The end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 saw Europe begin to experience industrialisation and this is when it can be said that the first real turning point in the changed approach of waging war occurs. Whilst Napoleon revolutionised the way war was waged in terms of improving what had been used for a century, the new found industry completely changed how war was fought. This new found industry included the introduction of the rifle, newer artillery, advances in military technology, and the technological advances in railway and electric telegraph. However it can be said that the rifle underwent the greatest change in weapons technology in the first half of the century, as the amount of technological improvements made ultimately led to the development of the well renowned modern infantry rifle. These changes included the addition of a percussion cap that allowed more reliable firing. The British army adopted this new percussion cap in 1839 and it was first seen in serious action in the Crimean War. Further developments to the rifle saw the introduction of the “Minie” bullet in 1849 by the French, which allowed a range five times greater than the previous bullets and was cheaper to produce. The development of the rifle with these improvements meant it was faster firing, more reliable and had a longer range, placing an advantage in warfare with the defender who could pick off on-rushing soldiers from the cover of their defensive lines. There were also improvements to artillery as the technological advances seen in the rifle could be transferred across to the artillery. Britain adopted a rifle form of cannon in the Crimea which destroyed Sebastopol with their increased range and accuracy. Therefore it can be said that the Crimean War did play a major part in the changed approach to the way war was waged.
However it is most evident that the greatest advance was in the railways. The advances made were highly beneficial to military engagements as they allowed troops to be moved much faster and more reliably. In 1848 the railways were used for exactly this reason and had a highly significant effect. The development of the railways also allowed troops to be supplied with provisions. This ultimately allowed war to continue for longer without having to retreat. Once again this is seen in The Crimean War specifically for Britain who built the first tactical military railway 25-miles long from Balaclava to the trenches to supply the troops with 240 tonnes of food and supplies each day. Hence the army was no longer restricted in size as the whole strength of the nation could be utilised whilst also aiding the removal of the sick and wounded.
The invention of the electric telegraph also provided the army with the ability to send messages over hundreds of miles instantly, which meant that communication was vastly improved. The Crimean War provides evidence for this and also shows a turning point in the way that war was covered by newspapers. The telegraph network stretched back to Europe and they could report upon the day’s events, changing the way that the public viewed the war. This meant that public opinion was now taken into account to formulate strategy. Therefore it can also be said that The Crimean War was responsible for a greatly increased influence of public opinion upon the government which in turn created a changed approach to waging war.
However The Crimean War did highlight the incompetence of leaders throughout the period. Britain and France should have overwhelmed Russia with weapon superiority but poor leadership prevented this. It was only due to even worse Russian leadership that victory was gained. This was coupled with out of date tactics. Commanders still believed in the Napoleonic legend and ignored the modern weapons. This out of date offensive was used right up until World War I when the technology had advanced even further and a the range of weapons had increased meaning that the distance to the enemy without any cover had widened and any offensive was suicidal. Therefore, one can see that The Crimean War did not completely change the approach to waging war during the period.
While these arguments against the effect of The Crimean War are wholly valid it can still be concluded that the Crimean War was a turning point in the changed approach to waging war during the period 1793-1918. The Crimean War brought about a whole new wave of weaponry (the rifle), a highly developed railway system, and a massively improved communication system (the electric telegraph) which ultimately revolutionised the way war was waged from a technological and military perspective. This was clearly shown throughout the period after the war. Therefore even though the tactics of war did not change massively as a result of the Crimea, it can still be considered a major turning point.
