If history in the area of Crimea/Ukraine is not repeating itself today, it is certainly rhyming with the tune of Russia’s humiliation of their military.
But their defeat was also a call to reform through modernization. The defeat of Russia was key in weakening their military and their wealth, thus lessening their power in Europe for many years. Britain was also concerned about their access to India.
Protecting religious minorities under Ottoman control* in Palestine was the initial cause of the war, but looking farther down the road, the longer-term issues included the attempted expansion of the Russian Empire and the French and British desire to keep the Ottoman Empire functional in the regional balance of power. The Crimean War was lost by Russia in conflict with the Ottoman Empire and its allies-France and the United Kingdom of Britain. She pioneered the acceptance of women in the wider work force. Indeed, she not only set the stage for professional nursing but also set standards for healthcare, first in Britain and later in various parts of the British Empire. Most of us, if we remember anything about the Crimean War, it is the courageous and creative nurse, Florence Nightingale.