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Crimea 1854-56
This war is most important, as it was the only conflict fought by Britain against a modern European power between 1815 and 1914 and was characterised by major military incompetence. The war proved that, although the British Army was well-suited to Colonial warfare, there were serious deficiencies, particularly in generalship and in supply organisation, during a war with a modernising enemy. However, the war was redeemed by the fine fighting of junior officers and men, the battle of Inkerman being a classic example of this. There were a number of causes of the war, the main one being British fears of Russian expansion through the Dardanelles into the eastern Mediterranean, occasioned by the decay of the Turkish Ottoman empire 'The sick man of Europe'. In alliance against Russia with France, Turkey and Piedmont the British expedition landed in the Crimea in September 1854, and four days later stormed the Russian position at the Alma River. After a severe battle, the Russians retreated into Sebastopol, but the Allies allowed them to escape. The British set up camp at Balaklava, where on 25th October 1854 they were attacked by the Russians. The ensuing battle is famous for the Charge of the Light and Heavy Brigades, and the action fought by the 93rd Highlanders ('the thin red line'). Ten days later another major battle was fought at Inkerman, in which troops took part in hand-to-hand fighting for many hours, both sides suffering very heavy casualties. There followed a long, ten month siege, during which there were several major assaults on the fortified port of Sebastapol. Eventually the city fell, peace was concluded and the Allies withdrew their troops. The Crimean war is also memorable for the emergence of the modern newspaper correspondent in the form of William Henry Russell, whose graphic dispatches in The Times described the war in unflinching terms and did not spare criticism of the British commanders. In medical history it saw the beginnings of modern nursing, carried out by women under the redoubtable Florence Nightingale, 'the lady with the lamp' whose hospital at Scutari saved many lives once she had won her battle for hygiene with her male colleagues.
| Crimea 1854-56 |
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HIGHLAND BRIGADE
Its Battles and its Heroes
Product Code: 23568
Published in association with The National Army Museum London, this is a well-illustrated and popular Victorian account of the daring deeds of the Highland Brigade in the Crimea, India, South Africa and the Sudan - for those who like their history red in tooth and claw.
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LETTERS FROM THE BLACK SEA DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR
Product Code: 23566
Published in association with The National Army Museum London, this unusual view of the Crimean War was written by the British Admiral, Sir Leopold George Heath, who bombarded Sebastopol from the 74-gun HMS Sans Pareil.
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ROMAINE’S CRIMEAN WAR
The Letters and Journal of William Govett Romaine
Product Code: 11177
The Crimean War is a by-word for military incompetence and the suffering of the troops. These recently discovered papers - a journal and many letters - of a crucial eye witness to the campaign sheds a revealing new light on the war. The author, William Govett Romaine, the Army’s Judge-Advocate, ...
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DVD - History Of War - Balaclava - Charge Of The Light Brigade
Product Code: D1257
The infamous charge of the Light Brigade and the heroic courage of the Thin Red Line. The story of the Battle of Balaclava. It was one of the most famous battles in military history. The Battle of Balaclava was distinguished by three celebrated acts the heroic courage of The Thin Red Line, the ...
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