7. Manpower, Training, and the Battlefield Leadership of British Army Officers in the Era of the Two World Wars

Author(s):  
Gary Sheffield
Keyword(s):  
1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur N. Gilbert

There can be no doubt that those who joined the officers corps in the eighteenth century became members of an exclusive club with its own distinctive values. These values were imposed on all members of the corps and, as is the case with most exclusive organizations, only a very few individuals were confident or perverse enough to challenge the group standards. The officers corps had an honour code; a set of principles which was informally enforced to ensure that each member soon learned proper from improper behaviour. When there were violations of the code the subaltern officers would bring peer group sanctions to bear in the form of social and professional ostracism until the offender cleared his name by removing the blot on his honour.


Author(s):  
Graham Dominy

This chapter examines the influence of the British military garrison at Fort Napier by tracing the history of the organization from whence the garrison came: the British Army. During the Victorian era, the British Army was a pillar of the established order. Its main function was to defend the realm in the United Kingdom, the Indian Empire, and the colonies, as well as the monarchy. In the period before the establishment of an organized police force, the army maintained internal stability in Britain and, even more significantly, in Ireland. The chapter first provides an overview of the administration and reform of the British Army before considering the “inherent” qualities that were inculcated into future army officers, along with the “other ranks” of the army. It shows that the Victorian-era army reflected and magnified the class structure of the society from whence it came, citing its emphasis on the concept of masculinity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document