Command Amidst Chaos: leadership in the BEF
In this presentation, Dr Spencer Jones looks at the commanders of the British Expeditionary Force at the outset of World War 1.
The British Expeditionary Force of 1914 was described by the official historian as "incomparably the best trained, best organised, and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war." The BEF proved its fighting qualities in the fierce battles of 1914 and its reputation has endured. However, the same cannot be said for many of its commanders, who have frequently been portrayed as old fashioned, incompetent, and out of touch with events on the battlefield.
Yet the officers who led the BEF to war were every bit as professional and hard-bitten as the soldiers they commanded.
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