The Crimean War was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an
alliance of the French Empire, British Empire, Ottoman Empire and the
Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between
the major European powers for influence over territories of the
declining Ottoman Empire. Most of the conflict took place on the Crimean
Peninsula, but there were smaller campaigns in western Anatolia, the
Caucasus, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the White Sea.
The Crimean War is known for the logistical and tactical errors during
the land campaign on both sides (the naval side saw a successful Allied
campaign which eliminated most of the ships of the Russian Navy in the
Black Sea). Nonetheless, it is sometimes considered to be one of the
first "modern" wars as it introduced technical changes which affected
the future course of warfare, including the first tactical use of
railways and the electric telegraph.
It is also famous for the work of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole,
who pioneered modern nursing practices while caring for wounded British
soldiers. The war also led to the establishment of the Victoria Cross in
1856 (backdated to 1854), the British Army's first universal award for
valor.
The Crimean War was one of the first wars to be documented extensively
in photographs. News correspondence reaching Britain from the Crimea was
the first time the public were kept informed of the day-to-day realities
of war.
This unique collection of 150-160 images will prove to be an invaluable
resource for historians, students and all those interested in what was
one of the most significant periods in British military history. Each
picture will tell its own story, and will be fully captioned with
historical detail.
