Half a league, half a league,
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
http://eserver.org/poetry/space.gif Noble six hundred.


Beautiful poem, spectacular act of courage, terrible military blunder. 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

Halo.



Why?

Someone take away his encyclopedia!

I know you've alluded to this before, but I still dunno exactly what it is. Want to edumucate? I bet you're itching to.

Translation: Halo, would you be so kind as to explain to the uneducated (myself included) what the Crimean War was about, and what event (whose sesquicentennial was today), specifically, the 'Charge of the Light Brigade' refers to?

Regards,
Nydia

Crimean War (http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/crimwar1.htm)

and:

Light Brigade (http://www.pinetreeweb.com/13th-balaclava2.htm)

Looks like it was a military blunder. I don't want to put words into his mouth, but this post is typical Halo.

Chances are this war also gave us this as a reminder to this day:

https://secure3.nexternal.com/useg/images/Polypro_Balaclava1.jpg

This is a current USGI Polypro bacaclava, part of the ECWCS system.

Even my British dad, as much as he likes the Romans too, is not as obsess.. er as interested in the subject as Halo is. I do applaud your enthusiasm, though. :confused:

Bah, WTF!

It's quite a big thing over here, punks. Anniversary re-enactment and everything :(

FUCK YOU! I'm not obsessed!!

Anyway, yah. Crimean War.. Russian's on the flanks and high ground, Brits and French on the low-ground and coasts. Twatish military captain (well, the messenger) sends the Light Brigade to charge the wrong way, and 600 alone ended up charging thousands, with Russian sharpe shooters on the sides, and artillery guns ahead. They could see it was suicide, but didn't question the command. They charged.. they got masacred, but managed to destroy the artillery and its crew, and made it back, the little left alive.
Victorian courage, damn you sah!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3944699.stm

Aha!

FUCK YOU! I'm not obsessed!!

riiiiiiiiiiiiight...

There -is- a movie about it people...go watch it or something

There -is- a movie about it people...go watch it or something
Wait....wasn't that Taino's approach to understanding American culture?


go read a book instead

That was Taino's approach to understanding our entire society. When you want to get a general idea about a specific event there is nothing wrong with watching a decent movie about it. If you want to look deeper get a book..but let's get real for a minute..how many people on this board are seriously going to go out and get a book about it?

'Halo, would you be so kind as to explain to the uneducated (myself included) what the Crimean War was about'

- The Crimean War was one of those power struggle games, hidden under a myriad of different excuses. It was also the first time in history (literally), when France and Britain came together. For a hundred years (and a 100 more), Britain and Russia had played "The Great Game" (eternal struggle between the imperial powers, mostly taking place at the North West Frontier, in Asia), which America would later play, then known as the Cold War. With the Ottoman Empire in decline, Russia started taking pokes at it, and grabbing what it could in the guise of protecting Orthodox christians. But as always, the Great Powers were interested in maintaining balance, (and for us Brits, more specifically, for maintaining communication and supply lines to India).
Despite the Ottoman massacre of the Armenians only some years before, the Brits and the French came together to protect the Turks and block Russia's route in to the Black Sea, through the Bosphorus, and beyond.
That happened in the form of setting up camp in the Crimea (that dangling piece of land that hangs off of modern day Ukraine). The war took place mostly around the siege of Sevastopol, including much slaughter on both sides. Russia's claim to imposing itself in the Balkans was to protect the "orthodox christian people", through a series of protectorates.
Over the 2 or so years of the war, Russia suffered several humiliating defeats and was forced to acknowledge Ottoman dominance in the Balklans (ie - they had to back the hell off), and British/French control of the Ottoman's christian subjects. I think they were also banned from having any naval presence in the Black Sea and the Med, pretty heavy.

Despite being a success for the Euro's, it's also known for its very often stupid military strategies, mostly evolving around the "Charge 'em, fuck thinking about it!" way of doing things. Most famously shown through the Charge of the Light Brigade. it also gave rise to a few modern day (and rather spectacularly for the mid-19th century, female) medical branches of the military.

Halo, I left some links. If people were intrested they could have clicked them and found out for themselves.

Aye, just noticed.

Would be so much easier if I stopped ignoring what you had to say.