The Crimean War took place on its namesake -- the Crimean Peninsula, near the Black Sea -- and was fought over the course of three years (1853 - 1856). Sparked over religious tension in the area, the major players in the War were Britain, France, Turkey, and Sardinia, and Russia. The Russian czar sought to expand Russian influence over the Middle East, taking advantage of the decline of the Ottoman Empire to gain a foothold around the eastern Mediterranean. Britain and France, on the other hand, were concerned that this expansion of the Czar's control over this area endangered their own trade routes, which they fought to protect. Some other quick facts: there were an estimated 650,000 deaths; the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, first became famous for her treatment of British soldiers during this conflict; the Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1856 when Russia gave in so that Austria wouldn't enter the war, fighting alongside Britain and France; and the Crimean War is also considered one of the most technologically advanced wars due to the fact that soldiers used mass-produced rifles and armored assault vehicles (History.com).

The Crimean War is surprisingly quite important to the novel through its usage to establish the alternate history the novel utilizes and to help characterize Thursday. One of the novel's first tasks is to help orient the reader in the new timeline Fforde has created in The Eyre Affair and this happens best by including comments about reanimated dodos -- a la Jurassic Park -- and the extension of the Crimean War. The extension of the War also gives readers some insight into the governmental operations (Goliath treated like a state with representation in Parliament) and technological advancements (Stonk weapon) of England in this alternate timeline, since a lot of comments about Goliath tend to be segued via Thursday's inner discussions about the Crimean War.

The Crimean War is important to the characterization of Thursday due to her being a veteran and subsequently being against this war as a result of the destruction and loss of lives she witnessed. Her brother also died in this war, further adding to her dislike of the conflict and distrust of those running the country due to the fact that they are extensively profiting off the devastating loss of lives.

Works Cited

Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair: A Novel. Penguin Books, 2003.

History.com Editors. “Crimean War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/british-history/crimean-war.