Essay on The Decline of British Military Innovation

World War I was perhaps the greatest catalyst for military innovation in modern history. The speed in which the doctrinal, technical and tactical changes were developed and implemented was astounding. At the end of World War I, Britain was at the forefront of doctrinal and technological innovation in the field of armor and aircraft warfare. The factors which caused Britain to lose their innovative edge in these areas prior to World War II was the 10 year rule policy, operational attitude of the British Army, and an emphasis on land based aviation. At the conclusion of World War I, Britain had the largest navy in the world, a brand new Royal Air Force (RAF) and an army that had extended its technical, tactical and†¦show more content†¦The ten-year policy was used by the British Government to continually decrease defense spending until the policy was ended in 1932. The second factor that stifled the innovation of the British military is the operational attitude of the mi litary leadership. The British military failed to study the lessons learned from World War I until 1932. This failure to study the battles of the war in a timely manner resulted in the development of inferior doctrine and training concepts. If the lessons would have been learned earlier than 1932, substantial changes could have been made to the British doctrine and professional military education system prior to 1932. The structural, leadership and cultural changes to the British Army after World War I contributed to a pervasive disinterest in innovation. The ideas and attitudes of the military leadership remained those of the prewar army. Those who seemed to be innovators were outcast and the leadership of the British Army did not take their ideas seriously. Between 1923 and 1928, the British Army conducted numerous field exercises to determine the proper use of mechanized or armored forces. Although some shortfalls were identified in these maneuvers, the overall potenti al of armored forces was evident. These tests identified the tactical advantages of firepower and maneuver of armored forces and the considerable logistical andShow MoreRelatedThe First World War : A New Era Of Military Conflict1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great War ushered in a new era of military conflict. One that would see technology change how the militaries of the world waged war. Industrialization ushered in an era of rapid and continuous technological advance. These advances rapidly proliferated throughout the armies of the world. As Clausewitz noted, â€Å"One side invents improvements and first puts them to use, and the other side promptly copies them.† The immediacy of war motivated nations to innovate as rapidly as they could to keepRead MoreChristianity And The Fall Of The Western Roman Empire1349 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause the Western Roman Empire that fell was officially, as declared by an emperor, a Christian Rome. In this paper I will present and a rgue the many contributing factors of Rome’s demise, and answer the question was Christianity responsible for the decline of theatre as a practice in the Western Roman Empire and ultimately its fall? The question of whether or not Christianity was responsible for the fall of the Western Roman Empire is one that has been argued by scholars for centuries. The mostRead MoreGunpowder Revolution In The Revolution1069 Words   |  5 Pagesstructure of European nations, which maximized its effectiveness in these nations as opposed to other areas of the World. One of the primary non-military based ways in which gunpowder made Europe a global superpower is through the facilitation of the Renaissance. Prior to the Renaissance, Europe was in a period known as the Dark Ages, a period of intellectual decline occurring after the fall of the Roman Empire. Gunpowder is responsible for ending this prohibitive era by starting the Renaissance. The RenaissanceRead MoreIs American Power A Decline?1050 Words   |  5 PagesIs American Power in decline? The debate over America power is one that is extremely relevant today, especially following this month’s revelation by the International Monetary Fund that China has just overtaken the US as the world’s biggest economy (Fray 2014). The two articles, ‘Is the United States in decline—again?’ (Cox 2007, pp. 643–653) and ‘The empire writes back’ (Williams 2007, pp. 945-950), take very different views on the state of America’s influence in the world today. Realists believeRead MoreHow Britain Should Move Forward With Respect For Its New Independence From The European Union1247 Words   |  5 PagesThe panel included Iain Murray, Vice President for Strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and co-author of Cutting the Gordian Knot: A Road Map for British Exit from the European Union, Rory Broomfield, Director at the Freedom Association and the Better Off Out campaign and co-author of Cutting the Gordian Knot: A Road Map f or British Exit from the European Union, Marian L. Tupy, Senior Policy Analyst at Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute, and Victoria Coates, Ph. DRead MoreThe First Continental Army : A New Form Of Military1088 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1775, the United States established their first Continental Army. In 1787, after the defeat of the British in the Revolutionary war, the Constitution we know today was rewritten and a new form of military arose in 1789. One would think a lot of change would happen within 200 years, but between then and 2010, all derivative branches were pretty much stuck in the same way; they didn’t allow women into all positions, they don’t have a national armed-forces day, and they didn’t have†¦ openly gay peopleRead MoreWhy Was Britain First State For Industrialise?1702 Words   |  7 PagesAgricultural Revolution which commenced at the end of the 16th century. It is worth mentioning that Britain was the first country which started those changes. As E.J. Evans stresses ‘its supreme achievement was to provide the necessary precondition for British Industrial Revolution.’ Throughout the decades the method of crop was altering from the three-field into the four-field crop rotation. Additionally, peasants started using natural fertilisation and hence the soil was less barren. The new cropsRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Boeing1500 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction The World s largest manufacturers of military and commercial aircrafts Boeing was formed in Seattle, Washington in the year 1916. The leading manufacturer has been involved in many mergers and acquisitions internationally and making strategic alliances with aerospace giants like North American Aviation, Rockwell International, McDonald Douglas (Boeing, 2015). With the presence of diverse, talented and innovative workforce currently, being is operating in more than 80 countries withRead MoreBritish Colonialism and Its Effects on Shaping Pakistani Culture1389 Words   |  6 Pages3. British colonialism and its effects on the shaping of Pakistani culture The culture of a nation (a complex structure of unsaid dos and donts) is determined by their emotive sensitivities and intellectual development at a given stage in history. The form of social order and its institutions are a reflection of this culture. Pre-British India was on a declining path vis-à  -vis these factors. Hence conditions were ripe for the invaders to encourage and establish a culture of collaboration. AndRead MoreThe United States in Decline 2128 Words   |  9 Pageson the current status of the United States hegemony and whether or not it is in decline. This begs the question, if the United States is indeed declining in status, will it still be an influential player or not? I argue that the United States is losing its prominent position as the hegemonic leader of the world, but will still remain an influential player in global politics in the following decades to come. Its decline is an imminent result of their domestic issues, the violation of international