Module overview
The Crimean War (1853-56) was the most important Great Power conflict fought between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the outbreak of World War One in 1914. Yet its causes are uncertain and the way it was fought was often paradoxical: modern techniques of warfare, media reporting and medical care did not prevent this being a war characterised by blunder and incompetence, all played out in the glare of public scrutiny. Reputations were made and broken, Great Powers were humbled; we might ask did anyone win this war? Yet on the battlefield and beyond the implications and lessons of the war were wide-reaching for societies, economies and governments. This module therefore asks why did the war break out and how was it fought, while also examining its impact and legacy beyond the battlefield.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The ways in which historical understanding is informed both by different interpretations of source materials, political perspectives, and by different and changing methodological approaches to the study of the past
- The key features of the history of the Crimean War
- Selected historiographical debates related to the study of war, politics, diplomacy, society and culture in this period
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Share your thoughts about your reading in writing, constructing arguments based on evidence
- Think analytically about the material you have located and read
- Manage your own learning and your time effectively, meeting deadlines
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Interpret, analyse and evaluate historical arguments and source materials
- Identify and describe the key characteristics of debates about the Crimean War
- Engage with a range of approaches to understanding an historical problem
Syllabus
This module will examine the Crimean War from a number of perspectives. Indicative topics include:
- diplomacy: no-one ‘won’ the war: in its aftermath Russia, Britain and France all had cause to reflect on their status as great powers and it was the spur to a wide range of ‘modernising’ programmes in those countries
- military history: this war was fought using a variety of new technologies, yet militarily it was poorly executed, characterised by blunders and inflexibility
- the religious and cultural tensions exposed by the conflict
- medical history: Florence Nightingale, among others, famously highlighted medical shortcomings in the war and while her efforts achieved mixed results, this case study offers an opportunity to examine war from a medical point of view
- media history: this was the first media war, played out in graphic detail in the pages of the press
- memory and commemoration: it was often commemorated on a modest scale, but from Alma Road in Portswood to the Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris the war has left its mark on the landscape and the module will therefore look at issues of memory and commemoration
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Lectures
- Seminars
Learning activities include
- Independent reading using resources available in the library
- Note-taking in lectures
- Active participation in seminars
You will use reading lists provided by the module convener to guide your reading and preparation for weekly seminars. You will be expected to make contributions to seminar discussions based on your preparatory reading.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wider reading or practice | 26 |
| Seminar | 12 |
| Lecture | 12 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Completion of assessment task | 50 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Resources. The Hartley Library, including the Archives and Special Collections, offers a rich resource to support this course. Further materials (images, films, etc) will be made available through a dedicated class website (Blackboard).
Textbooks
D. Wetzel (1985). The Crimean War: a diplomatic history.
M.S. Anderson (1966). The Eastern Question, 1774-1923.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 40% |
| Written assignment | 60% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 40% |
| Written assignment | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External