The Crimean War

The Crimean War was fought in an obscure place, and the complicated reasons for the conflict were little more than pretexts. It was almost as Britain and France wanted to ally themselves to fight Russia, so they did.

It's thought of as the first modern war, but it was known mostly for blunders. The most famous incident, the Charge of the Light Brigade, was an attack launched against the wrong position. And perhaps the most noteworthy figure in the war wasn't even a direct participant, but rather Florence Nightingale, the legendary British nurse.

When it was all over, more troops had died of disease than combat, and bitter controversies raged over what exactly had been accomplished.

Image: Lord Raglan, British commander in the Crimean War/Library of Congress