Was it Bravery or stupidity?
Without a doubt the decision to launch the Charge of the Light Brigade without observing the Russian positions was a particularly stupid one in the first place. The commander of the Light Brigade believed that attacking the Russian positions that were heavily protected would achieve a breakthrough during the Battle of Balaclava.
The Charge of the Light Brigade was carried out in order to re-capture artillery guns that had been seized by the Russians earlier in the Battle of Balaclava. The Light Brigade was actually under-strength during the Battle of Balaclava yet its officers and men did not hesitate to attack the well-defended Russian positions. The Charge of the Light Brigade was as brave as it was foolhardy. Everybody knew that the Charge of the Light Brigade was almost suicidal whilst forgetting that it actually succeeded in its over all objective.
Heavy Losses
The first aftermath of the Charge of the Light Brigade was that 247 of its members were killed or injured, out of its total strength of 670 officers and men. The Charge of the Light Brigade might not have been so costly had its commander bothered to carry out a proper reconnaissance of the Russian positions beforehand.
The Creation of the Victoria Cross
In the aftermath of the Charge of the Light Brigade the British commemorated the bravery of the Light Brigade itself, with the introduction of the Victoria Cross Medal for bravery in battle. In fact the original Victoria Crosses were actually made from the bronze of the Russian artillery pieces captured as a direct result of the Charge of the Light Brigade. The aftermath of Charge of the Light Brigade also witnessed the Russian army avoiding battles against the British cavalry for the rest of the Crimean War.
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