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When most people think of the Criman War the first thing that comes to mind is either Florence Nightingale or the Charge of the Light Brigade.I light of current events I though it would be interesting to review the last Great power War in the region and that is the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Ironically, that war was also fought ostensibly for the rights of an oppressed minority, although it was Christians in the Holy Land and not ethnic Russians in Crimea in 1853. The origin of the war was between Russia and Turkey but Britain and France got involved when it looked like the Ottomans were going to get trounced. Britain & France eventually invaded the Crimea, laid siege to Sebastopol and the war ended inconclusively. The modern state of Ukraine has it's origins in that earlier Crimean War.What is it with that part of the world and instability?
If you read The Russian Dagger by Virginia Cowles, you will have a clear understanding of the Crimean War and Russian meddling in the Balkans.
Isn't it that areas which are nationally cosmopolitan and presumably rich in resources (or geographically favorable) are ripe for squabbles? I think of Israel as another such example.
The whole thing with the Crimea is it is a sphere of influence struggle. Modern Israel was a backwater until the Israelis made the desert flower. The problem in Israel is racial hatred not resources. I think there is a bit of Arab envy that the Israelis are showing the Arabs to be the losers they are in there too.Russia is upset because they think the EU got to close o their backyard in the Ukraine and now they are trying to counter that with threats of force. It is the same thing that started the war in 1853. Just some of the actors are different.
