In 1854 Britain joined the Crimean War on the side of France against Russia. As a female monarch, it was not possible for Queen Victoria to have a traditional military role, she therefore created a new one that focused on the welfare of the troops. She knitted woollens for the soldiers, sent provisions to the camps and inspected military hospitals. When peace came in early 1856, Victoria marked the occasion with a series of balls in her new Ballroom.