changes over time in warfare (1790-1918) Flashcards
(40 cards)
What was the purchase system and why was it criticised?
Officers could buy their commissions, favouring aristocrats over merit. Criticised for incompetence and abolished in 1871 by Cardwell.
What were the Cardwell Reforms (1868–74)?
Abolished purchase of commissions, introduced short service (6 years active, 6 years reserve), and localised regiments.
What were the Haldane Reforms (1906–12)?
Created the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), restructured the army, and established the Territorial Force for home defence.
How did officer training change over time?
Became more professional with the founding of staff colleges and increased merit-based promotions post-1871.
How did recruitment evolve from 1790 to 1918?
Shifted from press gangs and voluntary enlistment to structured recruitment drives and, eventually, conscription in 1916.
How did weapons evolve from 1790–1918?
From flintlock muskets to breech-loading rifles, machine guns, tanks, and poison gas.
What was the Minie rifle and its importance?
A rifled musket used in Crimea. Greater accuracy and range than smoothbore muskets, setting a new standard for infantry weapons
What was the significance of the Vickers machine gun?
Introduced 1912, could fire 500 rounds/min. Became essential for trench warfare in WWI.
When was the first tank used in war?
At Flers-Courcelette (1916), during the Battle of the Somme. Later used effectively at Cambrai in 1917.
What was the impact of artillery changes?
Shift to heavy, long-range, quick-firing artillery by WWI. Required accurate mapping and observers to support creeping barrages.
What problems plagued British logistics in the French Wars?
Reliance on the Royal Navy for supply, poorly managed commissariat, lack of coordinated transport and storage.
How did the McNeill-Tulloch Report (1855) influence reform?
Highlighted failures in the Crimean supply system, sparking administrative and logistical improvements
What impact did industrialisation have on logistics?
Improved transport (railways, steamships), enabled faster troop movements and supply chains.
How did the army use railways by WWI?
To move large numbers of men and supplies to the front quickly; vital for mobilisation and sustainment.
What role did the Royal Navy play in supply?
Maintained blockades, protected trade, transported troops and materiel worldwide from 1790 to WWI.
What was coppering and why was it important?
1780s innovation of covering ship hulls with copper. Prevented fouling and rot, making ships faster and longer-lasting.
What were the implications of HMS Dreadnought (1906)?
Revolutionised naval warfare. Its firepower and speed rendered all other battleships obsolete.
How did naval strategy change over time?
Moved from close-combat sailing battles to global power projection using steam, armour, torpedoes, and submarines.
What was the Two-Power Standard (1889)?
Naval policy that Britain’s navy should be as strong as the next two largest navies combined.
What was the Royal Navy’s role in WWI?
Blockaded Germany, protected merchant shipping, and helped maintain supply routes for Britain and the Allies.
What role did the press play during the Crimean War?
Exposed mismanagement and poor conditions. William Howard Russell’s reports led to public outcry and reform.
What was the role of propaganda in WWI?
Mobilised public support, encouraged enlistment, demonised the enemy, and maintained morale on the home front.
How did censorship evolve from 1790–1918?
Almost nonexistent during the French Wars, became systematic in WWI via DORA and official press controls.
What was the impact of Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade”?
Romanticised a military blunder. Showed how poetry and culture shaped public memory of warfare.
