A Short History of the Crimean War

225 Pages·2019·13.907 MB·English

by  Trudi Tate

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‘A Short History of the Crimean War provides an authoritative account
of the origins of the conflict, its principal engagements and its geopolitical
consequences. Furthermore, the author’s thoughtful and erudite discussions
of literary and visual materials – together with the careful attention given
to the significance of journalism in forming public opinion, and of the key
roles played by women – mean that the book also makes a very welcome
contribution to current debate on the lasting historical and cultural
significance of the Crimean War. An excellent introduction.’
– Philip Shaw, Professor of Romantic Studies, University of Leicester,
author of Waterloo and the Romantic Imagination

‘Trudi Tate’s book, besides giving an admirably concise history of the
Crimean War which will appeal to a wide readership, also offers new and
thought-provoking insights of undoubted interest to the specialist. Whether
it be in her analysis of the role of the British press in reporting the war, her
examination of the literary response towards it, or her highlighting of the
extent to which criticism of the conduct of the war was largely class-based, Dr
Tate pronounces with authority. If one aspect of the book were to be singled
out for special praise, however, it would have to be her explanation of how
the capture of the Russian fortress of Sebastopol was perceived by onlookers
and represented in both print and the new art-form of photography. One
does not readily forget the passage where the author vividly summarises
the reaction of visitors to the shattered ruins of Sebastopol, a mixture of
simple pride at martial achievement – “Look at what we have done!” – and
frightened awe as the realisation of the destructive power of industrialised
warfare on the cusp sank home for the first time: “Look at what we have
done”. All in all, a book that can be recommended without reservation.’
– Alastair Massie, author of
The National Army Museum Book of the Crimean War
A Short History of . . .
the American Civil War Paul Anderson (Clemson University)
the American
Revolutionary War Stephen Conway (University College London)
Ancient China Edward L Shaughnessy (University of Chicago)
Ancient Greece P J Rhodes, FBA (Durham University)
Ancient Rome Andrew Wallace-Hadrill (University of
Cambridge)
the Anglo-Saxons Henrietta Leyser (University of Oxford)
Babylon Karen Radner (University of Munich)
the Byzantine Empire Dionysios Stathakopoulos (King’s College
London)
Christian Spirituality Edward Howells (Heythrop College, University of
London)
the Crimean War Trudi Tate (University of Cambridge)
English Renaissance Drama Helen Hackett (University College London)
the English Revolution and
the Civil Wars David J Appleby (University of Nottingham)
the Etruscans Corinna Riva (University College London)
Florence and the Florentine Brian Jeffrey Maxson (East Tennessee State
Republic University)
the Hundred Years War Michael Prestwich (Durham University)
Irish Independence J J Lee (New York University)
the Italian Renaissance Virginia Cox (New York University)
the Korean War Allan R Millett (University of New Orleans)
Medieval Christianity G R Evans (University of Cambridge)
Medieval English Mysticism Vincent Gillespie (University of Oxford)
the Minoans John Bennet (University of Sheffield)
the Mongols George Lane (SOAS, University of London)
the Mughal Empire Michael H Fisher (Oberlin College)
Muslim Spain Amira K Bennison (University of Cambridge)
New Kingdom Egypt Robert Morkot (University of Exeter)
the New Testament Halvor Moxnes (University of Oslo)
Nineteenth-Century
Philosophy Joel Rasmussen (University of Oxford)
the Normans Leonie V Hicks (Canterbury Christ Church
University)
the Ottoman Empire Baki Tezcan (University of California, Davis)
the Phoenicians Mark Woolmer (Durham University)
the Reformation Helen L Parish (University of Reading)
the Renaissance in
Northern Europe Malcolm Vale (University of Oxford)
Revolutionary Cuba Antoni Kapcia (University of Nottingham)
the Risorgimento Nick Carter (Australian Catholic University,
Sydney)
the Russian Revolution Geoffrey Swain (University of Glasgow)
the Spanish Civil War Julián Casanova (University of Zaragoza)
the Spanish Empire Felipe Fernández-Armesto (University of Notre
Dame) and José Juan López-Portillo (University
of Oxford)
Transatlantic Slavery Kenneth Morgan (Brunel University London)
Venice and the
Venetian Empire Maria Fusaro (University of Exeter)
the Vikings Clare Downham (University of Liverpool)
the Wars of the Roses David Grummitt (University of Kent)
the Weimar Republic Colin Storer (University of Nottingham)
THE
CRIMEAN WAR
Trudi Tate
Published in 2019 by
I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd
London • New York
www.ibtauris.com
Copyright © 2019 Trudi Tate
The right of Trudi Tate to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part
thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Every attempt has been made to gain permission for the use of the images in this
book. Any omissions will be rectified in future editions.
References to websites were correct at the time of writing.
PB ISBN: 978 1 84885 861 9
HB ISBN: 978 1 84885 860 2
eISBN: 978 1 78672 555 4
ePDF: 978 1 78673 555 3
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available
Typeset by Free Range Book Design & Production Limited
Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations ix
Acknowledgements xi
Timeline xii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: The Drift to War and the Battle of the Alma 13
Chapter 2: The Siege Established and the Battle of 49
Balaklava
Chapter 3: Scutari, Inkerman and the Siege 73
Chapter 4: Sebastopol: The Fallen City 103
Chapter 5: The Baltic Campaign 127
Chapter 6: The End of the War 149
Further Reading 167
Notes 175
Index 197

List of Maps
and Illustrations
MAPS
Map 1: The Black Sea xv
Map 2: The Route from Britain to the Crimea xvi
Map 3: The Advance to Sebastopol xvii
Map 4: The Battle of the Alma xviii
Map 5: The Area of War in the Crimea xix
Map 6: Sebastopol Defences xx
FIGURES
Fig. 1: Plan of the Battle of the Alma, Illustrated London 30
News, 28 October 1854, p. 425
Fig. 2: Scene in the French Camp after the Battle of the Alma, 32
Illustrated London News, 14 October 1854, p. 377
Fig. 3: Roger Fenton, View of the Lines of Balaklava from 51
Guard’s Hill, 1855. Royal Collection, RCIN 2500495
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018
Fig. 4: Roger Fenton, The Ordnance Wharf at Balaklava, 52
March 1855. Royal Collection, RCIN 2500461
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018
Fig. 5: James Robertson, Harbour of Balaklava, 1855–6. 53
Royal Collection, RCIN 2500729 © Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II 2018
ix