Light Brigade Facts

Identification

• A light brigade is a small military force designed to move quickly and strike the enemy with ferocity. Throughout history, the light brigade has largely been comprised of cavalry units. With the advent of more modern warfare, the light brigade fell out of favor, but has recently been somewhat revived -- minus the horses -- in conflicts like the War on Terror.

History

• Perhaps the most famous light brigade in history is the one that England sent into battle on October 25, 1854. The "Charge of the Light Brigade" occurred during the Battle of Balaclava, as the Russians fought the English, Turks and French in the Crimean War, a conflict initially spurred on by a dispute between Russian and France.

Slaughter

• A miscommunication resulted in orders for the English light brigade to charge -- and the subsequent slaughter of British troops. "A light cavalry brigade of 600 to 700 men attacked enemy forces despite being surrounded on three sides by heavy Russian artillery. In seven minutes, 110 men died," notes National Public Radio (NPR).