Richard Holmes
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198222996
- eISBN:
- 9780191678561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198222996.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Military History
This chapter examines the conflict between John French and Horatio Herbert Kitchener which is relevant to their memoirs about World War I. It suggests that the lines of battle between French and ...
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This chapter examines the conflict between John French and Horatio Herbert Kitchener which is relevant to their memoirs about World War I. It suggests that the lines of battle between French and Kitchener were drawn long before the dispute between them burst into print. It explains that the seeds of the clash lay in their characters, with French being a lively cavalry officer whose amorous exploits were legendary while Kitchener was a dour engineer of monkish proclivities. This chapter suggests the French-Kitchener controversy remained fiercely burning until the 1980s.Less
This chapter examines the conflict between John French and Horatio Herbert Kitchener which is relevant to their memoirs about World War I. It suggests that the lines of battle between French and Kitchener were drawn long before the dispute between them burst into print. It explains that the seeds of the clash lay in their characters, with French being a lively cavalry officer whose amorous exploits were legendary while Kitchener was a dour engineer of monkish proclivities. This chapter suggests the French-Kitchener controversy remained fiercely burning until the 1980s.
KEITH JEFFERY
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199239672
- eISBN:
- 9780191719493
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199239672.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Military History
At the War Cabinet, David Lloyd George outlined what he regarded as the four alternative policies for Britain with respect to World War I. First was concentration of the entire British forces on the ...
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At the War Cabinet, David Lloyd George outlined what he regarded as the four alternative policies for Britain with respect to World War I. First was concentration of the entire British forces on the Western Front; second was to concentrate mainly on the Western Front, but utilise the forces now in the various overseas theatres as actively as possible; the third option was essentially a holding operation until Russia recovered and the United States was supplying enough troops to ensure superiority; and the final one consisted of ‘knocking the props from under Germany’ by military and diplomatic operations against enemy allies such as Turkey and Bulgaria. The Prime Minister preferred for some combination of the second and last options. With this in mind, John French and Henry Wilson were to report on the current state of the war and the future prospects and future action to be taken.Less
At the War Cabinet, David Lloyd George outlined what he regarded as the four alternative policies for Britain with respect to World War I. First was concentration of the entire British forces on the Western Front; second was to concentrate mainly on the Western Front, but utilise the forces now in the various overseas theatres as actively as possible; the third option was essentially a holding operation until Russia recovered and the United States was supplying enough troops to ensure superiority; and the final one consisted of ‘knocking the props from under Germany’ by military and diplomatic operations against enemy allies such as Turkey and Bulgaria. The Prime Minister preferred for some combination of the second and last options. With this in mind, John French and Henry Wilson were to report on the current state of the war and the future prospects and future action to be taken.
Ian Beckett
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198222996
- eISBN:
- 9780191678561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198222996.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Military History
This chapter examines the publishing and financial aspects of writing memoirs related to World War I. It highlights the conflicts and controversies surrounding the memoirs written by soldiers and ...
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This chapter examines the publishing and financial aspects of writing memoirs related to World War I. It highlights the conflicts and controversies surrounding the memoirs written by soldiers and statesmen. These include the autobiographies of statesmen Horatio Herbert Kitchener and Lloyd George, and Western Front Commanders John French, Horace Smith-Dorien, and Hubert Gough. This chapter suggests that the controversies may have resulted from the fact that autobiography is a historical genre that is most susceptible to conscious manipulation by the author.Less
This chapter examines the publishing and financial aspects of writing memoirs related to World War I. It highlights the conflicts and controversies surrounding the memoirs written by soldiers and statesmen. These include the autobiographies of statesmen Horatio Herbert Kitchener and Lloyd George, and Western Front Commanders John French, Horace Smith-Dorien, and Hubert Gough. This chapter suggests that the controversies may have resulted from the fact that autobiography is a historical genre that is most susceptible to conscious manipulation by the author.