The Crimean War (1853-1856) is considered to be the first modern mass media war in history. The media coverage that was carried out by William Howard Russell and Roger Fenton has certainly made it possible for the Crimean battlefields to come to life. Their reports and photographs have been the foundation to capture the attention of the public and inform them with the latest news about the war. The Crimean war was a conflict that took place on the Crimean peninsula between Russia and an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Initially, it was a war only between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, however, for the reason that France and Britain were aware that the Ottoman Empire was declining, they feared that Russia would grow even more powerful and may very well become a threat to their colonial interests in Asia. Bearing in mind the size of Russia, it is apparent that France and Britain would feel frightened if the country’s colonies will increase more rapidly as it will only lead to an imbalance of power. Therefore, France and Britain decided to act as a protector of the Ottoman Empire in order to balance the power of rising colonizers.
To further understand the Crimean War, it is essential to recognize the causes and the reasons for the particular conflict. As I have already asserted, the Ottoman Empire was falling, and at the same time, the Russians believed that they should have the privilege to protect the Eastern Orthodox believers in Turkey. However, since Turkey refused to recognize the rights of Russians to protect these believers, the Russians sent its armed forces immediately to the Ottoman territory. Clearly, this was not a valid reason for Russia to declare war on the Ottoman Empire for the reason that Russia was also interested in controlling other territories of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, Russia seized this opportunity so that they can become a great conqueror in Eurasia.
Besides that, the Crimean War was acknowledged as the first war that was documented extensively in written reports and photographs by William Howard Russell, who is a publisher of the Times newspaper.[1] In this circumstance, these written reports and photographs became the basis to keep the public properly informed about the uncensored reality that is occurring during the Crimean War. Although distributing content through the form of traditional media has not reached equal effectiveness and efficiency in comparison to new media, it was still able to perform well at that time. Nonetheless, the Crimean War can also be seen as an industrial war for three reasons; firstly, the railways were used to move troops, secondly, the use of telegraphs to transmit information were significantly practiced, and most importantly, the Crimean War was covered in Daily News which informed the public on the current events and happenings on the war. Basically, the way people communicated during this era was from “The Victorian Internet”. The Victorian Internet, which is also known as the “electric telegraph,” has enabled the news to travel more immediately at a local and global level. For instance, the Charge of the Light Brigade, which is a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, allowed the public to understand how noble the British were during the Battle of Balaclava against the Russians. Tennyson’s skills of writing excellent but short lyrics made a difference to the public. With Tennyson’s poem, the public was able to grasp the damages that resulted in the war although they were dreadful and horrific. However, at the end of the day, the public was able to respect their compatriots for sacrificing themselves for the betterment of society, as well as their courage in their attempt to defeat the Russian artillery battery near the front line. Finally, the participation of two very important women, Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole were also told in the news and stories during the Crimean War. They were considered caretakers, heroines, and nurses, in the eyes of the public for the reason that they took good care of the wounded British soldiers and made sure that they would be healthy enough to go to war again. To conclude, the Crimean War is recognized as the first “media” war because it was the era of rising media, as well as the industrial revolution.
[1] “Crimean War – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War>.
Media and War 