Forging the rapier among scythes: Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien and the Aldershot Command 1907-1912

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dc.contributor.advisorVandiver, Frank E.
dc.creatorSeim, Richard Ray
dc.date.accessioned2013-01-17T16:45:46Z
dc.date.available2013-01-17T16:45:46Z
dc.date.created1980
dc.date.issued1980
dc.description.abstractWhen the Boer War ended in 1902, Great Britain began to analyze her extremely poor performance in that conflict. For decades, her army had accomplished its assigned missions on numerous colonial campaigns and expeditions. But the Boer War clearly demonstrated that her old military practices and attitudes were terribly outdated. In August 1914, when the First World War engulfed Europe, Britain fielded the best trained, equipped, and led army in the world. In the twelve years between the end of the Boer War and the start of the Great War, England had completely refurbished her army. Most of the credit for preparing the British Expeditionary Force belongs to Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, General Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Aldershot Command, 1907-1912. He improved the living conditions of the soldiers; injected realism into marksmanship, training, and maneuvers; taught the cavalry to fight dismounted with rifles; developed the initiative and self-respect of the individual soldier; and most importantly, streamlined Britain's haphazard mobilization procedures. Although he played a key role in the early months of combat, his major contribution toward winning the war to end all wars was his farsighted and sound training programs and reforms during the four years that he was in command at Aldershot.
dc.format.extent169 ppen_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.callnoThesis Hist. 1980 Seim
dc.identifier.citationSeim, Richard Ray. "Forging the rapier among scythes: Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien and the Aldershot Command 1907-1912." (1980) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/69833">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/69833</a>.
dc.identifier.digitalSeimRen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/69833
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectHistory
dc.titleForging the rapier among scythes: Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien and the Aldershot Command 1907-1912
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentHistory
thesis.degree.disciplineHumanities
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts
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