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The Crimean War

1853 - 1856

prologue pic 1

The Casus Belli for the Crimean War was Russian insistance for control over the Holy places in Palestine.
Most of the conflict took place in the Crimea between Russia and the armys / navys of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire.

prologueB

'Punch', artist unknown, 1853

The Winds of War.

PrologueC

By John Tenniel, 'Punch', April 9, 1853

The Russian Bear Hug!

prologueD

By Tenniel, 'Punch', August 5, 1854

The Giant - Great Britain and France
The Dwarf - Turkey

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'Punch', November 2, 1854

The Charge of the Light Brigade, under the command of the Earl of Cardigan.

prologueG

By Tenniel, 'Punch', November 3, 1855

Russia corraled.

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Florence Nightingale - The 'Lady With the Lamp'.

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'Punch', August 30, 1856

The Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire Map

The Ottoman Turks dominate the Middle East basin for 400 years.

PrologueE

By John Leech, 'Punch', September 17, 1853

Turkey - "The sick man of Europe".

Ottoman Empire A

'Punch', 1856

Scissors in hand, the great powers cutting up the map of the Ottoman Empire

The British Expedition to Abyssinia

1867

Abtssubua map

A British expedition led by Sir Robert Napier to free the British consol and other European prisoners being held by Abyssinian emperor Theodore II.
The Forces storms Theodore's mountain stronghold of Magdala and secure the release of the hostages. Theodore takes his own life.

AbyssiniaD

AbyssiniaC

By Janet-Lange, from 'L'Illustration', May 23, 1868

Elephant walk on Magdala.

abyssiniaB

By Tenniel, 'Punch', August 10, 1867

AbyssiniaE

The suicide of King Theodore

AbyssiniaF

The burning of Magdala by the British in 1868 by Chestofbooks.

Mark Twain visits the Holy Land

1867

Innocents Abroad

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

Mark Twain

Depicted: Mark Twain by Frank Beard, American Publisher, 1872, U.S.A.

Opening of the Suez Canal

1869

suezA

In a spectacular ceremony, the Suez Canal was inaugurated on November 17, 1869.

Suez CanalD

Commemerative booklet celebrating the opening of the Suez Canal.
Depected: Khedive Ismail of Egypt and Sudan.

suezB

By Tenniel, 'Punch', November 27, 1869

France: "See what it unites".
Britanna: "Think what it may divide".

The Suez Canal Company shares were primarily held by Ismail Pasha of Egypt and the French government. The 'divide' refers to the fact that Egypt lay between Britain and her crown colony India.

suezC

By André Gill, La Lune, Paris, 1867

Ferdinand de Lesseps
French diplomate and engineer, most famous for building the Suez Canal, which joined the Mediterranian and Red Sea.

Suez Canal E

By Thomas Nast, 'Harper's Weekly', September 24, 1881

Caption: Peaceful Neutrality
The position on England and France at the Suez Canal.

"The Great Game"
Anglo - Russian Rivalry Over Central Asia

1873

greatGameA

GreatGameC

By Tenniel, 'Punch', January 25, 1873

Keeping the Russian at bay.

greatGameB

By Tenniel, 'Punch', June 23, 1873

'Feline Rapprochement'
The British lion, the Persion cat and the Russian bear.

greatGameD

By Tenniel, 'Punch', July 5, 1873

Nassar Al-Din, Shah Qater of Iran, was given admittance to the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria.

A Passage to India

1875 - 1876

PassageToIndaA

Disraeli buys the Khedive of Epypt shares in the Suez Canal company thus making Great Britain
the largest single shareholder. It was the start of imperial British control over Egypt.

passage2IndiaB

By Tenniel, 'Punch', December 11, 1875

Perfect Understanding

passage2indiaC

By Tenniel, 'Punch', Febuary 26, 1876

Disraeli and the Khedive close the deal.
Great Britain buys out the Khedive's shares of the Suez Canal Company.

pasage2IndiaD

By Tenniel, 'Punch', July 15, 1876

Disraeli ponders the 'eastern question'.

passage2IniaE

By Tenniel, 'Punch', June 16, 1877

Russia locked out.

Passage to India F

By Thomas Nast, 'Harper's Weekly' USA, January, 1881

FOREIGN ENCROCHMENT
"Suppose the United States should undertake to control the Suez Canal, what would Europe do about it?" - Ulysses S. Grant

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