British Infantry Battalion Commanders in the First World War

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 20th Century, Military
Cover of the book British Infantry Battalion Commanders in the First World War by Peter E. Hodgkinson, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Peter E. Hodgkinson ISBN: 9781317171904
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Peter E. Hodgkinson
ISBN: 9781317171904
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Recent studies of the British Army during the First World War have fundamentally overturned historical understandings of its strategy and tactics, yet the chain of command that linked the upper echelons of GHQ to the soldiers in the trenches remains poorly understood. In order to reconnect the lines of communication between the General Staff and the front line, this book examines the British army’s commanders at battalion level, via four key questions: (i) How and where resources were found from the small officer corps of 1914 to cope with the requirement for commanding officers (COs) in the expanding army; (ii) What was the quality of the men who rose to command; (iii) Beyond simple overall quality, exactly what qualities were perceived as making an effective CO; and (iv) To what extent a meritocracy developed in the British army by the Armistice. Based upon a prosopographical analysis of a database over 4,000 officers who commanded infantry battalions during the war, the book tackles one of the central historiographical issues pertaining to the war: the qualities of the senior British officer. In so doing it challenges lingering popular conceptions of callous incompetence, as well more scholarly criticism that has derided the senior British officer, but has done so without a data-driven perspective. Through his thorough statistical analysis Dr Peter Hodgkinson adds a valuable new perspective to the historical debate underway regarding the nature of British officers during the extraordinary expansion of the Army between 1914 and 1918, and the remarkable, yet often forgotten, British victories of The Hundred Days.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Recent studies of the British Army during the First World War have fundamentally overturned historical understandings of its strategy and tactics, yet the chain of command that linked the upper echelons of GHQ to the soldiers in the trenches remains poorly understood. In order to reconnect the lines of communication between the General Staff and the front line, this book examines the British army’s commanders at battalion level, via four key questions: (i) How and where resources were found from the small officer corps of 1914 to cope with the requirement for commanding officers (COs) in the expanding army; (ii) What was the quality of the men who rose to command; (iii) Beyond simple overall quality, exactly what qualities were perceived as making an effective CO; and (iv) To what extent a meritocracy developed in the British army by the Armistice. Based upon a prosopographical analysis of a database over 4,000 officers who commanded infantry battalions during the war, the book tackles one of the central historiographical issues pertaining to the war: the qualities of the senior British officer. In so doing it challenges lingering popular conceptions of callous incompetence, as well more scholarly criticism that has derided the senior British officer, but has done so without a data-driven perspective. Through his thorough statistical analysis Dr Peter Hodgkinson adds a valuable new perspective to the historical debate underway regarding the nature of British officers during the extraordinary expansion of the Army between 1914 and 1918, and the remarkable, yet often forgotten, British victories of The Hundred Days.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Programme Making for Radio by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Social Work in a Glocalised World by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book The Routledge Companion to Accounting and Risk by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Beyond the Psychoanalytic Dyad by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Economic Reform and Employment Relations in Vietnam by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Europe Since 1989 by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Globalisation and Migration by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Aliens and Alienists by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Cultural Overstretch? by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Psychology for Inclusive Education by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book The Impact of International Television by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Performance Tasks and Rubrics for Early Elementary Mathematics by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Contemporary Just War by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Renewable Energy and the Public by Peter E. Hodgkinson
Cover of the book Paying for Broadcasting: The Handbook by Peter E. Hodgkinson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy