160 years ago

As it is past midnight, it is fair to say that the highly apposite anniversary was yesterday. On March 28, 1854 Britain and France declared war on Russia and the complicated and unpleasant business known as the Crimean War began and went on till 1856 with the Peace of Paris signed on March 30 of that year.

It is fair to say that the war led to some reforms in military matters in Britain, a greater understanding of the need for nursing (though that took a long time) but above all it led to the Alexander II's great reforms, the greatest of which was the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861.