Has history misjudged the generals of World War One?

[Neil]

He had been a major in the Territorial Army, so his jump to major and then lieutenant colonel wasn't totally ridiculous.  It's not like they made him a division commander or something.

Still, he was a retired junior officer who got bumped up in rank because of his political connections, as described by Timmay.  Agree that it was not totally ridiculous.

Did he really get bumped up in rank due to political connections?  I guess they didn't hurt Major Churchill's ambition to become Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill, although he would rather have been Brigadier Churchill.

[Neil]

Well they were actually professional generals, not Lt. Colonels promoted to Major General or retired junior officers with political connections made Colonels or Bg. Generals.

Read a biography of Winston Churchill; he was precisely a retired junior officer (second lieutenant) with political connections, promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of a battalion after he left office as First Lord of the Admiralty.

How do you get to be First Lord of the Admiralty after 2nd LT even if you have like, ducal blood or something? Shouldn't you be some sort of Lord or Admiral first?

You become Home Secretary first, and then you switch jobs with Reginald McKenna.

It's a political position.  You don't need to have served to be First Lord.  First Sea Lord is the highest ranking professional, First Lord of the Admiralty is his boss.  It's like the difference between the Naval Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Navy.

[chipwich]

It's like the difference between the Naval Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Navy.

In the U.S. this setup is based on civilian control of the military. But doesn't being a lord make it not really civilian, since lordship is a vestige of knights&dukes, which in turn used to compromise the military?

Also, wouldn't being First Lord make Churchill a lord? I thought he specifically didn't want to be a lord so his son could be in the house of commons. How does that work?

[Sheilbh]

The Prime Minister is technically First Lord of the Treasury. It doesn't make him a Lord any more than being Lord Lieutenant of Devon does.

[Razgovory]

I get the impression that a lot of the history of the Great War were written with an eye toward class conflict.

[Razgovory]

The Prime Minister is technically First Lord of the Treasury. It doesn't make him a Lord any more than being Lord Lieutenant of Devon does.

What does the Lord Lieutenant of Devon do?

[Sheilbh]

What does the Lord Lieutenant of Devon do?

They basically deputise for the Queen/Royal Family. So they normally guide them around when they visit the county. They attend civic events, give out minor honours, turn up at the odd military/cadet event, that sort of thing.

[Neil]

It's like the difference between the Naval Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Navy.

In the U.S. this setup is based on civilian control of the military. But doesn't being a lord make it not really civilian, since lordship is a vestige of knights&dukes, which in turn used to compromise the military?

Also, wouldn't being First Lord make Churchill a lord? I thought he specifically didn't want to be a lord so his son could be in the house of commons. How does that work?

In Britain this setup is based on civilian control of the military.  Not only does lordship have nothing to do with the military in the modern era, but First Lord of the Admiralty is just a title, held over from antiquity (sort of like how the Secretary of War doesn't file memos and get coffee for the other members of the Cabinet).  In fact, a slim majority of modern First Lords haven't been Lords at all.

[Gups]

Slight aside, I was looking at the Jenkins biography recently - worth getting?

It's OK, but far too hagiographic so fails to really understand the man - his greatness and his many failings.

Jenkins' biog of Gladstone is much better.

[CountDeMoney]

derspiess will just blame it all on Al Haig anyway.

[Viking]

derspiess will just blame it all on Al Haig anyway.

Well, he was in control there, so the blame must fall on him...

[The Brain]

Al-Haiga.

[Jacob]

I hate officers.

You hate pretty much everyone.