A Liberal State at War: English Politics and Economics During the Crimean War

Abstract

This study reveals the Crimean War as Europe's first object lesson in the challenge that war presents to a state committed to political, social and economic liberalism. The text deals with issues of war and finance, monetary policy and economic warfare: the strains imposed on constitutional government, the wartime role of publicity and the press, and the impact of military disasters on class, radical ideas and reform.