In the Crimean War of 1854, an alliance of Britain, France, and Turkey found themselves locked in conflict with Russia. On October 25, the allied forces fought fiercely to defend Balaclava, a port of immense strategic importance, from falling into Russian hands. Things had been progressing reasonably well on the battlefield, despite the fact that Russian troops had just succeeded in overrunning several Turkish positions. Seeing an opportunity to act, Lord Raglan, who commanded the British forces, dispatched orders to the Light Brigade: stop the Russians from hauling off the Turkish artillery pieces. Comprising lancers, light dragoons, and hussars, the Light Brigade was ideally equipped for exactly this kind of mission. But here's where things went terribly wrong — the orders Lord Raglan actually sent bore little resemblance to what the Light Brigade ultimately received.
What Lord Raglan had intended — a directive to "advance rapidly to the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy from carrying away the guns" — was whittled down to just two devastating words: "advance rapidly."
Hemmed in by the slopes of the valley on either side, the Light Brigade soon grasped the grim reality of their predicament. Not only would they face a formidable battery directly ahead, but enemy soldiers lining both valley slopes would pour fire down upon them as well. Put simply, it was a ride toward certain death. Yet these were disciplined, devoted soldiers to their core. If those were the orders they'd been given, then by God, they would carry them out — consequences be damned. And so, forward they charged.
From his distant vantage point, Lord Raglan watched the scene unfold and swiftly recognized that something had gone horribly awry. But sending additional troops into such a massacre was out of the question, so he pulled back the Heavy Brigade, which had been positioned to offer support. Surrounded and overwhelmed, the Light Brigade was devastated — in barely twenty minutes, close to half their number lay dead. Beyond the staggering human toll, roughly 375 horses were killed or captured in the carnage.
Their extraordinary bravery and unwavering devotion to duty have ensured that the Light Brigade is remembered as heroes and holds a celebrated place in English history.