fenton

Question 1

work of Russell and Fenton did show the horrors of Crimea to the people of Britain, Russell slightly more than Fenton due to the lack of reality shown in photography at the time

Answer 1

Fenton:
- took photographs which allowed British people to see what Crimea was like
- although his work was more intended for the families of soldiers, it gave the British people a perspective on how war was fought in Crimea
- but his work was not a real insight into the brutality of war
o Fenton photographed mainly wealthy people
o avoided photographs of death
o was not present during the winter of 1854/55
- therefore, it is unlikely his work CHANGED PUBLIC ATTITUDE regarding the conduct of the war —–> more allowed the public to see what was happening in Crimea
Russell:
- sent on behalf of The Times to report on the war in Crimea
- he witnessed and reported on the major events of the Crimean War with Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman
- he was not afraid to criticise the British Army particularly Raglan
o his reports would therefore expose the on the ground actions of the British Army and show that it was not the ‘the finest force’ it was perceived as
o criticising Raglan showed the public how poorly run the Army was
o led to public outcry
- therefore, Russell’s reports gave a real insight into British actions in Crimea which gave the British public the ability to form an opinion on how the war was being conducted

Question 2

exposed the failures in the administration of the civil service as well as the army which reshaped public opinion on how the army was perceived

Answer 2

• Arthur Roebuck’s appeal for a commission into the conduct of the war
  o led to Lord Aberdeen’s very public resignation
  o showed the public that government actions were influential in the conduct of the war
  o outlined all of the failure in Crimea in 1854 to the public
• McNeill-Tulloch Report (January 1856)
  o showed the military failures in Crimea
  o exposed the lack of logistical aptitude in the army
  o criticised Raglan and the Commissariat in Balaclava

Question 3

work of Florence Nightingale
exposed the horror in hospitals such as Scutari, showing the public the poor sanitation in Crimea

Answer 3

• setting up of the Nightingale Fund
  o raised £30,000 which funded better sanitation in Scutari
  o showed the public that individuals such as Nightingale were having to fund the medical situation —–> showed the govt as inept
• Commission into the Health of the Army
  o showed to the public the state of the medical situation
  o showed the failure of Dr Hall to keep troops healthy
  o stressed poor hygiene
  o led to army reform w/sanitation
• Nightingale has shown the public that it was not only admin and military problems in Crimea but the health of soldiers too
  o 22,000 dead soldiers with most dying from disease

Question 4

government policies increasing attention to the news/improved technology
improved technology meant Brits could receive news of events in Crimea faster as well as cheaper paper printing made the news easily accessible

Answer 4

• increased accessibility to the news led to greater exposure
  o new technology allowed news to reach London quickly
   telegraph lines meant that news travelled quickly
   railways also meant news travelled quick
  o Public Libraries Act of 1850
   gave free reading material to everyone
   increased literacy rate
  o newspaper production was cheaper
   less taxes
   better printing technology
   lower manufacturing costs
• these policies meant the population became more literate and more invested in the news of the world —-> 50%
• therefore there was a larger number of people who could form an opinion and call for change —–> more people exposed to problems in Britain (not just in Crimea)

Question 5

CONCLUSION

Answer 5

• Russell and Fenton were not primarily responsible for public changes to attitudes
• important to acknowledge the work of Russell but Fenton was not influential
• work of Nightingale exposed the problems with healthcare
• reports and commissions exposed the hierarchal problems (BUT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND FOR YOUR AVERAGE BRITON)
  BUT
• changes to the literacy rate allowed the middle and upper class, those whose opinions carry the greatest weighting to formulate an opinion
• headlines in the news always carry more power than a commission or report in the public eye