ABSTRACT
Allied operations in the Crimean War conflict were shaped - indeed misshaped - by a near total absence of trustworthy and trusted intelligence. Charles Cattley accurately monitored Russian forces as far away as Eupatoria, Kertch and the Caucasus, where his intelligence was even better than that of the British officers on the spot. The British had no permanent intelligence system nor even trained staff upon which to build one, although at any one time some commanders, such as Wellington or Raglan, or junior officers had experience upon which one could be formed. The American Civil War offers perhaps the best comparison by which to measure the quality of British intelligence in the Crimea. The Federals and the Confederates generally relied upon the same sources of intelligence as the Iron Duke and Raglan. The intelligence system was administratively decentralized and poorly suited to collect and assess vital technical intelligence on Russian artillery and fortifications.
