A chronicle of the events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia and which led to the siege of Sevastopol and the fierce Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854, which culminated with the heroic, but near-catastrophic calvary charge made by the British Light Brigade against a Russian artillery battery in a small valley, which resulted in the near-destruction of the brigade due to error of judgement and rash planning on part of