Military History Lecture Series November 11 2010 Dr Robinson Yost Assistant Professor History Social Sciences Department Attack sir Attack what What guns sir Lord Lucan There ID: 244988
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The Crimean War & The Charge of the Light Brigade: History & Film
Military History Lecture Series (November 11, 2010)
Dr. Robinson Yost, Assistant Professor, History Social Sciences Department
Attack, sir? Attack what? What guns, sir?
Lord
Lucan
There
, my Lord, is your enemy;
there
are your guns.
Captain
Nolan
Allow me to point out to you that there is a battery in front, battery on each flank, and the ground is covered with Russian riflemen.
Lord Cardigan
I know it. But Lord Raglan wil
l have it. We have no choice but to obey .
Lord LucanSlide2
“Russian War” (1853-1856)
Results?
weaker Russia stronger France
ended Concert of Europe
750,000 – 1 million dead
Origins?
religious political
The War? technology mismanagement tactics
Punch
(April, 1853)Slide3Slide4
Brave or Stupid?
George Charles Bingham
(1800-1888)
Lord Lucan
James Thomas
Brudenell
(1797-1868)
Lord Cardigan As to Lord Cardigan, he has as much brains as my boot, and is only equally in want of intellect by his relation Lord “Look-on.” Without mincing words, two bigger fools could not be picked out of the British Army to take command.Slide5Slide6
Charge of the Light Brigade (Oct. 25, 1854)
The Charge
why? Raglan’s order:
“Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Troop of horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on your left. Immediate.”
results?
118 killed
134 wounded/57 prisoner 475 horse killed or shot afteronly 195 men mountedSlide7
1936
1968Slide8
Charge of the Light Brigade: Lessons?
The Historical Event:
unclear orders
old tactics
versus new technology
diffusion of responsibility
incompetent British officer corps Tennyson’s version of the charge
The Films Depicting the Event: 1936 version: visually accurate, historically inaccurateConcocts a fictional “reason why”: Errol Flynn is the heroCertainty among mid-1930s uncertainties: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin
1968 version
: visually accurate, historically
more
accurate but misleading
Targeting British social order: Old (bad) versus New (good)
Anti-war,
Vietnam parallels:
a far-away war, mismanaged & futileSlide9
Charge of the Light Brigade: Lessons?
Final Words:
Because these movies are readily available today on DVD, hundreds of people today can watch them today in the comfort of their own homes.