Recording: The Royal Navy’s Roles during the ‘Crimean’ War

The Crimean campaign was merely one part of the ‘Russian War’ – a global conflict waged in four theatres. The critical theatre was the Baltic, where the main British fleet operated.

If current events have revived interest in Ukraine and Crimea, few have given much thought to how the ‘Crimean’ War was won, and perhaps even fewer have pondered on the role of Allied naval power. The bulk of British writing continues to ignore the war, focusing on small-scale military activity in Crimea and ignoring the far larger French contribution to that campaign, as well as the critical role of sea power. Eye-witness accounts of army operations in Crimea – not least a famous cavalry charge – and the scale of casualties from battle and disease still dominate perceptions of the war. In this webinar, Professor Andrew Lambert will consider the roles and impact of the British fleet and will take part in a Q&A session.

The event is chaired by Dr Sidharth Kaushal, Research Fellow, Sea Power, RUSI.

Professor Andrew Lambert is Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, and Director of the Laughton Naval History Unit. His work focuses on the naval, strategic and cultural history of the British Empire between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War, the evolution of naval historical writing, and the history of technology. He has lectured on aspects of his work around the world, and has made several television documentaries. His books include The Crimean War: British Grand Strategy against Russia 1853-1856 (Manchester: 1990, 2nd edition Aldershot: 2011).