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Analysis Of The Charge Of The Light Brigade

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Analysis Of The Charge Of The Light Brigade
“Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.” This line from Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is very well known, but very few actually know what the Charge of the Light Brigade was, or when it happened. The charge took place during the Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War, and this military blunder as well as many other events during the siege, make this siege a huge influence on ending the war and bringing forth the Treaty of Paris 1856. The Crimean War is a war that most people have never even heard about. The war took place from October of 1853 to September of 1856 and was fought by an alliance of France, England, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Turks …show more content…
On October 25 1854 the Battle of Balaclava broke out near Sevastopol and saw two main events. The Charge of the Heavy Brigade was the first main event of the battle and the charge was meant to break up a Russian attack that was two thousand soldiers strong. The Heavy Brigade consisting of only three hundred men charged into the Russians and eventually was able to cause the force of two thousand to retreat. Shortly after the success of the Heavy Brigade another order came in, this time for the light brigade. “Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance 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. - (Signed) R Airey.” The order being very vaguely worded and ordering the calvary to attack with haste, was taken in the wrong way by Captain Nolan, a member of the Light Brigade and the man tasked with delivering the orders, and when the six hundred men of the Light Brigade charged they were met with a force that they could not break through. The six hundred men were picked apart and what was left of them was greatly wounded. Of the six hundred that rode into battle, four hundred and twenty six men were wounded, killed, or missing. Though the Light Brigade had suffered great losses, they still held strong and stayed proud, even if they did not understand why they had ran into battle. The men of the cavalry have ever since this event been remembered and the gallant soldiers have had their legacy go down in
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