The Crimean War, Coverage of the War (1854-56)

Question 1

What made the Crimean War unique to other wars that came before it?

Answer 1

• It was the first to receive coverage that included photographs
• News of battles reached Britain much faster thanks to new forms of technology

Question 2

List 2 new technologies that helped news reach and be circulated in Britain faster, and explain how they did this.

Answer 2

• The telegraph- this allowed brief messages to be transmitted within hours
• Trains- these allowed newspapers to spread quickly (within the next day) in Britain, as there was a rail network connecting the major population centres

Question 3

Why did newspapers have a bigger impact on the public during the Crimean War?

Answer 3

• Before 1800, reading was a minority skill, but by 1850 over half of Britain’s population was literate

Question 4

Give 3 reasons why literacy had increased in the first half of the 19th century in Britain.

Answer 4

• Sunday schools
• Charity schools for the poor
• Legislation forcing factory owners to educate their workers to a basic standard

Question 5

What 2 important limitations did photography have in the 1850s?

Answer 5

• Subjects had to hold their poses for several seconds, so it wasn’t possible to take shots of action
• Newspapers did not have the technology needed to reproduce photographs

Question 6

What was the 2 reasons why Roger Fenton was sent to the Crimea?

Answer 6

• He was a commercial photographer working for a publisher
• Prince Albert hoped that his photos would counter the negative publicity about the conduct of the war

Question 7

As a result of the commercial nature of Fenton’s photography, what 2 limitations were there to his photos?

Answer 7

• His subjects were mainly officers
• He avoided taking any shots showing injury and death

Question 8

What other (unintentional) limitation was there to Fenton’s photographs?

Answer 8

• Fenton was in the Crimea from March to June 1855
• He was not present for any major battles or the winter of 1854-55- the most strenuous period for the British

Question 9

Give an example of how Fenton’s photography could also be deceptive.

Answer 9

• Aware of public concern, he took a photo of men from the 68th Regiment in their winter coats
• However, this did not inform the public of when the coats had arrived, or that the picture was taken in April, when the temperature was roughly 25°C

Question 10

Describe 4 impacts Fenton’s photography had in Britain.

Answer 10

• Before this, war had often been displayed through dramatic and idealised paintings, but Fenton’s photography gave the public a much more realistic view
• Landscape photos showed how barren the Crimea was
• Photos of men often showed the squalid living conditions
• As a result, it created empathy for soldiers and and people began to question why the war was being fought

Question 11

Who was the most influential reporter in the Crimea, and which paper did he write for?

Answer 11

• William Howard Russell
• The Times

Question 12

Give 3 ways that Russell’s experiences in the Crimea differed from Fenton’s.

Answer 12

• Russell had arrived with the first wave of allied troops, and only left in December 1855 (was briefly in Constantinople from December 1854- January 1855)
• He got close to the fighting
• He witnessed the Battles of the Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman and the siege of Sebastopol

Question 13

Using an example, describe how important Russell’s reporting was.

Answer 13

• His account of the Charge of the Light Brigade was so vivid that Alfred Lord Tennyson based his poem on it

Question 14

List 3 areas of focus Russell had, and give an example of the type of commentary he would make for each.

Answer 14

• He wrote a lot about the treatment of the wounded and medical provisions
• He made comparisons between the British army medical service and the better equipped French
• He analysed the performance of generals
• He criticised Raglan for not pursuing the Russians after the Battle of the Alma
• The struggles of common soldiers
• He wrote about the horrendous conditions they had to live in, and criticised the campaign organisation

Question 15

What restrictions that were later introduced was Russell not subject to? What did this allow?

Answer 15

• By the time of WW1, the government and the military knew to be careful about press freedom in war zones and how the press obtained its information
• However, at the time of the Crimean War, war correspondents such as Russell were allowed to travel freely within allied territory
• As a result, Russell could report things that the authorities would have preferred to keep hidden

Question 16

What benefit did Russell’s reporting have for soldiers in the Crimea?

Answer 16

• The Times raised thousands of pounds through its Sick and Wounded Fund, and Russell’s reports were central to the campaign’s success as they evoked sympathy in readers

Question 17

What important contribution did Russell make after he left the Crimea?

Answer 17

• He campaigned for the introduction of the Victoria Cross; an award that could be given to regular soldiers as well as officers for bravery (before this, only officers could receive medals)

Question 18

What is arguably the biggest impact the press had during the Crimean War?

Answer 18

• The attacks of the press on the generals and Raglan in particular led to increased questioning and criticism of the government
• In January 1855, a motion calling for an enquiry into the war was passed, and Lord Aberdeen understood this to be a vote of no-confidence
• He therefore resigned, and was replaced by Lord Palmerston