A short while ago, the Crimea was the stuff of Boys'Own history tales of the Charge of the Light Brigade, Balaclava and Sevastopol, or legends of Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp.
In 2014, Crimea has been thrust once more into the global limelight as unrest broke out on the streets of Kiev and the Russian-backed president of Ukraine was overthrown for turning his back on the European Union and deferring to Moscow. The subsequent referendum in Crimea and popular call for Crimea to be reincorporated into the Russian Federation has been declared illegal. Has a crime been committed in Crimea, and what is the history behind the Russian Black Sea fleet and the significance of Sevastopol?
Is the region on the brink of another Crimean War, or will the latest diplomacy prevail?
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