The Charge of the Light Brigade is a famous poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, whose lines "Theirs not to reason why / Theirs but to do and die" have made the charge a symbol of warfare at its most reckless. The actual cavalry charge, led by Lord Cardigan, was most possibly based on a misunderstood order which occurred during the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 during the Crimean War. The brigade was not completely destroyed, but after regrouping, only 195 men were still with horses. The charge of the Light Brigade became a subject of considerable controversy and public dispute throughout England. It continues to be studied by modern military historians and students as an example of what can go wrong when accurate military intelligence is lacking and orders are unclear.
