work of Fenton and Russell Flashcards
before the 18th century how did news about wars reach Britain?
very slowly
lack of a communication system
word would arrive weeks after the battle had finished and rumours and gossip often changed the story
what were reasons why the literacy rate in Britain increased?
church Sunday schools
charity schools for the poor
laws enforced factories to offer workers basic education
by 1850 how much of the British population were literate?
50%
what had an increased literacy rate led to?
greater demand for things to read
hence the rise in newspapers and novels
what act was passed in 1850?
the Public Libraries Act of 1850
what did the Public Libraries Act of 1850 achieve?
gave access to reading material to all Britons free of charge
led to the setting up of the first local libraries
what were the issues with wartime photography?
no action shots so did not show reality
subjects had to hold a pose for several seconds
what impact did wartime photograph on the British perception of war?
gave Britons an insight into what warfare was like
what improved the distribution of news?
railways
the telegraph
railways
Britains newly booming railway system allowed for newspapers to be rapidly distributed around the country and the Empire
telegraph
telegraph line between Crimea and Varna allowed for information/news to be passed quickly back to Britain
how long did it take for the Battle of Salamanca to be reported in Britain?
26 days
during the French wars, news was carried on horse wagons to the nearest port and then by ship to Britain
how long did it take for the Battle of Alma to be reported in Britain?
a week
the telegraph had massively improved communication
who encouraged Roger Fenton to go to Crimea?
Prince Albert, Vicky’s husband
why did Albert send Fenton to be a photographer in Crimea?
he hoped his pictures would change the negative perception about the war being created by the British press
why did Fenton choose to photograph officers?
they were the richest of the men in Crimea so were the only ones who had families who could order the photographs —> he wanted to make money
he also needed the support of the officers to pull his carriage around
therefore did not show the experiences of the regular infantry
why did Fenton have to use posed, motionless pictures of people?
any kind of action shot would have resulted in a blur
major limitation of photography at the time as it did not show the realities of war
why did Fenton not take pictures of the injured and dead?
no one would have bought these images
Fenton was trying to make money off of the families of officers —> they would not buy images of the dead
what was significant about the timing of Fenton’s arrival in Crimea?
he arrived in March 1855 and left in June 1855
so had missed:
- Alma
- Balaclava
- Inkerman
- the winter of 1854-55
and after he left
- Sevastopol
so he had no exposure to the brutal fighting, failures of the BA and the horrendous conditions during the winter
how did Fenton’s photographs deceive Britons at home?
a photo he took shows officers well provided with winter clothing
BUT this image was taken in April 1855 when the winter had passed
showed the poor supply system in place in Crimea
but the civilians would not have inferred this and were led to believe that supplies were there
for how long were Fenton’s photgraphs exhibited in Britain?
8 months
how had the exhibitions changed the perception of war?
pre-Crimea, most views of war were formed through idealistic and glorious paintings which romanticised warfare
Fenton’s work was a stark contrast which showed the reality and dullness of war
it also showed Britons what the land in Crimea was like
——> BARREN
what was Fenton’s most famous photograph?
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
what impact did ‘The Valley of the Shadow of Death’ have on the public?
led to a wave of empathy for the British troops in Crimea
showed the conditions of war
probably only realistic aspect of his photography
which newspaper saw major potential in wartime reporting?
The Times
which war correspondents did The Times send to Crimea?
Thomas Chenery
William H Russell
where was Chenery stationed?
in Constantinople
he reported heavily on the work of Nightingale
where was William H Russell stationed?
in Crimea
he would follow the British troops at every key battle and reported henceforth
would become the first major war correspondent in history
what did Russells reports often contain?
the horrors he had witnessed at the front:
the treatment of the injured
brutality of battlefield surgery
evacuation of casualties
how did Russell compare the British and French medical services?
he outlined how the French were far more equipped than the British
which commander did Russell heavily criticise and why?
Raglan
he criticised him for not pursuing the retreating Russians after the Battle of Alma
which of Russell’s report was the most famous?
his report on the Charge of the Light Brigade
it gave a vivid description of the failures of the officers as well as the bravery of the men of the Light Brigade charging to their deaths
which poet was heavily inspired by the work of Russell?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
wrote the poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ after reading Russell’s report
when did Russell leave Crimea?
December 1855
what freedoms did war correspondents have in Crimea?
they were given full freedom in allied controlled zones
meant they could talk to anybody and everybody about whatever they pleased
also meant that many aspects of warfare could no longer be hidden which allowed for criticism to be conveyed where necessary
how was Russell’s work different to Fenton’s?
Russell had a much greater scope compared to Fenton
Fenton’s work conveyed only a small aspect of the Crimean War and did not represent the realities of warfare, with Fenton mainly providing photographs for officers instead of focussing on the dead and injured
however photographs were powerful in creating an impression of war
BUT
Russel’s work was much more realistic and evident of the realities of the Crimean War - it shared the horrifying nature of warfare and played an important role in changing public opinion
Russell, unlike Fenton, was present at all major actions of the war
was also influential in changing public opinion on commanders which led to greater public scrutiny of the BA as a whole
how did Russell have a strong relationship with the common soldier?
his reports always took the side of the common soldier
he wrote about the appalling conditions in Crimea as well as the poorly supplied nature of the BA
his relationship with the regular soldier meant that soldiers would often share details and stories to Russell
why did Russell have a weak relationship with the army command?
he was heavily critical of the army leadership- particularly Raglan
Raglan had even ordered his troops not to speak to Russell
yet they did anyway
how was the press important in raising funds?
The Times were influential in raising money for Crimea:
- the Nightingale Fund raised £30,000 for medical supplies
- the Sick and Wounded Fund raised thousands for injured men in Crimea
by raising public consciousness to the war, the press were able to raise a lot of money to be used in Crimea
which two campaigns were the press involved in after the Crimean War?
raising money for Mary Seacole
the Victoria Cross
raising money for Mary Seacole
after hearing of Seacole’s financial difficulties, The Times worked with Punch magazine to raise money for Seacole in November 1956
the Victoria Cross
Russell worked with the Queen to establish a new form of recognition for gallantry acts in warfare for men who fought in the BA
thus the Victoria Cross was formed in January 1856
how many men who served in Crimea received the Victoria Cross?
111
how had the press had a major impact on British politics?
the criticism expressed by Russell about the conduct of the BA in Crimea raised questions in Parliament
led to the voting in of an enquiry into the conduct of the war in January 1855
led to Abderdeen’s resignation as PM
politicians, specifically Palmerston (Aberdeen’s replacement) took greater consideration of the power of the press and looked to control information
