alma?
Prince Menshikov
Overall, did the British fight well at Alma in mid-September 1854?
yes overall
What was Lord Raglan in charge of?
the British expeditionary force
Why did the Russians retreat at Alma?
they were outnumbered
When did administrative chaos lessen at Sebastopol?
Spring 1855
How many British and French troops landed in the Crimea?
63,000
When did a great storm occur in the Black Sea near Sebastopol? How many ships were damaged or lost?
the 14th November 1854,
37 ships were damaged or lost
What did Raglan want the allies to do after the Battle of Alma?
March to Sebastopol as soon as the Russians had retreated
When did Nightingale arrive at Scutari?
November 1854
When had Lord Raglan last seen action?
1815
When did the allies lay siege to Sebastopol?
October 1854
Why was newspaper coverage different in this war?
the public could read about warfare with immediacy for the first time. Paper costs were dropping (though still unaffordable and inaccessible to most)
On what day did the Russians attack Inkerman Ridge?
5th November
Where were the Russians’ marching towards on the 25th October 1854?
to Balaclava
How many nurses went with Florence Nightingale to Scutari?
38
What paper did William Russell report for?
The Times
Why did the Light Brigade attack a well-defended Russian artillery position at Balaclava?
a misunderstood order led them to charge
When was the Battle of Inkerman?
November 1854
Over how many yards was the British Enfield rifle accurate?
400
(4x the Russian muskets)
Who replaced Lord Aberdeen as PM in January 1855?
Lord Palmerston
When was the Royal Commission on the Health of the Army appointed?
1857
When did Roger Fenton arrive in the Crimea? What did the government hope he would achieve?
- The government wanted his photos to counter the perceived anti-war reporting of Russell.
How many men in the Army were ill and wounded compared to the fit by late January 1855?
There were 11,000 fit men
there were 23,000 ill and wounded men
What diseases were prevalent at Sebastopol?
Cholera, scurvy, typhus, typhoid and dysentery
What did the British Infantry at Inkerman do?
Small units fought much larger numbers of Russians until French troops arrived
When did Britain and France declare war on Russia?
March 1854
What was the name of Mary Seacole’s establishment outside of Balaclava?
The British Hotel
What was Mary Seacole’s background?
She was Jamaican/ Scottish and her mother had taught her herbal remedies - she had experience in medicine treating cholera patients in the 1840s and 50s and borrowed money to help in the Crimea after being rejected by the war office
What was there a bad shortage of at Sebastopol?
firewood and tents
When was the Nightingale training school set up?
in 1860
When did the government introduce reforms which led to merit-based promotion?
after 1856
How many of the Infantry Divisional Commanders were under 60?
1 out of 5. This 1 was Queen Victoria’s cousin with no experience.
What were death rates like at Nightingale’s hospital? What changed in March 1855?
they continued to rise and were the highest in the region until March 1855 when a Sanitary Commission flushed out the sewers and improved the ventilation
How large was the British army which first sailed to the Crimea?
26,000 men
When did Lord Raglan die? (of what)
28th June 1855 (of dysentery)
How many men were killed in the charge of the light brigade?
110 killed (664 wounded and 58 captured)
When did the system of purchasing commissions end?
Cardwell’s reforms 1871
What weaknesses of the British Army were made clear at Alma?
some officers led poorly and many troops were untrained
how many people or departments were responsible for military administration during the Crimean War?
8
When did Prime Minister Lord Aberdeen resign and why?
In January 1855 because it was voted to set up a committee to inquire into the conduct of the war
How many years of service were required in the army at the time of the Crimean War?
21 for infantry
24 for cavalry
What did Russell’s reports about Sebastopol highlight?
the terrible conditions for the soldiers
the ineffective medical care
the mismanagement of supplies
the troop’s bravery
Who criticised Raglan in December 1854?
John Delane - editor of the Times
What caused the Russians to retreat at Inkerman?
French troops arrived to back up the British
When was the siege of Sebastopol?
1854-55
Which section of the British Army drove back the Russian cavalry at Balaclava?
the Heavy brigade
How far was it from Balaclava to the siege lines?
6 miles
How many of the Divisional Commanders had led anything larger than a battalion previous to the Crimean War?
only 2 of them
When was Sebastopol captured? When had attacks failed?
September 1855 captured (the Russians abandoned it)
Attacks had failed in June
Who failed to supply the troops with food ,fuel, tents and clothing?
Incompetent Commissariat officials
When was the Battle of Balaclava?
October 25th 1854
Casualties at Inkerman?
Russian - 11,000
British - 2457
French - 880
When was the Battle of Alma?
mid-September 1854
How large was the charitable fund Nightingale managed?
£30,000
Who was Roger Fenton?
the first official war photographer
What was the main difference between Nightingale and Seacole?
Nightingale came from the British upper class whilst Seacole came from a British colony - their backgrounds were polar opposite
What were the barracks like?
overcrowded and unsanitary
