The British Generals at the Dawn of World War One

Generals French, Joffre and Haig
taking a tour of the front. Joffre (center)
was leader of the armies of France.

"Apparently, with the possible exception of Field Marshal Lord Herbert Horatio Kitchener, Secretary of State for War in 1914, none of principal British generals clearly foresaw the scale and industrial intensity of the war that descended on Europe. Or the technological changes that would transform the nature of the battlefield, the role of the soldiers who fought there, and the minds of the men who commanded them."--Western Front Assn.

Heading into Christmas I had three books recommended to me about World War One. On Christmas day I began reading Poilu, and the next day G.J. Meyer's comprehensive A World Undone. Poilu is a memoir and a view of the war through a single lens. Meyer's book is an epic documentation of the war from all the various fronts, including the political leaders, the soldiers, the battles, and the weapons of each nation involved. 

At various interludes throughout the book the author inserts concise overviews of the caliber of generals leading the various armies, including their backgrounds and their readiness for what they were about to experience. This is an excerpt from Meyer's chapter on the British generals.

General John French

August 3, 1914. The Times of London reported that Field Marshal Sir John French had been chosen to lead the British expeditionary force to France and the war. The newspaper was eager to make its readers understand that this was the best of all possible appointments in the best of all possible armies.

As an exercise in wartime propaganda, and helping the public take pride and its Armed Forces in the man chosen to lead them, this report was exemplary. As a reflection of the truth, it did not fall far short of absurd. In the art of generalship, French was rarely better than ordinary.

Meyer's description of the British generals is almost comical. With one exception they were all gentlemen from the gentleman class who knew nothing about war. Here's what he had to say about these leaders of the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF).

This was the system that had produced John French and the other generals at the head of the BEF. They were gentleman almost to a man, the only exception being the aforementioned William Robertson, who by then had risen, almost miraculously, to Major General. As gentlemen they adhere to a code that elevated amateurism in all things to a supreme virtue. Hunting, shooting, polo and weekend gatherings at country estates were proper activities. Too much seriousness--for example, too much reading, even about military history and strategy--definitely was not. The kinds of disputes over theory that wracked the French officer corps were unimaginable north of the Channel, where nobody in uniform cared about theories. The right connections, and a proper degree of aristocratic insouciance, were highways us to advancement. They made the army and especially attractive career for the less intelligent sons of the very best families.  (page 214)

In short, they were willfully ignorant, yet gloried in their stature as "generals."

How many American businesses are run by the same kind of leaders? Just curious.

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Related Links

The Great War: So Much Sorrow and for What? Lessons from the Horror.

Poilu -- A Grisly WWI Memoir from the Trenches

Prominent British Generals and Their Fortunes in the Great War

Six Minutes with Maria Sutton, Author of The Night Sky

I took an interest in Maria Sutton’s The Night Sky because it is a compelling story about a quest. Young Maria had learned that her father was not her birth father and she set about to find him, to learn his story, and ultimately to re-connect with a portion of herself which had been lost in that great upheaval called World War II. The second reason I felt compelled to read the book was that it once again answers questions many people have about what really happened to so many people who were wounded by that terrible war. Sutton’s candid tale of persistence, hope, fear, confusion and pain makes for more than a good read.

The book's full title is The Night Sky: A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back. There are many lessons here that we can all benefit from because she took the time to record and share them.

EN: Why did you write this book?

Maria Sutton: Millions of people are searching for something -- whether it be a new job, significant other, or something they think is missing in their lives. I wanted people to know that if they never give up, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they will find that thing for which they searched. In the end, it may not turn out to be what they thought or hoped it would be, but it may be even something better. Many people have told me my story inspired them to continue reach for those stars – and that’s why I wrote the book, so that readers would know they can find their dreams.

EN: How many trips to Europe did you make in order to find your father and the rest of your family’s history?

MS: Europe is a fascinating, intriguing place to be solving a mystery. The history, architecture, culture, and friendly, helpful people, made me feel I was on a vacation instead of on a hunt. I sleuthed around Europe for fourteen years, covering four countries and six trips. The Internet helped me zero in on the places I needed to visit, but had I not been able to review documents in those foreign countries, the mystery would not have unraveled.

EN: What was the first clue that the image of your father was overly romanticized?

MS: There were so many clues along the way, but I dismissed all the ones that didn’t fit the image of what I wanted my father to be. A little voice inside my head kept telling me I was setting myself up for disappointment, but I didn’t listen to it – just like I didn’t listen to my mother’s comments that I should stop searching for Jozef. In the end, I knew no one could live up to the image I had conjured up in my mind, but that didn’t stop me from romanticizing about him. The picture of him that Angelica sent me still haunts me because it revealed his inner soul, and was the first of a series of shocking revelations.

EN: It seems that so many Americans are clueless about what Europe went through during the two World Wars. Your story helps bring understanding. What are the most painful truths you learned besides what you learned about your father?

MS: Man’s inhumanity to man was the most painful truth I learned when researching the tumultuous WWII era. The senseless killings, mass murders, and torturing of innocent people made me painfully aware of the evil that is within ordinary people, but the resilience of the human spirit is how I want my story to be remembered.

EN: What is the meaning of your title, The Night Sky?

MS: I love this question and get asked it a lot. From the time I first started writing the book, I knew I wanted to name it The Night Sky because all my life I have been looking at the stars of the night sky, knowing that somewhere beyond the stars of the night sky there was another world where my family was drinking coffee, eating bread, talking, laughing, and planting flowers and vegetables – and I wanted to reach out and touch them.

EN: How did the experiences that you share here change you?

MS: Finding my father was an epiphany for me. I had to come to terms with what I found during my search, and it could have shattered any illusions I had about myself. Instead, it made me a stronger person. It was a hard way to find out that only I have the power to define myself.

EN: How did writing this story change you?

MS: I am amazed at how many people have contacted me after reading my book. I get emails, letters, and phone calls from all over the world, people wanting to meet me, so I am humbled and honored that people feel my story has helped them with their life struggles in some way. If my story has made a difference in someone’s life, then I’m glad I shared my personal tragedies and triumphs. Many of the things I wrote about were embarrassing to me and I didn’t want to disclose them – just gloss over them, but I realized it would not have been an honest book if I had done so. I have also learned that truth, in all its ugliness, is a beautiful thing that sets you free.

EN: Where can people find out more about this book and purchase it?

MS: Thank you for asking! The Night Sky can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in most libraries. Readers can just Google “Maria Sutton The Night Sky” and about 14 million websites should pop-up.

Night sky photo courtesy Andrew Perfetti Photography

Unremembered History, part 4

SHORT STORY MONDAY

Last week, the prophecy was fulfilled that had been given by gypsies upon his birth in England. After marking the tree where an Indian became a man, the Olneys move back East to carve out a different sort of future for themselves... and future history.

Unremembered History of the World, part 4

It happened that back east in Philadelphia young Charles made the acquaintance of a certain Mr. Trent who introduced him to a Mr. Benjamin Franklin. As apprentice and protege to Mr. Franklin, his linguistic fluency and marked self-assurance enabled Olney to obtain entrance to the most influential persons of the age.

His unique ideas about Destiny resulted in a series of debates in Parliament with regard to the future of the Colonies. The combined effect of his writings and the distribution of his ideas via the presses of Franklin led to a Declaration of Freedom in 1775. Without the shedding of blood a Nation of Colonies was born called the United States of America.

Olney became an Ambassador to Europe and travelled extensively. His ideas regarding freedom, trust and Destiny had a broad impact there as well. On his second journey he brought with him sister Elizabeth who remained there and became a Countess in the region now called Austria. Her influence among the Courts of Europe inspired Napoleon to dismantle his armies and ushered in the first Hundred Years Peace.

Meanwhile, in the United States a certain Rogers Olney, first born son of Charles, after touring the Southwest Territories determined that a Fairness Doctrine should be developed with regards to the treatment of lands yet divided. Rogers' vision for a Fruitful Self-Determination became the underpinning of a Mutual Respect Policy between the United States and Santa Ana, then reigning in Mexico. In one of the most remarkable agreements in history, a settlement was reached whereby the Southwest was provided the opportunity to freely determine its future direction. Ultimately, a half century later, this became the Open Border Policy, with a free exchange of wealth and cultural enrichment flowing in both directions. The resultant stability south of the border provided a foundation for peaceful development in all of Latin America. From 1820 onward there were no more revolutions in Mexico and widespread freedom and advancement for all nations to our south.

In the late 1840's Harrison Olney had begun to see the importance of resolving the slavery issue in this country and undertook it as his life work. His cousin, the late Marshall Fleming, as an aide to Disraeli had successfully ushered England to an emancipation for its slaves, without rancor, without cost of life.

Harrison, grandson of Charles, thrice brought his eloquent tongue to the Supreme Court, and to the United States Congress on several occasions. Due to his influence, an equitable emancipation was achieved in 1855, without bloodshed. The country continued to prosper.

With the rich natural resources of its land and an abundance of ingenuity, America rose swiftly to new heights in the world older, respected for its ethics, industriousness and compassion. Descendants of Charles and Elizabeth Olney became leaders in industrial, academic and political life. It came as no surprise that in 1880 an Olney became 18th president of the United States.

The influence of Olneys in Europe was equally remarkable. More than a century had passed without a significant armed conflict. When factions threatened the stability of Europe in the early Twentieth Century, it was Sir William "Sparky" Donovan, great grandson of Countess Elizabeth, who calmed the waters and provided a safe passage for future generations.

In 1920's Germany, because of the economic boom and the lack of a catalyst, a young malcontent named Hitler failed to gain popular support for his strange notions of a Master Race. His fiery rhetoric found no home in the hearts of his hearers, and he resigned himself to operating a pub in Munich where he spent his years developing novel and pointless theories of world conquest.

In Russia, Communism likewise failed to take hold. Affectionately known to the Royal Court as Sir Sparky, Donovan persuaded the Tsar to distance himself from the power-mad Rasputin. Once free of Rasputin's influence, a change came over the royal family and generosity became the ruling ethic of the new era. With its own vast natural resources and an open society, Russia likewise experienced economic growth that invited the united participation of its several regions.

In short, the achievements of the descendants of this one man, Thomas Olney, reverberated throughout the world. In fact, descendants of Olney gained distinction in every field of endeavor, from anthropology to zoology, linguistics to physics, literature and the arts to economics and finance.

In the late twentieth century, Judith Remington-Olney, a biologist and high ranking official in the Red Leaf Foundation (an organization devoted to studying the relationship between trees and humans) developed the notion that it is possible to communicate with trees, that every tree has a story and if one were properly attuned, these stories could contribute in some way to human understanding. (The impetus for her ideas came from a fragment of a dream in which a tree became a man and she heard a voice saying, "I see men as trees walking.")

Remington-Olney enjoyed hiking through the forests of Pennsylvania where she lived and especially in the Blue Mountains. Her father told her stories about the Olneys who settled in Pennsylvania a long time ago, and she often wondered what it must have been like so deep in the wilderness, so far from civilization. She wondered, too, if some of the trees in these old hills once knew her great great great great grandparents. And she often wondered what tales they would tell if they could speak. It was during these hikes that she cultivated her theories of Biological Communication.

What if trees really were the souls of men? What if the spirits of the dead were the Life Force that germinated the seeds of trees in the forest? What if Heaven was nothing more than becoming a tree, arms outstretched, in perfect harmony with the world, ever worshiping the life-giving sun?

These were strange thoughts, but stranger still was her conviction that she could, by some deep magic of the forest, turn a tree into a man. Where this notion came from, from God or the devil, she knew not. It was a powerful idea and it gripped her like nothing ever had before.

CONTINUED