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Bezig met laden... Military identities : the regimental system, the British Army, and the British people, c.1870-2000 (2005)door David French
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. While examining the sometimes-lauded and sometimes-derided regimental system of the British Army, the author finds an institution with a great deal more flexibility than it's usually given credit for but notes that the basic issue is that the regiments never quite resolved the problems that they were meant to be an answer to under the Cardwell reforms. In particular, the hope that embedding military units in a (hopefully) supportive community would meet the manpower needs of overseas service in the empire never quite came to pass. While the better sort of working-class man might respect the army and support the empire, it didn't mean that he was prepared to forego marriage and establishing himself in his trade for the sake of that empire. The other basic problem is that while Britain could afford a military to defend the country or a military to engage in overseas service, it could not afford both, and that was the essential problem of mobilization during the world wars and a problem that remains today, as the British military posture continues to diminish since this book has been published. ( ) geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Prijzen
The regimental system has been the foundation of the British army for three hundred years. This iconoclastic study shows how it was refashioned in the late nineteenth century, and how it was subsequently and repeatedly reinvented to suit the changing roles that were forced upon the army.Based upon a combination of official papers, private papers and personal reminiscences, and upon research in the National Archives, regimental museums and collections, and other depositories, this book challenges the assumptions of both the exponents and detractors of the system. The author, DavidFrench, shows that there was not one, but several, regimental systems and he demonstrates that localised recruiting was usually a failure. Many regiments were never able to draw more than a small proportion of their recruits from their own districts. He shows that regimental loyalties were not aprimordial force; regimental authorities had to create them and in the late nineteenth century they manufactured new traditions with gusto, whilst in both World Wars regimental postings quickly broke down and regiments had to take recruits from wherever they could find them. French also argues thatthe notion that the British army was bad at fighting big battles because the regimental system created a parochial military culture is facile.This is the first book to strip away the myths that have been deliberately manufactured to justify or to condemn the regimental system and to uncover the reality beneath them. It thus illuminates our understanding of the past while simultaneously throwing glaring new light on the still continuingdebate over the place of the regimental system in the modern army today. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)355.30941Social sciences Public Administration, Military Science Military Science Organization of military forces Biography; History By Place EuropeLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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