The Importance of Technology in Producing the Allied Victory in the Crimean War

It is no coincidence that the Allied victory in the Crimea coincided

with the completion of a railway between the port of Balaclava and the

besieged city of Sevastopol. This technological innovation immediately

solved the supply problems that had been hindering the Allied armies,

and lead to their final victory. More than any previous conflict, the

Crimean war was influenced largely by technological innovations.

Developments such as the railway, modern rifles and the telegraph,

compared to other factors, had the largest influence on the outcome of

the war. However, factors such as public opinion, leadership, strategy

and the quality of troops also played their role.

The Crimean War was reported on by the media back in Britain far more

than any previous conflict had been. This was the first time genuine

photos of the campaign could be printed in Newspapers, and the first

ever War Journalist, W. H. Russell ensured a public interest in every

detail. His vivid, immediate reports, as well as being hugely popular,

highlighted severe problems with leadership and logistics. He was

unafraid of directly criticising the way the war was being run, and

his reports inspired much anger in the public. Their disbelief at the

conditions in the Crimea lead to many reforms that otherwise may never

have occurred, at least not as rapidly. The media also had a large

influence on people such as Florence Nightingale, who were inspired to

a direct involvement in the Crimea. The media highlighted problems

with logistics, which lead to public outrage, which in turn lead to

some reforms. However, the military strategy used, and the actual

conflicts of the wa...

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...city. The supply problem was solved, with 300

tonnes of supplies able to be transported every day. Soon after its

construction, the Allied army captured Sevastopol. The technological

innovation of the railway provided the supplies needed for victory.

This shows that technology played the most significant role in the

Allied successes.

As in all conflicts, the victor was decided by many factors. The

outcome of the Crimean War was affected by strategy and quality of

troops, and to a lesser extent leadership and the media. But the main

influence on the outcome was the technological innovations put to use

for the first time. The British infantry's new rifles allowed them to

withstand the Russian attacks, and successfully capture Sevastopol,

and the newly constructed railway gave them the supplies they needed

to do so.