The Transforming Power of the Victoria Cross, 1856–2010

The Crimean War (1854–56) marked the introduction of the Victoria Cross, the first award for valor granted to the British military’s rank and file. Victorians and subsequent scholars regard the Cross as a reflection of the newfound respect for the common soldier. This essay understands the Cross as an instrument that produced consensus and consolation at its inception and beyond—at the turn of the twentieth century, when global hostilities were rising; during the 1950s, when Britain was shedding an empire and wanting a role; and in the recent past, against the backdrop of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.