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HMS Dreadnought.The 1902, 1904 and 1907 agreements with Japan, France and Russia allowed Britain to refocus resources during the Anglo-German naval arms race. In explaining why Britain went to war with Germany, British historian Paul Kennedy (1980) argued that a critical factor was the British realisation that Germany was rapidly becoming economically more powerful than Britain.
The highly controversial introduction, in January 1916, of conscription for the first time in British history followed the raising of one of the largest all-volunteer armies in history, known as Kitchener's Army, of more than 2,000,000 men. [1]: 504 The outbreak of war was a socially unifying event. [2]
At the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, the British regular army numbered 247,432 serving officers and other ranks. [1] [2] This did not include reservists liable to be recalled to the colours upon general mobilization or the part-time volunteers of the Territorial Force.
This is a timeline of the British home front during the First World War from 1914 to 1918. This conflict was the first modern example of total war in the United Kingdom; innovations included the mobilisation of the workforce, including many women, for munitions production, conscription and rationing.
The British enter Damascus. September 26 Western: Battle of Somme-Py (Initial phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive). Middle Eastern: Charge at Irbid, a phase of the Capture of Damascus. September 26–27 Middle Eastern: British capture Deraa during the Capture of Damascus. September 27 Middle Eastern
British official historian Brigadier James Edward Edmonds, in 1925, recorded that "The British Army of 1914 was the best trained, best equipped and best organized British Army ever sent to war". [80] This was in part due to the Haldane reforms , and the Army itself recognising the need for change and training.
Before World War II, the events of 1914–1918 were generally known as the Great War or simply the World War. [1] In August 1914, the magazine The Independent wrote "This is the Great War. It names itself". [2] In October 1914, the Canadian magazine Maclean's similarly wrote, "Some wars name themselves. This is the Great War."
A Coldstream Guards poster from World War I British Volunteer recruits in London, August 1914, who would form Kitchener's New Army. At the start of 1914, the British Army had a reported strength of 710,000 men including reserves, of which 247,432 were regular troops, also including 80,000 regular troops formed as the British Expeditionary Force ...