Many more illustrations relating to the Crimean War can be found at the Look and Learn picture library. More pictures relating to the Charge of the Light Brigade can be found here. Some 670 men were involved in the charge, of which 110 were killed, 129 wounded and 32 wounded and taken prisoner 375 horses were killed. They were supported by the 11th Hussars and others, but the ‘heavy brigade’ had been withdrawn when Lord Lucan realised the charge was doomed. Half of Lord Cardigan’s men of the 17th Lancers and 13th Light Dragoons were dead before the guns were reached. However, a misinterpreted order from Raglan led British cavalry to charge into the North Valley and into the path of Russian shell fire. The British line was held by the Scottish 93rd Highland Regiment – what was to become known as “the thin red line”. Ragland had insufficient troops to defend his flank, a weakness exploited by the Russians. Ahead of the siege, the British forces under Lord Raglan moved into Balaclava. The Crimean War was entering its second year when British and French forces prepared to besiege Sevastopol. Had it not been written, the charge may have been forgotten by all but military historians.25 October marks the anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854. Almost like a ballad, it appealed to people who were not able to read to a high level. With its catchy rhythm and powerful images the poem stuck in the public consciousness. His work was enjoyed by ordinary people, and with this poem he was addressing a wide audience – not just the establishment. Tennyson wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade in response. A nation that had embraced British military exploits abroad began to question the politicians and generals who led them. Public reactionĪt home news of the disaster was a sensation. Their flight was marked by instant gaps in our ranks, the dead men and horses, by steeds flying wounded or rider less across the plain. Surely that handful of men were not going to charge an army in position … At the distance of 1200 yards the whole line of the enemy belched forth, from thirty iron mouths, a flood of smoke and flame through which hissed the deadly balls. We could hardly believe the evidence of our senses. They swept proudly past, glittering in the morning sun in all the pride and splendour of war. William Howard Russell reported for The Times: Over 150 British soldiers were killed, and more than 120 wounded. Īn order given to the British army's cavalry division - known as the Light Brigade - was misunderstood and over 600 cavalrymen charged down a narrow valley straight into the fire of Russian cannons. Tennyson shows how violent and relentless war is by using repetition at the start of each. Soldiers often fight wars with the knowledge that death is almost certain. Answer: The Charge of the Light Brigade is a poem that both praises and laments the battle. The most significant moment in the Crimean War came during the Battle of Balaclava. Question 11: Does the poem glorify war, courage and honour Give reasons for your answer. His reports caught the attention of the public and inspired individuals to set out for the war zone to help suffering soldiers - most famously Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. The Times correspondent William Howard Russell used the modern technology of electric telegraph to send dispatches from the front line. The Crimean War could be described as the first media war - a forerunner to the intensely reported conflicts of modern times.įor the first time in history newspapers carried eye-witness reports, detailing not just the triumphs of war, but the mistakes and horrors as well. Unlike other medals, this was awarded not only to officers but to ordinary soldiers. The war saw the introduction of the highest decoration for gallantry, the Victoria Cross. It is estimated that around 25,000 British, 100,000 French and up to a million Russians died - almost all of disease and neglect. The Russian Empire was defeated by an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia. The Crimean War was fought from October 1853 to February 1856. Strategically valuable as a naval base, and with rich agricultural land, it has been invaded, occupied and battled over by a series of aggressors. Jutting into the Black Sea, Crimea is a rugged peninsula in Eastern Europe.
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