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Talk & Tour: Battle of Balaclava
Find out more about the British light cavalry’s role during the Crimean War.
Historic Event
This is a historic event or exhibition. It is no longer available to visit and this page is only retained as a record of its details.
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Dates
25 October 2017 (historic event)
About
To mark the anniversary of The Battle of Balaclava (25 October 1854) we're hosting a talk on the Charge of the Light Brigade followed by a tour of the new Charge! The Story of England's Northern Cavalry gallery.
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.
Miscommunication in the chain of command meant that the Light Brigade was sent on a frontal assault against an artillery battery well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire rather than an objective more suited to Light Cavalry. They reached the battery under withering direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, but they were forced to retreat immediately. Thus, the assault ended with very high British casualties and no decisive gains.
