Army tent encampments at Guard's Hill. In the background the landing place Balaklava Harbor, filled with ships. At the top of the hill the ruins of the old Genoese Castle. Roger Fenton, 1855.
This day October 25th 1854 the Battle of Balaclava took place.
Present day Balaclava
next episode: victorie parade
For a picture taken in 1855 this really a super shot! The detail shown is impressive. Nice display of "Present day Balaclava".
ReplyDeleteIn that campaign of Crimea, the King of Sardinia-Piedmont helped the French troops. The French reciprocated the help in the war of Turin against Austria in 1859. Sardinia-Piedmont in a few months conquered Lombardy, Emilia and Tuscany.
ReplyDeleteIn 1860, besides, Turin attacked the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (namely, Naples and Palermo), the most rich State all over Europe at that time (it was the only one still issuing ordinary golden and silver coins). Such attack, taught to us as willing of making a united Italy, in the truth was a run to the gold of Naples to avoid bankrupt just because of the previous war in Crimea.
Southern Italians started to suffer a lot: about 50% of them emigrated to the USA (mainly NY and Chicago), to Canada (Toronto and Montreal), Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay and Australia. Italian "Mafia" was and is a parallel organization wanting to resist to such forced union. But this is another story...
Today is St Crispin's Day and the day of "The Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava which gave rise to the famous poem by Tennyson and the comment by a contemporary Russian general;"Lions led by asses."
ReplyDeleteGreat picture, Rob.
Today is also the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Shakespeare's Henry V's rallying call, "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers: ............... That fought with us upon St Crispin's Day."
Bob, I couldn't have put all that better myself! Great pictures Rob!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell what it is, but there's something about these older photos of the Crimea that makes the topography seem more barren than today. I think it may have something to do with the tint color.
ReplyDelete