Do you agree with the view that Britain's involvement in the Crimean war was a total waste of time and life?

Authors Avatar

Do you agree with the view that Britain’s involvement in the Crimean War was a total waste of time and life?

Britain’s involvement in the Crimean War arose from the belief that British interests in India were directly threatened by the Russia’s army advance through Afghanistan and that their route to India would be threatened by the prospect of Russian control over the eastern Mediterranean, particularly the area around the Black Sea. Therefore, it can be argued that Britain’s involvement in the Crimean War was a worthwhile success, as the Peace of Paris stated that the Black Sea was to be neutralised. However, there are outcomes of the war that suggest the war was a total waste of time and life, such as the many deaths caused by poor health care.

    Source A supports this, as it argues through “gangrene, fever, cholera, dysentery, rhmatism,” the British army was reduced to “11,000 effectives with 23,000 sick.” I can infer that this means the Crimean war was a waste of life, as not only did soldiers therefore die, but many were unable to fight, as they were ill. Furthermore, it could be argued that the war was a waste of time, because while men should have fought, as there were few battle casualities, they were in hospitals. However, Source A was written by a Lieutenant, which means he didn’t have personal experience of being a soldier in the war and could also mean he was biased, as he may not have wanted to criticise other men in high positions in the army. For example, when he admits to the problems of “food”, he explains that there were many supplies that couldn’t reach the soldiers due to “no labourers, no tools to repair the track,” instead of blaming aristocracy imcompetence. Also the exact date is unknown, so we can’t be sure if this was a problem at the start of the war or towards the end. On the other hand, he is being honest when he explains the problems, which I know from my own knowledge. Also he has written it to go home and as it is going to be read by his family, he is unlikely to be biased.

Join now!

   However, Source B suggests that Britain’s involvement in the war was essential, as it explains that the war was due to the “desire of seeing Europe saved from the arrogant and dangerous… Russia.” As Russia had been defeated at the end of the war, it can be argued that the war was worthwhile, especially as England had achieved what they wanted to at the start of the war through the Peace of Paris. However, Source B is biased, as it was written by Queen Victoria to the King of Belgium and therefore would potray Russia as being “barbarous,” while ...

This is a preview of the whole essay