8 - The Culture of the British Army, 1914–1945

Summary

From 1914 through 1945, the British Army displayed extraordinary heroism on the sharp end, while leadership at the higher levels was less than satisfactory. To a considerable extent, this was a result of a peculiar regimental culture that had developed over the nineteenth century when the army served as a constabulary force with its regiments spread across the empire. The result was a military culture that focused downward and that devalued the serious study of war as crucial to the development of military professionalism. The result was that at the sharp end, British regiments produced extraordinary brave and tough soldiers. However, at the higher levels, British generalship was less than impressive. The two exceptions to that rule, Field Marshals William Slim and Bernard Law Montgomery, spent substantial portions of their careers during the interwar period either as students or as instructors at the staff colleges. Moreover, both were serious students of military history.