Into the Valley of Death: A Relevant History of Crimea

The Charge of the Light Brigade

 “…All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns’ he said.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.”

——————-

“Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed and thundered.

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Rode the six hundred.”

Used to recite this to Bonnie and Christine.  (Bonnie was scared as I read it)

Many are familiar with Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous poem that followed by a few days the newspaper reports of a military disaster for British forces at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854. It took place in Crimea, which is very much in the news today because of the present war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Crimean War from 1853 to 1856 was between the British Empire and its allies (principally France and the Ottoman Turks) and the Russian Empire. Crimea had been part of the Russian Empire since 1783. The Battle of Balaclava was part of the siege of Sevastopol, Russia’s principal naval base on the Black Sea.

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