“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Immortalized by Tennyson in his 1854 poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” published in The Examiner, praising the brigade (“When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made!”) while trenchantly mourning the appalling futility of the charge (“Not tho’ the soldier knew, someone had blunder’d… Charging an army, while all the world wonder’d”).
I won’t retrace the insanity of the Crimean War. You might want to check it out for yourself.
Wiki has a nice summary.
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to send the Light Brigade to prevent the Russians from removing captured guns from overrun Turkish positions, a task for which the light cavalry were well-suited. However, there was miscommunication in the chain of command and the Light Brigade was instead sent on a frontal assault against a different artillery battery, one well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire. The Light Brigade reached the battery under withering direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, but they were forced to retreat immediately, and the assault ended with very high British casualties and no decisive gains.
What is it with the Brits and their taste for pointless gestures? The “last stand” legacy of their colonial wars that reached its apex in the Great War and the disaster at Mons? The pointless slaughter at Ypres and the Somme?
Repeated again a generation later with their futile guarantee of Polish independence when the socialist dictatorships swept away the Versailles construct that was “Poland” and restored imperial borders. Poland never had a chance, and the Brits couldn’t guarantee the borders. But their gesture got themselves into a war in which they could not win.
In World War 2.0, the BEF once again advanced into Belgium to the line of the Dyle River. And, again, just as quickly retreated after the German breakthrough at the Battle of Sedan (12–15 May). The BEF, French and Belgian forces north of the Somme River outran the German Army to Dunkirk which, as with all Brit “last stands” manufactured a “victory” in defeat.
And so, now it’s our turn in Crimea?
Seems that’s what our Sock Puppet President wants.
Crimea was colonized by the Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Crimean Goths, the Genoese and the Ottoman Empire, while at the same time its interior was occupied by a changing cast of invading steppe nomads and empires, such as the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Goths, Alans, Bulgars, Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks, Mongols and the Golden Horde. Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century.
In 1783, Crimea was annexed by the Russian Empire as the result of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774).
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Crimea became an autonomous republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in the USSR. During World War II, Crimea was downgraded to the Crimean Oblast after its entire indigenous population, the Crimean Tatars, were deported to Central Asia, an act recognized as a genocide by Ukraine and three other countries. In 1954, it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR from the Russian SFSR.[5]
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was reestablished as an independent state in 1991, and most of the peninsula was reorganized as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, while the city of Sevastopol retained its special status within Ukraine. The 1997 Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet partitioned the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet and allowed Russia to continue basing its fleet in Crimea: both the Ukrainian Naval Forces and Russian’s Black Sea Fleet were to be headquartered in Sevastopol. Ukraine extended Russia’s lease of the naval facilities under the 2010 Kharkiv Pact in exchange for further discounted natural gas.
In February 2014, following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution backed by the Obama Administration, that ousted the elected Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, Russia annexed Crimea after a military intervention by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces.
A Crimea-wide referendum was held on the issue of reunification with Russia; its official results showed over 90% support for reunification, however, the vote was boycotted by many loyal to Ukrain and declared illegitimate by Western governments and the United Nations. Russia formally annexed Crimea on 18 March 2014, incorporating the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol as the 84th and 85th federal subjects of Russia.
That brings us to the present.
Less than a month ago, the Oligarch’s Sock Puppet was awakened from his nap to sign off on $125 million in military supplies to Ukraine – or maybe “Dr.” Jill signed off – whatever. (https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/03/01/us-announces-125-million-in-military-aid-for-ukraine/)
Recall Corrupt Joe Inc. (a family business) has been cashing in on Ukraine for quite some time. Seems we’re into guaranteeing Ukraine’s military adventure.
Should we expect Russia might guarantee Venezuelan adventures in reply. What might we do in that case?
Well, I presume some serious military mobilization.
Sort of like what Michael Snyder describes is happening right now.
At this hour, more Russian military forces are massed near Ukraine’s borders than we have ever seen before. Western military leaders say that they are concerned that the troop movements that we have witnessed in recent days may be leading up to an invasion, and if an invasion does happen it will greatly test the resolve of the Biden administration, EU leaders and NATO brass. In particular, the hawks in the Biden administration would almost certainly not be willing to just sit back and let the Russians conquer all of Ukraine. There would likely be a major response by the United States, and that could set off a chain reaction that could ultimately spark World War 3.
So what made the Russians suddenly move a massive invasion force toward Ukraine?
Well, it turns out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky essentially signed a declaration of war against Russia on March 24th. The document that he signed is known as Decree No. 117/2021, and you won’t read anything about it in the corporate media.
Read the rest here – some great road photos of Russian artillery and armor heading to the border:
As Russian Tanks Move Toward Ukraine, The Globe Braces For The Possibility That World War 3 Could Soon Erupt
Note – the Russians aren’t sending their “National Guard” – Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федераци. Nope, they are sending first-line troops to the border: the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade. The brigade was first formed in 1979 and fought in the Soviet–Afghan War, the 1st & 2nd Chechen War.
Check them out:
So, when US-backed provocation is met by Russian counter-force, what’s the US/Ukraine response?
Let’s let Southfront explain it.
I get that Joe Biden Inc. has some dough on the line in Ukraine. But, is all this worth it? Is confronting Russia on its border in land that is demographically Russian worth the risk?
And when Russia doubles-down – as they said they will – how far will we meet each “raise”?
Can we prevail in Crimea? Doubtful unless we are willing to go “all-in”.
To what end?
Econophysics2020 