The "Charge of the Light Brigade" was considered a defeat at the time, and can still be considered so; they suffered unacceptable losses in acheiving very little.
The "Battle of Balaclava" achieved its objective so therefore was a victory.
The Cossacks were shit scared of the Light Brigade? Yeah right! And those poor bastards charging the guns weren´t scared? Read "Hell Riders" for a proper appreciation of the human elements and emotions involved in the charge.
FFS. The Battle of Balaclava was not a defeat. The Heavy Brigade made short work of the Russian cavalry and the Light Brigade scared the living shit out of the Cossacks so the Chasseurs d'Afrique rode in and swept the Russians back. Read Hell Riders for a proper appreciation of the charge and the damage it dealt.
@freebeerfordworkers I agree. EG the representation of Raglan, in fact a soldier of vast experience is little short of caricature. The Charge is in essence the first media event in battle history. It is as you rightly say famous because of two things: Tennyson and The Times. The movie is enjoyable but unsatisfactory and clearly a creation of its time ( late 1960s )
That movie was made during the Cold war when Russia was viewed as the enemy,apparently whoever made this might not have had that much faith in the West's leadership's ability to defeat the Russian dominated Soviet Union.
@klochkow73 I should add that the incompetence of the army command in this war lead to the total reorganisation of the British Army and the right of aristocrats to buy and sell their officers commissions.
@klochkow73 It just happened that the first modern war reporter witnessed the charge and the leading poet of the day wrote a poem about it. The Heavy Brigade was also lead by aristocrats and they attacked before with success. The leading British historians said the same thing a stupid action in a stupid war because the peace terms that ended it were being considered before it started.
Also this is a movie by a left wing director who hated aristocrats and not entirely accurate.
@POTCMarc101 Britain and France went to the aid of their ally the Ottoman Empire who was being attacked by Russia. They feared that Russia would try and take Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and so have a port on the Mediterranean sea from which they could base a fleet to menace Europe. Britain and Russia had never been at war before this but had clashed around Afghanistan over spheres of influence and both feared the potential threat of the other (it was like a precursor to the Cold War)
I think you mean captured *from* their Turkish allies.
I also think you mean the guns were being remover from some small forts *on the heights to the south* of the valley down which the Light Brigade advanced.
The "Charge of the Light Brigade" was considered a defeat at the time, and can still be considered so; they suffered unacceptable losses in acheiving very little.
The "Battle of Balaclava" achieved its objective so therefore was a victory.
The Cossacks were shit scared of the Light Brigade? Yeah right! And those poor bastards charging the guns weren´t scared? Read "Hell Riders" for a proper appreciation of the human elements and emotions involved in the charge.
mediastarguest 2 weeks ago
FFS. The Battle of Balaclava was not a defeat. The Heavy Brigade made short work of the Russian cavalry and the Light Brigade scared the living shit out of the Cossacks so the Chasseurs d'Afrique rode in and swept the Russians back. Read Hell Riders for a proper appreciation of the charge and the damage it dealt.
Talbot6832 2 weeks ago
@freebeerfordworkers I agree. EG the representation of Raglan, in fact a soldier of vast experience is little short of caricature. The Charge is in essence the first media event in battle history. It is as you rightly say famous because of two things: Tennyson and The Times. The movie is enjoyable but unsatisfactory and clearly a creation of its time ( late 1960s )
tigerarmyrule 1 month ago
@thebigJM92
That movie was made during the Cold war when Russia was viewed as the enemy,apparently whoever made this might not have had that much faith in the West's leadership's ability to defeat the Russian dominated Soviet Union.
Urdalibertine 1 month ago
@klochkow73 I should add that the incompetence of the army command in this war lead to the total reorganisation of the British Army and the right of aristocrats to buy and sell their officers commissions.
freebeerfordworkers 1 month ago
@klochkow73 It just happened that the first modern war reporter witnessed the charge and the leading poet of the day wrote a poem about it. The Heavy Brigade was also lead by aristocrats and they attacked before with success. The leading British historians said the same thing a stupid action in a stupid war because the peace terms that ended it were being considered before it started.
Also this is a movie by a left wing director who hated aristocrats and not entirely accurate.
freebeerfordworkers 1 month ago
@POTCMarc101 Britain and France went to the aid of their ally the Ottoman Empire who was being attacked by Russia. They feared that Russia would try and take Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and so have a port on the Mediterranean sea from which they could base a fleet to menace Europe. Britain and Russia had never been at war before this but had clashed around Afghanistan over spheres of influence and both feared the potential threat of the other (it was like a precursor to the Cold War)
thebigJM92 1 month ago
@POTCMarc101 crimean war
cannibalcheese 1 month ago
When did Britian and Russia became enemies?
POTCMarc101 1 month ago
I think you mean captured *from* their Turkish allies.
I also think you mean the guns were being remover from some small forts *on the heights to the south* of the valley down which the Light Brigade advanced.
GrubbyDave 1 month ago