692 Ch. 1 8 • The Dominant Powers in the Age of Liberalism

(Left) The charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava. (Right) Florence Nightingale.

wounded and those sick with cholera and dysentery. She bombarded the

government with highly detailed information on what was wrong and what

was needed. Raising funds through private contributions, she succeeded

in improving conditions in the hospital. Nightingale had to overcome the

conviction of officers that she would “spoil the brutes,” that is, the sick and

wounded enlisted men, as well as overcoming prejudices against a woman

making forceful demands on the government. The government several years

later enacted a series of reforms to improve food and health care for the

men in its army. In part a result of Florence Nightingale’s highly publicized

work throughout the remainder of her career, nursing emerged as a more

respected profession.

The Crimean War ground to a halt after Sebastopol finally capitulated in

September 1855. The Peace of Paris (March 1856) guaranteed the auton­

omy of the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (which

became independent Romania in 1878), the independence of Turkey, and

the neutrality of the Black Sea. The Crimean War left little doubt that Vic­

torian Britain remained Europe’s strongest power.

The Liberal Era of Victorian Politics

Britain entered a period of relative social harmony. The repeal of the Corn

Laws in 1846 convinced many workers that they could place their trust in

political reform, which is one reason there was no revolution in Britain in

1848 (see Chapter 16). Middle-class reformers had broadened their appeal