Skip to main content

ReadChapter 3

A Long and Illustrious History

3.4.15 The Crimean War

From 1853 to 1856, Britain fought with Turkey and France against Russia in the Crimean War. It was the first war to be extensively covered by the media through news stories and photographs. The conditions were very poor and many soldiers died from illnesses they caught in the hospitals, rather than from war wounds. Queen Victoria introduced the Victoria Cross medal during this war. It honours acts of valour by soldiers.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. View licence.

© Crown copyright. Source text from Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition, 2013), reproduced verbatim under OGL v3.0.