the Crimean war (post-Balaclava) Flashcards
when was the Battle of Inkerman?
5 November 1854
why was the Russian advance at Inkerman surprising for the British?
the Russians were hidden by rain and fog
what saved the British at Inkerman?
the arrival of French forces
how many Russians died at Inkerman?
11000
how many British died at Inkerman?
597
what did Raglan warn the Duke of Newcastle about?
the danger of wintering in Crimea
what was the Duke of Newcastle’s reply to Raglan about Crimean winters?
that they were among the mildest in the world
shows the stupidity of politicians in Britain
how bad was the winter of 1854/55?
was the worst Crimean winters ever
what meant that British troops could not cook or stay warm?
it was wet so they could not start any fires
camps were blown away by the storms
which ship had been carrying hay to Crimea for British horses?
The Progress
when was the terrible storm in Crimea?
14 November 1854
who was responsible for the congestion in Balaclava harbour?
Admiral Boxer
what was Admiral Boxer’s job?
he was in charge of transport arrangements
what did Boxer do to create congestion in the harbour?
he was inefficient which meant ships arrived without notice and without knowing what supplies they carried
at the port, supplies would sit bayside and would end up rotting
what prevented the British from supplying their troops in outside of Balaclava before the winter?
the Russians controlled the Woronstov Road
when and why did the Russians retreat from their positions at Woronstov Road?
6 December 1854
the winter
who was sent to Crimea to build a railway?
Samuel Peto
when was the Crimean railway constructed?
January 1855
how important was the construction of the railways in Crimea?
allowed for far more efficient transport of supplies to the British frontline
was also much faster
how far was Balaclava from Britain?
4000 miles
how far was Balaclava from the siege lines?
6 miles
what was the problem with administration in Crimea?
army administrators in Britian were fighting between eachother with departments being jealous of other departments
what illnesses were prominent in Crimea?
cholera
scurvy
gangrene
typhus
thyohoid
dysentry
what was the hospital at Balaclava like?
filthy and overcrowded
a prime location for disease to spread
which hospital did Florence Nightingale work at?
Scutari
how many men did Blake treat for illness?
3025
how many men did Blake treat for wounds?
564
what was Raglan’ relationship with his troops?
he rarely addressed them
he didnt look to raise troop morale
in what ways was Raglan as a commander heavily influenced by Wellington?
he trained them in the same way with lines of infantry firing volleys of musket fire
what was Raglan’ relationship with the government?
he declined to inform them of his worries or ask for help
how was Raglan successful?
he won the Battle of Alma and Balaclava by using his overwhelming BA power through infantry and cavalry attacks
his work, despite his death, led to an overall British victory in Crimea by 1855
how was Raglan a failure?
was not popular amongst his men
was at part responsible for poor communication to his subordinates —> charge of light brigade
in what ways were the failures during the Crimean War out of Raglans hands?
he could not control the weather
supplies were not under his jurisdiction
as a MILITARY commander he had little involvement in healthcare
the failures of the Light Brigade could also be attributed to Nolan and Lucan
by January 1855 how many British troops were active?
11000
how many British troops were sick or wounded by January 1855?
23,000
when did Austria sign a treaty with Britain and France?
December 1854
when did Piedmont ally with Britain and France?
January 1855
what changed Russia’s opinion on continuing war?
Tsar Nicholas died in March 1855 and his son Alexander II did not want to commit to war
how many British troops were in Crimea by Spring 1855?
32,000
what problems did the allies face in Spring 1855?
- it was still easy for the Russians to resupply and reinforce as Sevastopol was not fully surrounded
- the defences in Sevastopol were still very strong
what problems did the Russians face in Spring 1855?
- no railway lines from Moscow meant that it took 3 months for supplies or troops to arrive
- the Russian administrative system was corrupt
- the Russians focussed their troops on Austria instead by sending 100,000 Russian troops to the Austrian border
when was the second bombardment of Sevastopol?
June 1855
how many allied guns were used in the second bombardement of Sevastopol?
520
how long was the second bombardment?
10 days
what was significant about the siege of Sevastpol?
both sides started using trench warfare
engineers had a more important role in building siege defences and positions
NO CAVALRY CHARGE
when and how did Raglan die?
28 June 1855
dysentery
when was the Battle of Chernya captured?
16 August 1855
when did the Russians abandon Sevastopol?
11 September 1855
when was an armistice agreed by Alexander?
February 1856
when was the Treaty of Paris signed?
March 1856
ended the war
how did the Crimean War change modern warfare?
showed the importance of logistics and firepower
role of the engineer became more prominent
how many Britons died in Crimea?
22,000
how many Russians died in Crimea?
500,000
